How this TDEE calculator works
TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure: a practical estimate of the calories you burn in a typical day, including rest, daily movement, and training. People also search for this as a maintenance calorie calculator — the main result is the same idea. This page first estimates resting burn (BMR, or something close to it) and then multiplies by an activity factor.
The default resting formula is Mifflin–St Jeor, published in 1990. For men it is 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5. For women the last term is −161 instead of +5. You can switch to the revised Harris–Benedict equations from Roza and Shizegal (1984), or to Katch–McArdle if you already have a body-fat percentage. Katch–McArdle uses lean mass: 370 + 21.6 × fat-free mass(kg).
Activity factors follow a conventional scale: 1.2 for a mostly seated day with little exercise, 1.375 for light training, 1.55 for a moderate weekly schedule, 1.725 for hard training most days, and 1.9 for very demanding work or sport. These multipliers are blunt. They do not know whether your “four workouts” are 20-minute walks or two-hour sessions, and they do not track fidgeting, a physically hard job, or a week on the couch.
Cut and bulk targets on the results card use a planning rule of 3,500 calories per pound of body weight, spread across seven days. A one-pound weekly loss is therefore shown as maintenance minus 500 calories. That shortcut is widely used and easy to sanity-check, but it is not a complete model of human metabolism. Over months, real-world loss often slows as weight, movement, and appetite change. Treat the targets as a starting budget, then adjust from weekly averages on the scale or in the fold of your clothes rather than chasing a single day’s math.
If two formulas disagree by a couple of hundred calories, that is normal. Pick one method, hold it steady for two or three weeks, and let the trend tell you whether the estimate runs hot or cold for you. For a deeper look at resting equations alone, use the BMR calculator. To turn a weekly loss rate into a timeline, use the calorie deficit calculator.
This is an educational estimate, not a prescription. Energy needs change with illness, pregnancy, some medications, and recovery from very low calorie intake. A clinician or registered dietitian can interpret a number in context; a webpage cannot.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE, in plain language?
TDEE is an estimate of how many calories you burn in a day when you include both resting metabolism and activity. Eating near that number, on average, is the usual way people try to maintain weight. Eating below it is a deficit; eating above it is a surplus.
Is this the same thing as a maintenance calorie calculator?
Yes. “Maintenance calories” and TDEE are two names for the same planning idea: an estimate of the daily intake that would hold your weight roughly steady. The large number at the top of the results is that maintenance estimate. Cut and lean-bulk targets are just that number adjusted by a weekly change.
Which activity level should I choose?
Choose the level that matches a typical week, not your most ambitious week. If your job is seated and you train two or three times, “light” is often closer than “moderate.” If the scale does not move after a couple of consistent weeks, change the budget by a small amount rather than jumping two activity tiers at once.
Why does this number differ from my watch or a gym machine?
Wearables and cardio machines use their own models, often from heart rate, pace, or a generic user profile. This calculator uses a published resting equation plus a coarse activity multiplier. Neither approach is a laboratory measurement. Large gaps are common, especially if the watch includes workouts that this page already tried to cover with the activity factor — adding those calories on top can double-count.
Is Mifflin–St Jeor the most accurate formula?
It is one of the better-studied equations for average adults and is a common default in nutrition practice. It can still miss by a meaningful margin for very muscular people, people at a high body-fat level, older adults, or anyone whose measured resting metabolism sits far from the average. Katch–McArdle can be useful when you trust a body-fat estimate, because it is based on lean mass.
Should I eat the same calorie number every day?
The output is a daily average. Some people eat close to it every day. Others keep a weekly total in mind and eat a little more on training days and a little less on rest days. Either approach can work if the average is honest and the food quality is adequate.
Can I use this calculator if I have a medical condition?
You can look at the math, but you should not treat it as a plan. Thyroid disease, diabetes, pregnancy, eating-disorder recovery, and some medications change energy needs or make aggressive deficits unsafe. Ask a qualified clinician for guidance that fits your situation.