Quick start
- Open the TDEE Calculator.
- Enter formula sex, age in years, height in centimeters, and weight in kilograms. The formula sex setting chooses the +5 or -161 Mifflin-St Jeor adjustment.
- Use the first example, "Moderate activity: Female formula, age 32, 165 cm, 68 kg: BMR 1,390.25 x 1.55", if you want to see a filled-out calculation before entering your own values.
- Calculate, read the formula line, then copy the result only after the units and assumptions look right.
Best uses
Start here if one of these sounds like your job. The examples below show which inputs matter most.
- Estimate maintenance calories before setting macro targets.
- Compare sedentary, light, moderate, very active, and extra active activity factors.
- Use TDEE as the base for calorie, protein, carbohydrate, and fat planning.
- Adjust a starting estimate with real weight trends and intake tracking over time.
What this calculator is for
The TDEE Calculator estimates daily maintenance calories by calculating Mifflin-St Jeor BMR, then multiplying that resting estimate by a broad activity factor. It is useful as a planning anchor before calorie or macro targets, but it is not a diet order, exact metabolism test, or promise that weight will stay unchanged.
Use it when you want to: Estimate maintenance calories before setting macro targets. Compare sedentary, light, moderate, very active, and extra active activity factors.
What to enter
Good answers start with clean inputs. Before calculating, check the labels, units, and dates so the tool is solving the same problem you actually have.
- Enter formula sex, age in years, height in centimeters, and weight in kilograms. The formula sex setting chooses the +5 or -161 Mifflin-St Jeor adjustment.
- Choose the activity level that describes your normal week, not your best workout day.
- Use the same activity setting when comparing changes over time so the difference comes from the body inputs, not a new multiplier.
- If you are between two activity labels, start with the more honest lower one and adjust later from real weight, hunger, energy, and training trends.
Example walkthrough
Try the calculator example: Moderate activity: Female formula, age 32, 165 cm, 68 kg: BMR 1,390.25 x 1.55. The example result is About 2,155 kcal/day.
- For a female-formula example at age 32, 165 cm, and 68 kg, BMR is 10 x 68 + 6.25 x 165 - 5 x 32 - 161 = 1,390.25 kcal/day.
- With the moderate activity factor of 1.55, TDEE is 1,390.25 x 1.55 = 2,154.8875, or about 2,155 kcal/day.
- For a male-formula example at age 45, 180 cm, 88 kg, and sedentary activity, BMR is 1,785 and TDEE is 1,785 x 1.2 = 2,142 kcal/day.
Formula and steps
In plain language: BMR = 10 x weight kg + 6.25 x height cm - 5 x age + formula-sex adjustment (+5 or -161). TDEE = BMR x activity factor: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 very active, or 1.9 extra active. Read the result together with the notes on the page, because health and fitness numbers often need personal context.
Read the formula note when you need to understand where the number came from, especially before comparing results over time.
How to read the answer
Read the main estimate first, then read the note beside it. For health, pregnancy, nutrition, kidney, alcohol, or training decisions with real consequences, use qualified professional guidance.
- Read the answer as estimated maintenance calories per day for the exact inputs and activity factor you chose.
- TDEE is not a fat-loss target by itself. A Calorie Calculator can compare maintenance with smaller goal adjustments after you understand the maintenance estimate.
- Real-world tracking can move the useful target up or down because activity labels, water weight, food logging, sleep, illness, menstrual cycles, and training blocks are not captured perfectly.
- Use qualified guidance for pregnancy nutrition, eating-disorder recovery, medical diet orders, diabetes care, sport fueling, or any plan that could affect health or safety.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most bad results come from a small input mistake or from using a rough estimate for a decision it cannot safely answer.
- Do not double-count exercise if your activity level already includes it.
- Do not treat one unusually active day as your normal week.
- Do not treat BMR and TDEE as the same number; BMR is the resting estimate before activity is added.
- Do not copy the result into an aggressive diet plan without checking whether the goal, timeline, and health context are reasonable.
- Do not use TDEE as medical nutrition advice, a pregnancy meal plan, or an eating-disorder recovery target.
What to try next
A related health tool can help check the same topic from another angle, but one number should not replace proper care.
- Use Calorie Calculator to compare goal adjustments.
- Use Macro Calculator to turn calories into grams.
- Use BMR Calculator if you want to inspect the resting-energy estimate before the activity factor is added.
Sources and safety notes
This guide uses public-health, clinical, or peer-reviewed references where the calculator needs a specific formula or interpretation boundary.
Source links are provided for transparency, but they do not turn the calculator into medical advice or a replacement for professional care.
Worked examples for TDEE Calculator
About 2,155 kcal/day
2,142 kcal/day
About 2,431 kcal/day
About 2,732 kcal/day
FAQ in plain language
When should I use the TDEE Calculator?
Use it for simple educational checks, trend tracking, or planning tasks like these: Estimate maintenance calories before setting macro targets. Compare sedentary, light, moderate, very active, and extra active activity factors. It can help you understand a number, but it cannot explain your whole health situation.
What do the main TDEE Calculator inputs mean?
Enter the formula sex setting, age, height in centimeters, weight in kilograms, and the activity level that best describes a normal week. The formula sex setting chooses the +5 or -161 Mifflin-St Jeor adjustment. The activity level multiplies BMR by a broad factor, so pick the average week rather than your best workout day.
What is the TDEE Calculator doing with my inputs?
In plain language: BMR = 10 x weight kg + 6.25 x height cm - 5 x age + formula-sex adjustment (+5 or -161). TDEE = BMR x activity factor: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 very active, or 1.9 extra active. Read the result together with the notes on the page, because health and fitness numbers often need personal context.
How should I read the TDEE Calculator result?
Read TDEE as estimated maintenance calories per day for the inputs and activity factor you chose. It is not a promised weight-change number, medical diet order, pregnancy plan, eating-disorder recovery plan, or exact metabolism measurement. Real-world trends can move the useful target up or down.
What activity factors does this TDEE calculator use?
It uses common planning factors: 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 for light activity, 1.55 for moderate activity, 1.725 for very active, and 1.9 for extra active. These are broad multipliers, not wearable-tracker measurements.
Is TDEE the same as BMR?
No. BMR estimates resting energy before normal movement and exercise. TDEE starts with BMR, then multiplies it by an activity factor to estimate total daily energy expenditure.
How should I choose an activity level?
Choose the level that describes your usual week, not your hardest training day. If work, steps, workouts, or caregiving vary a lot, start conservative and compare the estimate with real weight and intake trends.
Related tools
- Calorie Calculator Estimate daily calories from BMR, activity level, and goal.
- BMR Calculator Estimate resting calories with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
- Macro Calculator Split daily calories into protein, fat, and carbohydrate grams.
Keep exploring
If this guide is close but not exact, these links keep you near the same kind of problem.
- Health & Fitness Browse the full category for related tools that help with the same job.
- All free tools Search the complete Access Free Tools library by task, category, or tool name.
- All calculator and utility guides Find more plain-language examples, formulas, mistakes, and result explanations.
- Free calculator resources Start here when you are not sure which calculator page fits.
Privacy and copying results
Recent answers stay visible only while you work in the current browser tab. They are not sent to a server.
Use Copy answer when you want to save the inputs and result in notes, homework, a message, or a project list. Check the units, labels, and limits before copying.