How to use Calorie & TDEE Calculator
- Enter your sex, age, height and weight. Add your body fat percentage if you know it.
- Pick how active you are on a typical week.
- Choose a goal to see your daily calorie target and a matching split of protein, carbs and fat.
About this tool
BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the energy your body uses at complete rest. It is estimated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research has found to be the most reliable for most people. If you enter your body fat percentage, the Katch-McArdle equation is used instead, because it is based on lean body mass.
TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor, from 1.2 for mostly sitting to 1.9 for very physical work plus training. Eating this many calories keeps your weight roughly steady.
A kilogram of body fat stores about 7,700 kcal, so losing 0.5 kg a week needs a deficit of about 550 kcal a day. Targets are never set below 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 kcal for men, because going lower is hard to sustain and to get enough nutrients from.
Every formula is an estimate. Weigh yourself regularly for two or three weeks and adjust by 100–200 kcal if your weight is moving faster or slower than you want.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what you burn lying still all day. TDEE adds everything else: walking, working, exercising and digesting food.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
About 250–550 kcal below your TDEE loses 0.25–0.5 kg a week, which is a safe and sustainable pace for most people.
Which activity level should I choose?
Most people overestimate it. If you have a desk job and train three times a week, "Lightly" or "Moderately active" is usually right.
Should I see a doctor?
Yes, if you are pregnant, under 18, have a medical condition, or plan a large change in weight.