TDEE calculator
Estimate the calories you burn in a day from your age, height, weight and activity, and see the targets 250 and 500 kcal above and below it. In kilograms or pounds.
TDEE calculator
Resting energy from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, multiplied by the activity level. Most people overestimate their activity; if in doubt, pick the lower one and adjust after two or three weeks of logging.
Your maintenance calories
2,630kcal
a day, with a resting rate of about 1,700 kcal.
Set it as your daily calorie target in GymTribe.
Common daily targets
| Larger deficit | -500 | 2,130 kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Small deficit | -250 | 2,380 kcal |
| Maintain | 2,630 kcal | |
| Small surplus | +250 | 2,880 kcal |
| Larger surplus | +500 | 3,130 kcal |
Next: split it into protein, carbs and fat with the macro calculator.
How the estimate works
TDEE is total daily energy expenditure: the calories your body uses in a day. The calculator starts with your resting rate from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age, plus 5 for men or minus 161 for women, then multiplies it by an activity factor from 1.2 to 1.9.
A 30-year-old man who is 175 cm and 75 kg has a resting rate of about 1,700 kcal. Moderately active, that is about 2,630 kcal a day.
Maintenance, deficit, surplus
Eating at your TDEE holds your weight roughly steady; that is your maintenance calories. The table under the result shows targets 250 and 500 kcal below and above it, which are the usual starting points for losing or gaining.
Treat the number as a first guess. Log what you eat and your morning weight for two or three weeks, then move the target up or down by 100 to 200 kcal based on what the scale did.
When it is less precise
Every formula is an average. It tends to run high for very lean or very muscular people and low for people carrying more body fat, and the activity multipliers are coarse: a desk job plus four gym sessions is closer to lightly active than very active.
If you track food already, your own numbers beat any formula. Average two weeks of intake while your weight held steady: that is your real maintenance.
Turn the calories into grams with the macro calculator, or check your protein alone with the protein calculator. To hit the target without weighing everything, see how the AI calorie counter logs a meal from a photo.
More free tools
- Macro calculatorProtein, carbs and fat in grams for your calories.
- Protein calculatorHow much protein a day, and per meal.
- 1RM calculatorEstimated one-rep max from any set, in kg or lb.
- Bench press calculatorYour bench max and working weights by rep count.
- Recipe calorie calculatorCalories and macros per serving of anything you cook.
These tools give estimates from standard formulas. They are not medical or dietary advice; if you have a health condition, are pregnant, or are under 18, ask a clinician or registered dietitian before changing how you eat or train.
TDEE calculator: questions people ask
What is TDEE?
Total daily energy expenditure: everything your body burns in a day, from resting functions to digestion, daily movement and training. Eating that many calories keeps your weight roughly stable.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR, or basal metabolic rate, is what you burn at complete rest. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor, so it includes walking, work and workouts. The calculator shows both.
Is this a maintenance calorie calculator?
Yes. Your TDEE is your maintenance calories, the amount that holds your weight where it is. The targets under the result add or subtract 250 and 500 kcal from it.
How do I use it as a calorie deficit calculator?
Pick one of the deficit rows under your maintenance number: 250 kcal below is a small deficit, 500 kcal below a larger one. Log your food against that target and adjust after a few weeks based on your weight trend.
Should I enter my current weight or my goal weight?
Your current weight. The formula estimates what your body burns today. Re-run it every 5 kg or so, because maintenance drops as you lose weight and rises as you gain.
How accurate is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation?
In validation studies it predicts resting energy within about 10% for most adults, which is better than older formulas such as Harris-Benedict. The activity multiplier adds more uncertainty than the equation itself.
How do I use the number in GymTribe?
Set it as your daily calorie target in the app, then log meals by photo, barcode, catalog search or by hand. The day shows calories eaten against the target, with protein, carbs, fat, fiber, sodium and sugar underneath.