TDEE Calculator — Calories, Macros
BMI & BMR in One Place
Find exactly how many calories you burn daily and get precise macro targets for your goal — whether you're cutting, maintaining, or bulking.
Your stats
Calorie targets by goal
Macro targets — for your selected goal
TDEE at different activity levels
| Activity level | Calories/day |
|---|
What to do with these numbers
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE and why does it matter?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. It accounts for your basal metabolic rate (the energy your body uses at rest), physical activity, and the thermic effect of food. Knowing your TDEE is the single most important number for any body composition goal: eat below it to lose fat, above it to gain muscle, or match it to maintain your current weight.
How accurate is this TDEE calculator?
This calculator uses the Mifflin–St Jeor equation by default, which research consistently identifies as the most accurate formula for the general population (±10% margin). When you provide your body fat percentage, it switches to the Katch–McArdle formula, which is more accurate for lean and muscular individuals. No calculator is perfect — use your result as a starting point, track your weight for 2–3 weeks, and adjust by 100–200 calories if needed.
What are macros and how are they calculated?
Macros (macronutrients) are the three major nutrients your body uses for energy: protein (4 kcal/g), carbohydrates (4 kcal/g), and fat (9 kcal/g). The macro targets shown here are set so that protein is high enough to preserve muscle mass at any goal. For cutting, protein is set at 1g per lb of bodyweight (2.2g/kg). Carbs and fat fill the remaining calories at a ratio optimized for energy and hormonal health.
What is BMR and how is it different from TDEE?
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body needs at complete rest just to keep organs functioning — heart beating, lungs breathing, brain working. TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. Most people's TDEE is 1.2–1.9× their BMR. You should never eat below your BMR for extended periods, as this can harm metabolism and cause muscle loss.
How many calories should I eat to lose 1 lb per week?
One pound of fat is roughly 3,500 calories. To lose 1 lb per week, you need a daily deficit of 500 calories below your TDEE. For 0.5 lb/week: 250 calorie deficit. For 2 lbs/week (the typical maximum): 1,000 calorie deficit, though this is not recommended for more than a few weeks and should never push you below your BMR.
Should I use imperial (lbs, ft) or metric (kg, cm)?
Both systems give identical results — the calculator converts internally. Use whichever units you're most comfortable with. US users typically prefer imperial; most of the rest of the world uses metric. The toggle at the top of the page switches between both.
Why does providing body fat percentage improve accuracy?
Standard formulas like Mifflin–St Jeor estimate BMR from total body weight. But muscle burns significantly more calories at rest than fat does. When you provide your body fat %, the calculator can isolate your lean body mass and apply the Katch–McArdle formula, which is especially more accurate for athletes, bodybuilders, and anyone with above-average muscle mass.
How often should I recalculate my TDEE?
Recalculate every 4–8 weeks or after losing/gaining more than 10 lbs (4.5 kg). As your weight changes, your BMR changes with it — which means your calorie targets need to be updated. A common mistake is continuing to eat the same calories for months without adjusting, which causes fat loss to stall.