Calorie Calculator
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Calorie planning · ~90 seconds

Estimate your TDEE and maintenance calories.

Use this TDEE calculator to estimate maintenance calories before you set a calorie deficit, surplus, or macro target. Compare five pacing options at once so the next step is easier to choose. Then use the Calorie Calculator app to keep the rest of the day visible instead of juggling separate numbers in your head.

The tool helps you find the baseline. The app is where calories, meals, and macros become a repeatable daily habit.
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Your profile
BMR · Mifflin-St Jeor
1,390 kcal at rest
Maintenance calories
2,155kcal / day

What your body burns doing whatever you normally do.

Scenario comparisonTap a column to set macros
1,724
kcal
Suggested macros · steady cut

2.2 g/kg protein, 27% fat, carbs fill the rest.

Protein
150g35%
Carbs
164g38%
Fat
52g27%
What to do next

Use your TDEE

The number matters less than what you do with it next.

TDEE is not a final answer. It is the baseline that helps you set a calorie target with less guesswork and then adjust based on real feedback.

Start with maintenance, not a random deficit

Your TDEE is the anchor number. Once you know it, you can cut or add calories without guessing.

Make one change at a time

For most people, a 10% to 20% deficit is a cleaner starting point than an aggressive crash cut.

Track real results for 2 to 3 weeks

If average body weight does not move as expected, adjust by roughly 100 to 200 calories and retest.

Activity Guide

Choose the multiplier that matches your normal week, not your best week.

People usually miss on TDEE because they overrate daily activity. The cleaner move is to choose the lower tier, then adjust only after you see what happens in practice.

x1.2

Sedentary

Desk-based work, low daily step count, no consistent training routine.

x1.375

Lightly active

A few walks each week or light training sessions on top of a mostly seated day.

x1.55

Moderately active

Structured training 3 to 5 times per week or a generally active daily routine.

x1.725

Very active

Hard training most days, frequent sport sessions, or a physically demanding job.

x1.9

Extremely active

Very high training load plus a manual job or consistently high movement volume.

Formula Guide

Compare formulas if you want more context, but do not overthink the decimal.

Small differences between formulas are normal. Real-world tracking matters more than obsessing over which equation wins by 50 calories on paper.

Mifflin-St Jeor

Usually the strongest default for modern TDEE estimates. If you only use one formula, start here.

Harris-Benedict

An older formula that can still be useful as a comparison point, especially if you want to sanity-check the estimate range.

App Next

Use TDEE for the baseline. Use the app for the full day.

Maintenance calories only matter when they turn into a plan you can actually keep. Use the Calorie Calculator app to log meals, keep calories and macros visible, and let this estimate support the day instead of replacing it.

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Download

iPhone and Android are both live. Use the browser calculator for planning, then use the app for the repeat job.

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TDEE calculator FAQ

How accurate is a TDEE calculator?

A TDEE calculator is a starting estimate, not a laboratory measurement. For many people it is close enough to begin planning, but the real test is what happens to your average body weight and performance over the next 2 to 3 weeks.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is the energy your body uses at rest. TDEE builds on that by adding movement, exercise, and the rest of your day-to-day energy expenditure.

Which activity level should I pick if I am unsure?

Choose the lower of the two levels you are considering. Overestimating activity is one of the most common reasons calorie targets miss the mark.

Should I eat below my BMR to lose fat faster?

That is usually a poor starting strategy. A more practical approach is to work from TDEE and use a moderate deficit that you can recover from and maintain.

How often should I recalculate TDEE?

Recalculate after a meaningful body-weight change, a training-volume change, or a shift in daily activity. Otherwise, check in every few months rather than every few days.

Research and reference notes

1. Mifflin et al. (1990)

Introduced the Mifflin-St Jeor resting energy expenditure equation that is still widely used in nutrition practice.

2. Harris and Benedict (1919)

The original Harris-Benedict metabolic equation, still commonly referenced as a comparison formula.

3. Pontzer et al. (2016)

A useful reference on constrained total energy expenditure and why activity does not always scale linearly forever.