TDEE Calculator
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is an estimate of daily energy use from resting metabolism and activity. Enter your details below to get an equation-based planning estimate using Mifflin-St Jeor and a fixed activity multiplier.
The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, developed in 1990, to estimate resting energy expenditure from weight, height, age, and the equation's sex-specific constant. It is a population-based equation, so the result can differ from measured energy expenditure for an individual.
BMR Formulas
Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5
Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161
What Each Variable Means
- Weight (kg): Your body weight converted to kilograms. Heavier bodies require more energy to maintain basic functions, so weight has the largest coefficient in the equation.
- Height (cm): Your height converted to centimeters. Taller people have a larger body surface area and more tissue to maintain, which increases calorie needs.
- Age (years): As you age, you tend to lose muscle mass and your metabolic rate gradually decreases. The equation subtracts 5 calories for each year of age.
- Gender constant (+5 or -161): Men typically have more lean mass than women at the same height and weight, which results in a higher BMR. The +5 for men and -161 for women accounts for this average difference.
Activity Multipliers
BMR estimates calories used at rest. To estimate total daily expenditure, the calculator multiplies BMR by one of the fixed activity factors shown below. These broad categories cannot capture every difference in work, exercise, or daily movement.
| Activity Level | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 |
| Lightly Active | 1.375 |
| Moderately Active | 1.55 |
| Very Active | 1.725 |
| Extra Active | 1.9 |
Choose the category closest to your typical week. If two categories seem plausible, compare both estimates and use your observed trend to judge which is the more useful starting point.
Worked Examples
These hypothetical examples show how the formula behaves with different inputs. They are arithmetic examples, not individualized recommendations.
Example 1: Sedentary Office Worker
30-year-old female, 5'5" (165.1 cm), 140 lbs (63.5 kg), sedentary activity level.
Step 1: Convert units
140 lbs × 0.4536 = 63.5 kg
(5 × 12 + 5) × 2.54 = 165.1 cm
Step 2: Calculate BMR (female formula)
(10 × 63.5) + (6.25 × 165.1) - (5 × 30) - 161
= 635.0 + 1,031.9 - 150 - 161
= 1,356 calories/day (BMR)
Step 3: Multiply by activity factor (sedentary = 1.2)
1,356 × 1.2
= 1,627 calories/day (TDEE)
Example 2: Active Gym-Goer
28-year-old male, 5'10" (177.8 cm), 180 lbs (81.6 kg), moderately active.
Step 1: Convert units
180 lbs × 0.4536 = 81.6 kg
(5 × 12 + 10) × 2.54 = 177.8 cm
Step 2: Calculate BMR (male formula)
(10 × 81.6) + (6.25 × 177.8) - (5 × 28) + 5
= 816.5 + 1,111.3 - 140 + 5
= 1,793 calories/day (BMR)
Step 3: Multiply by activity factor (moderately active = 1.55)
1,793 × 1.55
= 2,779 calories/day (TDEE)
Example 3: Older Adult Trying to Lose Weight
55-year-old female, 5'4" (162.6 cm), 170 lbs (77.1 kg), lightly active.
Step 1: Convert units
170 lbs × 0.4536 = 77.1 kg
(5 × 12 + 4) × 2.54 = 162.6 cm
Step 2: Calculate BMR (female formula)
(10 × 77.1) + (6.25 × 162.6) - (5 × 55) - 161
= 771.1 + 1,016.0 - 275 - 161
= 1,351 calories/day (BMR)
Step 3: Multiply by activity factor (lightly active = 1.375)
1,351 × 1.375
= 1,858 calories/day (TDEE)
Notice how age reduces BMR significantly. At 55, this person's BMR is similar to the 30-year-old in Example 1 despite weighing 30 pounds more. This is why recalculating as you age matters.
What to Do With Your TDEE
Your TDEE is a starting point, not a final answer. Here is how to use it depending on your goal.
Weight Loss
An example planning scenario is 300-500 calories below estimated TDEE. The often-used 500-calorie scenario is simplified arithmetic; actual weight change is not perfectly linear.
Kalo's planning calculators stop at 1,200 calories per day rather than showing lower targets. That guardrail is not a personal medical threshold; seek individualized advice when a proposed plan is unusually restrictive or health factors apply.
Maintenance
Estimated TDEE can be used as a maintenance starting point. Compare the estimate with trends over several weeks because daily weight and energy needs vary.
A maintenance phase can also provide a period without an intentional deficit. Individual needs and reasons for changing intake vary.
Muscle Gain
An example muscle-gain scenario is 200-300 calories above estimated TDEE. This is a planning example, and results depend on training, intake, and individual response.
Strength training and sufficient overall nutrition are relevant context, but this calculator does not determine an individualized training or protein prescription.
When to Recalculate Your TDEE
- When a formula input changes. The estimate changes with body weight, age, and selected activity category.
- When your typical activity changes. A different job, training schedule, or mobility level may make another broad category more representative.
- When observed trends differ from the estimate. Review consistent multi-week data before deciding whether the starting estimate is useful.
- Before changing an unusually restrictive plan. The calculator cannot account for medical history, medications, pregnancy, or eating-disorder risk.
Want to Go Deeper?
We have written detailed guides that cover TDEE, BMR, calorie deficits, and related topics:
- How to Calculate Your TDEE: A Simple Guide to Total Daily Energy ExpenditureA full walkthrough of TDEE calculation, how to interpret your number, and how to adjust over time.
- What Is BMR and How Do You Calculate It?Everything you need to know about your Basal Metabolic Rate and why it accounts for 60-75% of your daily calorie burn.
- What Is a Calorie Deficit and How Does It Actually Work?How to set up a sustainable deficit using your TDEE, with practical tips to avoid common mistakes.
- Is 1500 Calories a Day Enough to Lose Weight?Understand how 1,500 calories compares with different TDEE estimates and why appropriateness depends on individual context.