Calorie Calculator (TDEE & BMR)
Find your Basal Metabolic Rate, Total Daily Energy Expenditure, and a personalized daily calorie target for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
How to use the calorie calculator
- 1
Select your sex, unit system, age, height, and weight.
- 2
Choose the activity level that best matches your typical week.
- 3
Pick a goal — maintain, lose, or gain weight — and optionally enable a macro breakdown.
- 4
Your BMR, TDEE, and daily calorie target update instantly.
BMR and TDEE formulas explained
Your total daily calorie burn is built in layers. First comes your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) — the energy your body needs at complete rest. Multiplying BMR by an activity factor gives your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), the calories you burn in an average day including movement and exercise. From there, a calorie deficit or surplus is applied to reach your goal.
Mifflin-St Jeor (default): Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5. Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161.
Harris-Benedict (alternative): Men: BMR = 88.362 + 13.397 × weight(kg) + 4.799 × height(cm) − 5.677 × age. Women: BMR = 447.593 + 9.247 × weight(kg) + 3.098 × height(cm) − 4.330 × age.
| Activity level | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Sedentary (little or no exercise) | 1.2 |
| Lightly active (1-3 days/week) | 1.375 |
| Moderately active (3-5 days/week) | 1.55 |
| Very active (6-7 days/week) | 1.725 |
| Extra active (hard exercise + physical job) | 1.9 |
Curious how your weight and height alone stack up first? Check your BMI and healthy weight range before setting a calorie goal.
Choosing the right calorie goal
A pound of body fat stores roughly 3,500 calories, so a consistent daily deficit or surplus translates directly into a weekly rate of weight change. A 500-calorie daily deficit produces about 0.5 kg (1 lb) of loss per week; a 1,000-calorie deficit roughly doubles that, but very aggressive deficits are harder to sustain and can cost muscle mass along with fat.
For most people, a mild-to-moderate deficit (250-500 calories below TDEE) or a mild surplus (250-500 calories above TDEE) for muscle gain strikes the best balance between visible progress and long-term adherence. Pairing your calorie target with a protein-forward macro split (enabled in the calculator above) helps preserve lean mass during a deficit and support muscle growth during a surplus.
Your TDEE estimate is a starting point, not a fixed number — actual metabolism shifts with weight change, sleep, stress, and activity. Track your weight trend over 2-3 weeks and adjust your calorie target up or down by 100-200 calories if progress stalls.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
How to find your daily calorie target for weight loss using TDEE and a calorie deficit, with realistic rates of loss and why crash diets backfire.
Read the guide →The difference between Basal Metabolic Rate and Total Daily Energy Expenditure, how activity multipliers work, and which number to actually eat to.
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