Mifflin-St Jeor formula
Macro breakdown included
Goal-based calorie targets
Instant results
Nutrition Intelligence

Your daily
calorie needs,
calculated

Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the exact number of calories your body burns each day. Set the right intake to lose fat, maintain, or build muscle.

Loss · Maintenance · Gain Macro split included Activity-adjusted
LOSE WEIGHT TDEE − 500 BUILD MUSCLE TDEE + 300 MAINTENANCE = YOUR TDEE MACROS Protein Carbs Fat ACTIVITY ×1.55 moderate activity
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TDEE Calculator

Your total daily energy expenditure

Sex
Male
Female
—
kilocalories per day
Suggested macros for maintenance

Based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Individual metabolism varies. Consult a registered dietitian for personalised guidance.

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Activity multipliers

Sedentary × 1.20
Lightly active × 1.375
Moderately active × 1.55
Very active × 1.725
Extremely active × 1.90

When in doubt, choose one level lower than you think. Most people overestimate their activity.

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Did you know?

The Mifflin-St Jeor formula (1990) is approximately 5% more accurate than the original Harris-Benedict formula from 1919, which was used clinically for 70 years.

A 5% error on a 2,000 kcal TDEE means 100 kcal off — equivalent to one small banana.

What is TDEE?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total calories your body burns in a 24-hour period, accounting for your resting metabolism, digestion, and all physical activity. It is your personal daily calorie budget.

Understanding your TDEE is the foundation of any nutrition strategy. Eat consistently below it and you lose weight. Eat above it and you gain. Match it and you maintain.

Activity level multipliers

ActivityDescriptionMultiplier
SedentaryDesk job, minimal exercise1.20
Lightly activeExercise 1–3 days/week1.375
Moderately activeExercise 3–5 days/week1.55
Very activeHard exercise 6–7 days/week1.725
Extremely activePhysical job + daily training1.90

Using TDEE for your goals

For weight loss, a deficit of 300–500 calories below TDEE produces steady fat loss of 0.3–0.5 kg per week. Larger deficits risk muscle loss and metabolic adaptation.

For muscle building, a modest surplus of 200–400 calories above TDEE combined with high protein and progressive resistance training produces lean gains without excess fat accumulation.

Why TDEE changes over time

As your weight, age, and activity level change, so does your TDEE. If you lose significant weight, recalculate — your new TDEE will be lower. During prolonged calorie restriction, metabolic adaptation can reduce TDEE by 5–15%, which is why weight loss often plateaus even with consistent intake.

Frequently asked questions

TDEE calculators using Mifflin-St Jeor are accurate to within roughly 10% for most healthy adults. A calculated TDEE of 2,000 kcal could be off by up to 200 kcal. Use the result as a starting point and adjust by 100–200 kcal based on real-world results over 2–4 weeks.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep organs functioning. TDEE is your BMR multiplied by your activity level. For most people, TDEE is 40–100% higher than BMR. Never eat at or below your BMR for extended periods, as this risks muscle loss and nutritional deficiencies.
One kilogram of body fat contains approximately 7,700 calories. Losing 1 kg/week requires a daily deficit of around 1,100 calories — very aggressive for most people. A more sustainable 0.5 kg/week requires a deficit of roughly 550 calories/day. Slower deficits preserve more muscle and produce better long-term results.
If you selected an activity multiplier that already accounts for your workouts (e.g. "moderately active" because you train 4 days/week), your TDEE already includes those calories — don't add them back. If you selected "sedentary" and track exercise separately, then yes, adding estimated exercise calories to your daily target is appropriate.
Yes. As you lose weight, your body is smaller and burns fewer calories — so your TDEE decreases. This is one reason weight loss slows over time even with the same calorie intake. Recalculate your TDEE every 4–6 weeks or whenever your weight changes by 5 kg or more.