Calorie (TDEE)
Daily calorie needs (Mifflin-St Jeor)
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) estimates how many calories your body burns in a day, given your size, sex, age, and activity level. It is the baseline for any structured nutrition plan — to lose weight you eat below it, to gain you eat above it, to maintain you eat at it.
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is widely considered the most accurate of the popular BMR (basal metabolic rate) formulas for adults.
What it estimates
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — calories burned at rest.
- Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — BMR adjusted for activity.
- Suggested calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, and gain.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation
- Men:
BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5 - Women:
BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier:
- Sedentary (little/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
- Extremely active (physical job + training): 1.9
Worked example
A 35-year-old man, 180 cm, 80 kg, moderately active:
- BMR =
10 × 80 + 6.25 × 180 − 5 × 35 + 5=800 + 1,125 − 175 + 5= 1,755 kcal - TDEE =
1,755 × 1.55≈ 2,720 kcal/day
When to use this
As a starting point for a calorie target — for weight loss, weight maintenance, or weight gain. Adjust based on real-world results after 2–3 weeks: if your weight is not changing as expected, your true TDEE is probably 100–200 kcal off from the estimate.
Limitations
BMR equations are estimates with about a 10% margin of error for a given individual. They assume average body composition and metabolism; both vary. Use TDEE as a starting target, then adjust based on weekly weight trend, not as a precise daily prescription.
Frequently asked questions
Which activity multiplier should I choose?
Be honest — most people overestimate. "Moderately active" means structured exercise 3–5 times per week, not just being on your feet. If unsure, pick lower and adjust after seeing real-world weight change.
How much of a deficit for weight loss?
A common starting point is 500 kcal/day below TDEE for roughly 1 pound per week of loss. Larger deficits can work short-term but are harder to sustain and may reduce muscle.
Why two formulas (Mifflin-St Jeor and Harris-Benedict)?
Both predict BMR. Mifflin-St Jeor was developed later (1990) on a larger sample and is generally considered more accurate for modern populations.