What is TDEE and why does it matter?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, accounting for all activity — breathing, organ function, digestion, exercise, and daily movement. TDEE is the cornerstone of any nutrition plan: • Eating below TDEE = fat loss • Eating at TDEE = weight maintenance • Eating above TDEE = weight gain Without knowing your TDEE, calorie targets are guesswork. TDEE explains why two people of the same weight and height can have very different calorie needs — a sedentary office worker and a construction worker both weighing 80 kg can have a TDEE difference of 800–1,000+ kcal per day. TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is what your body burns at complete rest. The activity multiplier accounts for everything else.

Which BMR formula is the most accurate?

Accuracy comparison (validated against indirect calorimetry): 1. Mifflin-St Jeor (1990): Mean error ~10%. Most accurate for the general population. Recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Best default choice for most people. 2. Katch-McArdle: Equally accurate or more accurate for lean individuals and athletes, because it uses lean mass (not total weight) and therefore is not thrown off by high or low body fat. Requires knowing your body fat percentage. 3. Harris-Benedict Revised (Roza & Shizgal, 1984): Slightly less accurate than Mifflin, tends to overestimate by 5% for sedentary individuals. Still widely used in clinical settings. For practical purposes: use Mifflin-St Jeor unless you know your body fat percentage, in which case Katch-McArdle is better. Important caveat: all formulas are estimates. Individual variation can be ±15–20%. The most accurate way to determine your true TDEE is to track food intake consistently for 2–3 weeks at a stable weight, then calculate the average daily calories — that is your actual TDEE.

How do I choose the right activity level?

Activity level selection is the most common source of error in TDEE calculations. Most people overestimate their activity. Guidelines: • Sedentary (×1.2): Desk job, no planned exercise, primarily sitting most of the day. This is the most common activity level in developed countries. • Lightly Active (×1.375): 1–3 days of intentional exercise (e.g. gym, running, cycling) per week, plus a mostly sedentary job. Many people who 'exercise' fall here. • Moderately Active (×1.55): 3–5 training sessions per week, or a moderately active job (e.g. teacher, retail). This is the right level for consistent recreational athletes. • Very Active (×1.725): 6–7 days of hard training, or a physically demanding job (e.g. nurse, chef, delivery driver) plus exercise. • Extremely Active (×1.9): Professional athletes, twice-daily training, or heavy manual labour. Rarely appropriate for general population. When in doubt, choose one level lower than you think. You can always adjust upward if you are losing weight faster than expected at your chosen goal intake.

How much of a calorie deficit should I eat for fat loss?

Standard recommendations: • Conservative (−250 kcal): ~0.25 kg/week loss. Slowest, best for muscle retention. Good for people already lean (athletes cutting). • Moderate (−500 kcal): ~0.5 kg/week loss. The gold standard. Safe, sustainable, minimises muscle loss. • Aggressive (−750 to −1000 kcal): ~0.75–1 kg/week loss. Faster results but higher muscle loss risk. Should be combined with resistance training and high protein (≥2g/kg) to preserve muscle. • Very aggressive (>1000 kcal): Not recommended for sustained periods. Only appropriate under medical supervision. Why not eat even less? Extreme deficits cause: 1. Muscle breakdown (body sacrifices muscle for energy) 2. Metabolic adaptation (BMR drops, making further loss harder) 3. Nutrient deficiencies 4. Hormonal disruption 5. Loss of workout performance For most people: 500 kcal deficit is the sweet spot. Combine with resistance training and 1.6–2.2g protein per kg body weight to maximise fat loss while preserving muscle.

How should I set my macros?

