Calorie (TDEE) Calculator
Estimate the daily calories you burn and how much to eat to lose or gain weight.
Results update as you type.
About this calculator
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is roughly how many calories you burn in a day, and it is the number you eat around to keep your weight steady. This calculator first finds your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — the calories you would burn at complete rest — then multiplies it by an activity factor from 1.2 (sedentary) up to 1.9 (very active) to include movement and exercise.
For example, a 30-year-old man who is 175 cm and 70 kg has a BMR of about 1,649 calories. At a moderate activity level (factor 1.55) his TDEE is roughly 2,556 calories a day. To lose about half a kilogram a week he would aim for a 500-calorie deficit, around 2,056 a day; to gain at the same rate he would add 500, around 3,056.
Use TDEE to set a calorie target for cutting, maintaining or bulking, and to sanity-check a diet plan. Because it is based on estimates and your real activity varies day to day, treat it as a starting point and adjust after a couple of weeks based on how your weight actually moves.
Frequently asked questions
What is BMR vs TDEE?
BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest. TDEE multiplies BMR by an activity factor to include movement and exercise — it is the number you eat around to maintain weight.
How many calories to lose weight?
A deficit of about 500 calories a day is a common target for losing roughly half a kilogram (about one pound) per week. Do not go below what is safe for you.
Which activity level should I choose?
Pick the one that matches a typical week: sedentary for a desk job with little exercise, moderate for 3–5 workouts a week, very active for a physical job or daily hard training. People often overestimate, so choose the lower option if you are unsure and adjust from your results.
How many calories to gain weight or build muscle?
A surplus of about 250–500 calories above your TDEE supports steady gain of roughly 0.25–0.5 kg a week. A smaller surplus limits fat gain while still fuelling muscle growth alongside resistance training.
What formula does this use?
It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for BMR — for men 10×kg + 6.25×cm − 5×age + 5, and for women the same with −161 instead of +5. It is the most accurate simple BMR formula for the general population.
Why is my TDEE only an estimate?
The equation is based on population averages, and your real burn depends on muscle mass, genetics, sleep, temperature and how much you move outside planned exercise. Use the number as a baseline and fine-tune it against your actual weight trend.
API — use this calculator from code
Call this calculator as a free JSON endpoint — no key required. Send the field values below as query parameters or JSON. Read the full API docs →
Endpoint
GET https://calculator.free/api/v1/tdee/curl
curl "https://calculator.free/api/v1/tdee/?sex=male&age=30&units=metric&height=175&weight=70&activity=1.55"JavaScript fetch()
const r = await fetch(
"https://calculator.free/api/v1/tdee/?" + new URLSearchParams({
"sex": "male",
"age": "30",
"units": "metric",
"height": "175",
"weight": "70",
"activity": "1.55"
}));
const data = await r.json();
console.log(data.results);Results are estimates for general guidance only, not financial, medical or tax advice.