Calorie (TDEE) Calculator – Maintenance & Goal Calories

Estimate your daily energy needs (TDEE) from BMR, activity level, and goal. Private by design — runs entirely in your browser.

Inputs

Units:
Advanced options
Choose the equation used to estimate BMR.
If selected, we’ll show grams/day for each macro at your target calories.
Results will appear here.

About This Calculator

Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is an estimate of how many calories you burn per day, including activity. We first estimate your BMR (calories at rest) using a formula, then multiply by an activity factor. If you choose a goal, we add a small surplus or deficit to suggest target calories.

Formulas Used

  • Mifflin–St Jeor (default)
    BMR (men) = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
    BMR (women) = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
  • Harris–Benedict (revised)
    BMR (men) = 13.397 × weight(kg) + 4.799 × height(cm) − 5.677 × age + 88.362
    BMR (women) = 9.247 × weight(kg) + 3.098 × height(cm) − 4.330 × age + 447.593

This tool is for educational purposes and general planning — not medical advice.

Understanding Calorie Needs & TDEE

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is calculated by first finding your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and then multiplying it by an activity factor.

Activity Multipliers

  • Sedentary: BMR × 1.2
  • Lightly Active: BMR × 1.375
  • Moderately Active: BMR × 1.55
  • Very Active: BMR × 1.725
  • Extra Active: BMR × 1.9

Calorie Goals

  • Weight Loss: consume ~300–500 fewer kcal/day than your TDEE.
  • Maintenance: eat near your TDEE.
  • Muscle Gain: add ~200–500 kcal/day, with attention to protein.

Tip: Use “Add Example” to see a filled example and the macro presets.

5 Fun Facts about Calories & TDEE

Most burn is “background”

For many desk workers, 60–75% of daily calories are just keeping the lights on (BMR), not workouts.

Hidden burn

Adaptive metabolism

Long dieting can lower daily burn by a few hundred calories—your body quietly trims “nonessential” movement (NEAT).

NEAT drop

Protein is “expensive”

Digesting protein costs ~20–30% of its calories (thermic effect). Carbs cost ~5–10%, fats ~0–3%.

Thermic effect

Steps are modest

Adding 2,000 steps is roughly 70–100 kcal for most adults—tiny changes compound over weeks.

Small moves

Sleep shifts appetite

Short nights can spike hunger hormones; people often eat 200–500 kcal more after a poor sleep.

Rest factor

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