There is no single correct macro split — the best split is one you can sustain. General guidelines: Protein (4 kcal/g): • Minimum for muscle preservation: 1.6g/kg body weight • Optimal for muscle gain: 1.8–2.2g/kg • High protein diets are more satiating and preserve lean mass during cuts • For a deficit: prioritise protein first, then fill remaining calories with carbs and fat Carbohydrates (4 kcal/g): • Primary fuel for high-intensity exercise • Higher carbs benefit athletes and anyone doing resistance or interval training • Lower carbs may benefit sedentary individuals or those with insulin resistance Fat (9 kcal/g): • Essential for hormone production, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) • Minimum: 0.5–1g/kg body weight • Dietary fat does not directly cause fat gain — total calories do Common splits: • Balanced: 30% protein / 40% carbs / 30% fat — good starting point for most people • High Protein: 40/30/30 — recommended for fat loss and muscle retention • Low Carb: 35/25/40 — suits those sensitive to carbs or who prefer lower carb eating • Keto: 25/5/70 — very low carb, high fat; requires adjustment period

Why is my TDEE different from what I calculated before?

Several factors cause TDEE to change over time, or produce different results between calculators: 1. Weight changes: TDEE is directly tied to body weight. Losing 5 kg drops your TDEE by ~50–100 kcal/day. 2. Metabolic adaptation: During prolonged calorie restriction, the body down-regulates BMR beyond what formulas predict — sometimes by 10–15%. This is why weight loss slows after several weeks of dieting. 3. Age: BMR naturally declines ~1–2% per decade after age 20, primarily due to muscle loss (sarcopenia). 4. Muscle mass changes: Gaining or losing significant muscle mass (from training or detraining) changes BMR, since muscle is metabolically more active than fat. 5. Formula choice: Mifflin and Harris-Benedict can differ by 5–10% for the same person, which translates to 100–200 kcal/day difference at the TDEE level. 6. Activity estimation error: Changing jobs, seasons, or training volume all affect TDEE. Recommendation: Recalculate TDEE every 4–6 weeks, or whenever weight, training, or lifestyle changes significantly.

TDEE Calculator — Total Daily Energy Expenditure

The TDEE Calculator computes your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the exact number of calories you burn each day — using all three major BMR formulas: Mifflin-St Jeor (most accurate, recommended by AND), Harris-Benedict Revised (1984), and Katch-McArdle (most accurate for athletes who know their body fat %). Select yo..

YOUR DETAILS

WEIGHT (kg)

HEIGHT

AGE (years)

yrs

BMR FORMULA

ACTIVITY LEVEL

YOUR RESULTS

BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR)

1,749

kcal/day — calories at complete rest

TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE (TDEE)

2,711

kcal/day — maintenance calories

Mifflin

1,749

Harris

1,830

Katch

1,787

BMR FORMULA COMPARISON (kcal/day)

YOUR TDEE VS ACTIVITY LEVELS

CALORIE GOAL

MACRO CALCULATOR (2,711 kcal)

Protein %

Carbs %

Fat %

MACRO SPLIT

PROTEIN

203g

812 kcal

CARBS

271g

1084 kcal

FAT

90g

810 kcal

GOAL WEIGHT (for timeline) — optional

Created with❤️byeaglecalculator.com

HOW TO USE

1
Select your unit system (Metric or Imperial) and biological sex. Then enter your weight, height, and age. These three numbers feed the BMR formula. Use your current body weight — not a goal weight — for the most accurate calorie target.
2
Choose your BMR formula. Mifflin-St Jeor is the default and most accurate for the general population — it is what the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends. Select Harris-Benedict (Revised) if you prefer the traditional clinical formula. Select Katch-McArdle only if you know your body fat percentage — it is the most accurate for athletes because it uses lean mass, not total body weight.
3
Select your activity level. Be honest — most people overestimate their activity. Sedentary means a desk job with no intentional exercise. Lightly Active means you walk or exercise 1–3 days a week. Moderately Active means 3–5 workout days. Very Active means intense training 6–7 days. Extremely Active is for manual labourers or athletes who train twice daily.
4
Read your results: BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest (keeping organs alive). TDEE is your maintenance — the number of calories you need to eat each day to stay exactly at your current weight. Both are shown at the top of the results panel, along with all three BMR formula results side by side for comparison.
5
Choose a calorie goal: Aggressive Cut (−1000 kcal, ~1 kg/week loss), Slow Cut (−500 kcal, ~0.5 kg/week), Maintenance, Lean Bulk (+250 kcal, ~0.25 kg/week gain), or Bulk (+500 kcal, ~0.5 kg/week). The macro calculator below then shows grams of protein, carbs, and fat for that goal. Adjust the macro percentages or pick a preset (Balanced, High Protein, Low Carb, Keto).
6
Optionally enter a goal weight to unlock the weight loss/gain timeline. This shows how many weeks and months it will take to reach your target at both a 500 kcal/day and 1000 kcal/day deficit, based on the principle that 1 kg of fat = 7,700 kcal.

