TDEE Calculator: Daily Calories and Macros

You can calculate TDEE in two steps. First, find your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor formula: for men, (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age) + 5; for women, the same but – 161 at the end. Convert pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.205 (for example, 170 lb = 77.1 kg) and inches to centimeters by multiplying by 2.54. Second, multiply your BMR by your activity factor: 1.2 (sedentary), 1.375 (lightly active), 1.55 (moderately active), 1.725 (very active), or 1.9 (extremely active). The result is your estimated TDEE in calories per day. The calculator above does this instantly using all three formulas.

For most people, a moderate deficit of 300-500 calories below TDEE produces roughly 1 pound (0.45 kg) of fat loss per week, while a larger deficit of 500-750 calories may produce 1.5-2 pounds per week. A deficit of about 20-25% below TDEE is a common, sustainable target. You should never eat below your BMR, and women should generally stay at or above 1,200 calories and men at or above 1,500. If progress stalls despite an honest deficit, our medical weight loss programs and strategies for breaking a plateau can help.

Recalculate your TDEE every 4-6 weeks or when you experience: 10+ pounds of weight change, significant changes in activity level, plateau in progress for 2+ weeks, or major life changes (new job, injury, etc.). Age-related changes are minimal, so annual recalculation for aging is sufficient.

Not exactly. TDEE is your total daily calorie burn including all activities. “Metabolism” typically refers to your BMR – the calories burned at rest. TDEE = BMR + activity + exercise + digestion. Your BMR is about 60-70% of your TDEE.

If you eat exactly at BMR and remain mostly inactive, you’ll roughly maintain weight, not lose it. For weight loss, create a deficit from your TDEE, not BMR. Never eat below BMR as this can slow metabolism, cause muscle loss, and lead to nutrient deficiencies. Minimum intake should be BMR or 1,200 calories for women / 1,500 for men.

Common reasons include: underestimating calorie intake (not weighing food), overestimating activity level, water retention masking fat loss, metabolic adaptation from prolonged dieting, medical conditions (thyroid, PCOS), medications affecting metabolism, or you need to give it more time (fat loss isn’t linear). Track accurately for 2-3 weeks before making changes.

If you calculated TDEE with your activity level included, don’t eat back exercise calories – they’re already accounted for. If you used “sedentary” and add exercise separately, you can eat back 50-75% of exercise calories (not 100% as calorie burn is often overestimated).

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is most accurate for the general population. Katch-McArdle is best if you know your body fat percentage and are relatively lean (<25% body fat for men, <35% for women). Harris-Benedict tends to slightly overestimate. All formulas are estimates - track results and adjust.

Yes, your actual energy expenditure varies daily based on activities, NEAT (fidgeting, walking), food choices (TEF varies), stress, sleep quality, and hormonal fluctuations. TDEE represents an average. Use weekly averages rather than daily numbers for planning.

TDEE calculators are typically accurate within ±10% if you’re honest about activity level. Individual variations in metabolism, NEAT, hormones, and genetics can affect accuracy. Use TDEE as a starting point, track for 2-3 weeks, then adjust based on actual results. For exact numbers, consider metabolic testing.

Cutting: Eat 20-25% below TDEE (500-750 calorie deficit) for fat loss while preserving muscle. Bulking: Eat 5-10% above TDEE (200-500 calorie surplus) for muscle gain with minimal fat. The key difference is the direction and size of the caloric adjustment from your TDEE baseline.

Yes, TDEE naturally decreases about 2% per decade after age 20 due to muscle loss and hormonal changes. A 50-year-old burns approximately 200-300 fewer calories than a 20-year-old of the same size. Combat this with strength training to maintain muscle mass and consider hormone optimization therapy.