Calorie Calculator (TDEE)
Calculate daily calories for maintenance, weight loss, or gain using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and your activity level.
By Konstantin Iakovlev · Updated September 2026 · Source: Frankenfield et al., J Am Diet Assoc 2005 — predictive equations for resting metabolic rate
BMR
1,737 cal
Basal Metabolic Rate
Maintenance
2,693 cal/day
Lose 1 lb/week
2,193 cal/day
Gain 1 lb/week
3,193 cal/day
Daily Calorie Breakdown
| Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) | 1,737 cal |
| Activity Multiplier (moderate) | x 1.55 |
| Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) | 2,693 cal |
| To Lose 1 lb/week | 2,193 cal/day |
| To Gain 1 lb/week | 3,193 cal/day |
Macro Breakdown (40/30/30)
| Carbohydrates (40%) | 269g (1,077 cal) |
| Protein (30%) | 202g (808 cal) |
| Fat (30%) | 90g (808 cal) |
| Total | 2,693 cal/day |
Use the Calorie Calculator (TDEE) above to calculate your results. Enter your values and see instant results — all calculations run in your browser.
Disclaimer: This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Results are estimates from standard formulas and the numbers you enter. Talk to a doctor or another qualified health professional about your own health before acting on them.
How It Works
Knowing how much energy your body burns each day is the starting point for any diet or training plan. The tool estimates the calories you need to hold your current weight, lose fat at a sustainable pace, or build muscle, all anchored to your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) so the target reflects how you actually live.
Calculations run on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, widely regarded as one of the more accurate ways to estimate basal metabolic rate (BMR). That BMR is then scaled by an activity factor spanning sedentary through extra active, which produces a TDEE figure tied to your own metabolism and routine rather than a generic average.
Treat the result as an estimate: in a 2005 systematic review, Mifflin-St Jeor predicted resting metabolic rate within 10% of the measured value in more people than any other common equation, but it still missed by more than that for some individuals. The numbers point you in the right direction, but your own response over a few weeks should guide any adjustments. People frequently overstate how active they are, which inflates the target and quietly stalls progress, so err toward the lower activity setting if you are unsure.
Example: Sarah's Calorie Targets
- 1 Sarah is a 30-year-old woman, 5'5" (165.1 cm) and 154 lbs (69.85 kg). She exercises 3-4 times a week, so she picks Moderately Active (1.55). Her goal is to lose about 11 lbs (5 kg).
- 2 BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor, women): 10 × 69.85 + 6.25 × 165.1 − 5 × 30 − 161 = 698.5 + 1,031.9 − 150 − 161 = 1,419 calories.
- 3 Maintenance (TDEE): 1,419.4 × 1.55 = 2,200 calories a day. The weight-loss line subtracts 500 calories, giving 1,700 a day, which the calculator labels as about 1 lb a week, so 11 lbs would take roughly 11 weeks at that pace.
- 4 At maintenance the 40/30/30 split is 220 g carbohydrate, 165 g protein and 73 g fat. Her weight trend over a few weeks is the real test; if it does not move, she re-checks the activity level before cutting further.
Source: Frankenfield et al., J Am Diet Assoc 2005 — predictive equations for resting metabolic rate · Last updated: September 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories should I eat per day?
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
What is TDEE and how is it calculated?
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