WORKED EXAMPLE

TDEE calculation for a 30-year-old male, 80 kg, 175 cm, moderately active: STEP 1 — BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor, male): BMR = 10 × 80 + 6.25 × 175 − 5 × 30 + 5 BMR = 800 + 1093.75 − 150 + 5 BMR = 1,749 kcal/day STEP 2 — TDEE (Moderately Active × 1.55): TDEE = 1,749 × 1.55 = 2,711 kcal/day STEP 3 — Goal calories: Aggressive cut (−1000): 1,711 kcal/day → ~1 kg/week loss Slow cut (−500): 2,211 kcal/day → ~0.5 kg/week loss Maintenance: 2,711 kcal/day Lean bulk (+250): 2,961 kcal/day → ~0.25 kg/week gain Bulk (+500): 3,211 kcal/day → ~0.5 kg/week gain STEP 4 — Macros at 2,211 kcal (slow cut, 40p/30c/30f): Protein: 2,211 × 0.40 / 4 = 221 g Carbs: 2,211 × 0.30 / 4 = 166 g Fat: 2,211 × 0.30 / 9 = 74 g STEP 5 — Weight loss timeline (80 kg → 75 kg): Fat to lose: 5 kg At 500 kcal/day deficit: 5 / (500×7/7700) = 11.0 weeks (2.5 months) At 1000 kcal/day deficit: 5 / (1000×7/7700) = 5.5 weeks (1.3 months) Verification (Harris-Benedict revised): BMR = 88.362 + 13.397×80 + 4.799×175 − 5.677×30 BMR = 88.362 + 1071.76 + 839.825 − 170.31 = 1,830 kcal (slightly higher than Mifflin — both are valid)

REFERENCE FORMULAS

FORMULA REFERENCE TABLE

Name	Formula	Description
Mifflin-St Jeor — Male	BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age + 5	Most accurate for general population. Recommended by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
Mifflin-St Jeor — Female	BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age − 161	Same structure as male, lower constant reflects lower average lean mass.
Harris-Benedict — Male	BMR = 88.362 + 13.397×kg + 4.799×cm − 5.677×age	Revised by Roza & Shizgal (1984). Classic formula used widely in clinical settings.
Harris-Benedict — Female	BMR = 447.593 + 9.247×kg + 3.098×cm − 4.330×age	Higher constant than Mifflin; often slightly overestimates for sedentary individuals.
Katch-McArdle	BMR = 370 + 21.6 × lean mass (kg)	Only formula using lean body mass (not total weight). Most accurate for athletes or anyone with known body fat %.
Lean Mass	Lean mass = weight × (1 − body fat% / 100)	Required for Katch-McArdle. Use a body fat measurement or estimate from a body fat calculator.
TDEE	TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier	Sedentary ×1.2 · Light ×1.375 · Moderate ×1.55 · Active ×1.725 · Extra ×1.9
Weight change rate	±0.5 kg/week ≈ ±500 kcal/day	1 kg body fat ≈ 7,700 kcal. A 500 kcal daily deficit produces ~0.5 kg/week fat loss.
Protein (kcal→g)	Protein(g) = calories × protein% / 4	Protein and carbohydrates both yield 4 kcal per gram.
Carbohydrate (kcal→g)	Carbs(g) = calories × carbs% / 4	Starchy carbs, sugar, and fibre all count. Net carbs = total − fibre.
Fat (kcal→g)	Fat(g) = calories × fat% / 9	Fat yields 9 kcal per gram — more than twice protein or carbs.

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Last updated: April 29, 2026 · Formulas: Mifflin-St Jeor (1990), Harris-Benedict revised (1984), Katch-McArdle · Eagle-eyed accuracy for every calculation.