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Calorie Calculator (TDEE)

Estimate total daily energy expenditure — the calories you burn on a typical day — and the intake that would hold, lower or raise your weight.

By FlareLodge EditorialChecked against peer-reviewed studies, Mt. SAC, USDA/HHSUpdated

Calculator

Your details

Sex
Units

Calories to maintain weight

2,333 kcal/day

Lose ~0.5 lb a week
2,083 kcal/day
Lose ~1 lb a week
1,833 kcal/day
Gain ~0.5 lb a week
2,583 kcal/day
Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
1,696 kcal/day

Calculated privately in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Daily calorie targets

Your result

What your result means

Your body uses about 1,696 kcal/day at complete rest (Mifflin-St Jeor equation). Multiplying by 1.375 for a lightly active (1–3 workouts a week) lifestyle gives roughly 2,333 kcal/day to keep your weight steady. Eating about 1,833 kcal/day would create a deficit of 500 calories a day, which is commonly estimated at about 1 lb a week. All targets stay above common minimum intake levels.

The math

Formula and sources

Formula
BMR (men)   = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5
BMR (women) = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age − 161
TDEE = BMR × activity factor (1.2 / 1.375 / 1.55 / 1.725 / 1.9)
kg
body weight in kilograms
cm
height in centimeters
age
years

The 500-calorie rule is a starting estimate; weight change slows as your body adapts. Activity factors are broad averages — adjust after a few weeks based on your actual weight trend.

Sources we checked this against

  1. 1Mifflin MD et al., A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals (Am J Clin Nutr, 1990)PubMed / NIH National Library of Medicine · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. 2BMR Calculator – how to calculate your BMR (worked example)Mt. San Antonio College Kinesiology · mtsac.edu
  3. 3Dietary Guidelines for Americans (estimated calorie needs by age, sex and activity)U.S. Department of Agriculture & HHS · dietaryguidelines.gov

Formula last checked 2026-11-04. Found an error? Tell us and we will fix it.

Step by step

Two worked examples

Example 1

MtSAC example: 20-year-old male athlete

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

1,787 kcal/day

Sex
Male
Age
20 years
Units
US (ft, in, lb)
Height (feet)
5 ft
Height (inches)
10 in
Weight
170 lb
Activity level
Extra active – hard training or physical job

Mt. San Antonio College works this case to about 1,772 kcal BMR. With exact unit conversion we get 1,787 kcal/day; at the extra-active factor of 1.9 he needs about 3,396 kcal/day.

Example 2

35-year-old woman, light activity

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

1,376 kcal/day

Sex
Female
Age
35 years
Units
US (ft, in, lb)
Height (feet)
5 ft
Height (inches)
5 in
Weight
150 lb
Activity level
Light – exercise 1–3 days/week

BMR = 1,376 kcal/day; × 1.375 = 1,892 kcal/day to maintain. A 0.5 lb-a-week loss target is about 1,642 kcal/day.

Comparison of the two examples
ResultExample 1Example 2
Basal metabolic rate (BMR)1,787 kcal/day1,376 kcal/day
Calories to maintain weight3,396 kcal/day1,892 kcal/day
Lose ~1 lb a week2,896 kcal/day1,392 kcal/day

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is this estimate?

Equations like Mifflin-St Jeor predict resting energy within about 10% for most healthy adults, and the activity factor adds more uncertainty. Use the number as a starting point and adjust based on how your weight actually changes over 2–4 weeks.

Which activity level should I choose?

Count structured exercise and daily movement. If you sit most of the day and exercise a few times a week, “light” is usually closer than “moderate.” Many people overestimate activity.

Is it safe to eat much less than my TDEE?

Large deficits can cause muscle loss and nutrient gaps. Very low-calorie diets (under about 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 for men) are generally recommended only with medical supervision.