TDEE Calculator

Find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula — the most accurate method to calculate your maintenance calories.

✓ Mifflin-St Jeor Formula ✓ Harris-Benedict Comparison ✓ All 5 Goals ✓ Scientifically Accurate
Your Details
Biological Sex
Age
yrs
Weight Unit
Weight
kg
Height Unit
Height
cm
Activity Level
E.g. Gym 4x/week + daily walking — typical for most fitness enthusiasts.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
—
Calories burned at complete rest
Total Daily Energy Expenditure
—
kcal/day • Your maintenance calories
Mifflin-St Jeor BMR —
Harris-Benedict BMR —
Activity Multiplier —
HB TDEE —
📊 Calorie Targets by Goal
Goal Adjustment Daily Calories
🔥 Aggressive Cut ~1 kg/week fat loss — requires discipline –1,000 kcal —
✂️ Moderate Cut ~0.5 kg/week fat loss — sustainable –500 kcal —
⚖️ Maintenance Body recomposition / maintain weight ±0 kcal —
💪 Moderate Bulk ~0.25 kg/week lean muscle — clean bulk +300 kcal —
🏋️ Aggressive Bulk ~0.5 kg/week mass gain — maximize growth +500 kcal —

What Is TDEE? (Total Daily Energy Expenditure Explained)

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period — accounting for everything from breathing and digestion to workouts and daily movement. Understanding your TDEE is the foundation of any successful physique goal, whether you’re trying to lose fat, build muscle, or maintain your current weight.

Unlike generic online advice, TDEE is personalized — it accounts for your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. This makes it far more accurate than following a blanket “2000 calories a day” recommendation.

BMR vs TDEE: What’s the Difference?

Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body needs to sustain basic life functions while completely at rest — breathing, circulation, cell production, and body temperature regulation. Think of it as the fuel your engine burns even when parked.

Your TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. It represents real-world calorie burn including your job, workouts, walking, and everyday movement. Most people’s TDEE is 20–90% higher than their BMR.

The Mifflin-St Jeor Formula: Why We Use It

Developed in 1990 by M.D. Mifflin and S.T. St Jeor, this formula is considered the gold standard for BMR estimation by the American Dietetic Association. It consistently outperforms the older Harris-Benedict equation (1919) in accuracy studies, especially for modern sedentary and active populations.

Mifflin-St Jeor (Male):
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age) + 5

Mifflin-St Jeor (Female):
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age) – 161

TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier

Activity Level Multipliers Explained

Choosing the right activity multiplier is critical — most people underestimate their activity or overestimate it. Here’s a breakdown:

Activity Level Description Multiplier
SedentaryOffice job, no structured exercise×1.2
Lightly ActiveLight exercise 1–3 days/week (yoga, walks)×1.375
Moderately ActiveGym 3–5 days/week, active lifestyle×1.55
Very ActiveHard training 6–7 days/week or physical job×1.725
Extremely ActiveAthlete-level training + physical labour daily×1.9

How to Use Your TDEE to Reach Your Goal

Fat Loss (Cutting)

To lose body fat, you need to consume fewer calories than your TDEE. A deficit of 500 kcal/day results in approximately 0.5 kg of fat loss per week — the sweet spot for preserving muscle while shedding fat. A 1,000 kcal deficit is more aggressive but requires high protein intake and strength training to prevent muscle loss.

Muscle Gain (Bulking)

To build muscle, your body needs a caloric surplus. A surplus of 300–500 kcal/day is ideal for a “lean bulk” — maximizing muscle growth while minimizing fat accumulation. Exceeding 500 kcal/day surplus typically results in more fat gain than muscle.

Maintenance & Recomposition

Eating at your TDEE allows body recomposition — simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle. This works best for beginners or those returning from a break. Progress is slower but body composition improves steadily with consistent training and high protein intake.

TDEE Calculator for India — Local Context

For Indian users, keep in mind that traditional diets high in carbohydrates (rice, roti, dal) are common. When using this TDEE calculator for Indian diets, use your results as a baseline and track your actual weight change over 2–3 weeks to calibrate. Most Indian fitness enthusiasts find they need to reduce their calorie estimate by 5–10% due to lower NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) in urban, desk-job environments.

Frequently Asked Questions About TDEE

The Mifflin-St Jeor formula used here has a margin of error of approximately ±10% for most individuals. It is the most validated formula available without lab testing. Use your calculated TDEE as a starting point, track your weight for 2–3 weeks, and adjust calories by ±100–200 kcal based on real results. Individual metabolism varies due to genetics, hormones, and muscle mass.
No — to lose weight, you need to eat below your TDEE (a caloric deficit). Eating at your TDEE maintains your current weight. For fat loss, aim for a deficit of 300–500 kcal below your TDEE for sustainable results without muscle loss.
Your TDEE changes as your weight, muscle mass, age, and activity level change. If you lose weight, your TDEE decreases (you burn fewer calories at a lower body weight). This is why you must recalculate your TDEE every 4–6 weeks or whenever your weight changes by more than 3–4 kg. Metabolic adaptation during dieting also gradually reduces your TDEE.
For muscle building (bulking), add 300–500 kcal to your TDEE. For a typical Indian male (25 years, 70 kg, 175 cm, moderately active), the TDEE is approximately 2,500–2,700 kcal. A bulk target would be 2,800–3,200 kcal. Focus on high protein intake (1.6–2.2 g/kg body weight) from sources like paneer, eggs, chicken, dal, and whey protein supplementation.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the minimum calories needed to keep you alive at complete rest — no movement, no digestion, no activity. TDEE includes your BMR plus the energy burned through physical activity, digestion (thermic effect of food), and daily movement (NEAT). TDEE is always higher than BMR — typically 20% to 90% higher depending on your lifestyle.
Yes, this is called body recomposition and it’s most effective for beginners, people returning from breaks, or those with higher body fat. Eat at or very slightly below your TDEE (within 200 kcal), maintain high protein (2g/kg), and train consistently. Progress is slower but sustainable. Advanced lifters typically need to choose one goal at a time — dedicated bulk or cut phases.
If you have a desk job and go to the gym 3–4 times per week, select “Moderately Active” (×1.55). If you go 5–6 times and also have an active lifestyle (lots of walking, standing), choose “Very Active” (×1.725). Most people overestimate their activity — a desk job with gym 4x/week is typically moderately active, not very active. When in doubt, choose the lower option and adjust based on your results.
Recalculate your TDEE every 4–8 weeks or when your body weight changes by 3+ kg. During a cut, your TDEE gradually decreases as you lose weight, so you may need to lower calories every few weeks to continue progress. During a bulk, TDEE increases as you gain mass, so you’ll need to eat more over time to maintain the surplus.
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