TDEE calculator
Your TDEE — total daily energy expenditure — is how many calories your body burns in a typical day. It is the single most useful number for planning what to eat: eat around it to hold steady, below it to lose, above it to gain. This free calculator estimates your TDEE from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the same formula clinicians and most nutrition apps rely on. Enter your age, sex, height, weight, and how active you are, and you will see both your resting metabolic rate and your full daily burn instantly — no account, no email. Switch between metric and imperial with one tap. Treat the result as a well-grounded starting point, then fine-tune it against how your weight actually moves over a few weeks.
Your estimated daily calories
2,250 kcal/day
Resting metabolism (BMR): 1,452 kcal · activity ×1.55
How the TDEE calculation works
TDEE is built in two steps. First we estimate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) — the energy your body uses at complete rest to run your heart, brain, and organs. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research consistently ranks among the most accurate for the general population:
BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + s
where s = +5 for men, −161 for women
Second, we multiply your BMR by an activity factor that reflects how much you move on top of resting: 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 for light activity, 1.55 for moderate, 1.725 for active, and 1.9 for very active. The result is your TDEE — the calories that keep your weight stable given your typical week.
If you enter imperial units, we convert pounds to kilograms (÷ 2.205) and feet-and-inches to centimetres (× 2.54) before applying the formula, so the maths is identical either way. Because activity level is a judgement call, TDEE is an estimate rather than a measurement. The honest way to use it: pick the activity level that best matches your week, eat at that number for two to three weeks, and adjust up or down based on the trend on the scale.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your resting metabolism plus everything you do: moving, exercising, digesting food. Eating around your TDEE keeps your weight stable.
How accurate is this TDEE calculator?
It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, one of the most reliable formulas for estimating resting metabolism. Like every formula it gives a population-level estimate; your real expenditure varies with muscle mass, genetics, and daily activity. Use it as a starting point and adjust based on how your weight actually trends over a few weeks.
Should I eat exactly my TDEE?
To maintain your weight, aim for roughly your TDEE. To lose weight, eat below it; to gain, eat above it. A moderate 250–500 kcal daily deficit is a common, sustainable pace for fat loss.
Estimate a real plate instead
Numbers are a start — logging is where progress happens. Snap a photo of your meal and NibbleCal estimates the calories and macros in about 3 seconds.
Try it with a photo — free, no signup