TDEE and BMR Calculator

Daily calories to maintain, lose or gain weight.

years
kg
cm
1,982Maintenance calorieskcal per day
1,442Basal metabolic rateat complete rest
1,482To lose about 0.5 kg a week
To lose about 1 kg a week
982
To gain lean weight slowly
2,282
Calories burned by activity above rest
541

A deficit of about 500 kcal a day is the usual guideline for steady fat loss of roughly half a kilogram a week.

Maintenance calories at each activity level
Activity levelkcal per day
Sedentary1,730
Light1,982
Moderate2,234
Active2,487
Athlete2,739

General information only, not medical or dietary advice. Consult a professional before making significant changes, particularly if you have a health condition.

About the TDEE and BMR Calculator

Your basal metabolic rate is the energy your body uses at complete rest to run your brain, heart, lungs and cell repair, and it accounts for most of what you burn in a day. Total daily energy expenditure adds movement, exercise and the energy cost of digesting food, and it is the number that actually determines whether you gain or lose weight. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research has repeatedly found to be the most accurate of the simple formulas.

Multiplying by an activity factor is the weakest part of any TDEE estimate, because most people overestimate how active they are. If your weight is not moving in the direction you expect after two or three weeks, adjust the calories by 100 to 200 rather than assuming the formula is right. A deficit of 500 kcal a day corresponds to roughly half a kilogram of fat a week, and going much steeper tends to cost muscle and adherence.

How to use the TDEE and BMR Calculator

  1. Enter your sex, age, weight in kilograms and height in centimetres.
  2. Choose the activity level that honestly matches your week.
  3. Read your maintenance calories, then the target for losing or gaining weight.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is what you would burn lying still all day. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor and is your real daily requirement, typically 20 to 90 percent higher.

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

A deficit of 300 to 500 kcal a day below maintenance is sustainable for most people and produces around 0.25 to 0.5 kg of loss a week. Very low intakes are hard to sustain and cost muscle.

Which equation does this use?

Mifflin-St Jeor, published in 1990, which estimates BMR from weight, height, age and sex. It is generally more accurate than the older Harris-Benedict equation for modern populations.

Why is my real calorie need different?

Body composition, genetics, medication, sleep and non-exercise movement all shift the number. Formulas are typically within 10 percent, so treat the result as a starting point and adjust from your own results.