TDEE Calculator
Daily calories you burn (and need)
Find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the calories you burn per day — plus targets to maintain, lose or gain weight. Based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
BMR vs. TDEE
BMR is what you'd burn at complete rest; TDEE multiplies that by an activity factor. To lose weight, eat below your TDEE (a ~500 cal/day deficit ≈ 1 lb/week); to gain, eat above it.
Estimates only. Real needs vary — adjust based on results over a few weeks.
Picking an activity level honestly
The activity multiplier is where most people overestimate. A few gym sessions a week on top of a desk job usually still lands at "lightly active", not "active." When in doubt, choose the lower level — it's easier to add calories later than to wonder why the scale isn't moving on an inflated target.
Treat the number as a starting point
Formulas like Mifflin-St Jeor estimate an average; your real burn can differ by a few hundred calories. Use the figure for two to three weeks, track your weight trend, and adjust: if you're not losing on a deficit, nudge calories down a little or activity up, rather than assuming the number is exact.
TDEE Calculator: frequently asked questions
How many calories to lose a pound a week?
About a 500-calorie daily deficit, since roughly 3,500 calories equals a pound of fat.
What activity level should I pick?
Be honest — most desk workers are 'sedentary' to 'lightly active' even with a few workouts a week.
Why am I not losing weight in a calorie deficit?
Usually the deficit is smaller than it looks — activity is overestimated or portions are under-counted, and water changes mask fat loss. Track intake carefully for a couple of weeks and judge by the trend, not daily swings.