What TDEE measures
The energy you burn over a whole day: your basal metabolic rate, what your body burns at rest, plus everything you do during the day, summed up by an activity factor from 1.2 to 1.9.
Calorie calculator · TDEE
How many calories per day?
Your daily calorie needs, also called maintenance or TDEE: the calories your body burns each day. If you eat that much, your weight stays stable. Answer two questions and we'll estimate it for you.
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You
years
cm
ft
in
kg
lb
The calculation runs in your browser: nothing is sent.
Your activity
This is the setting that matters most. Torn between two? Pick the lower one.
Your maintenance calories
What your body burns at rest (Mifflin-St Jeor formula), multiplied by your activity factor. Actual metabolism usually lands within 10% of the equation: track your weight for two to three weeks to fine-tune it.
At rest
kcal
basal metabolic rate
To maintain your weight
kcal
per day · between and per day · within 10%
Activity
Enter your age (18 to 80), your height and your weight in step 1: your result appears right away.
What next, based on your goal?
How much your activity counts
Your maintenance at each level. Tap a row to choose it.
For your profile, each level adds about kcal per day to the one before.
Per meal
How many times do you eat a day, snacks included?
About kcalper meal, to maintain your weight
Roughly equal meals. Nothing stops you from having a bigger dinner and a lighter snack.
The numbers behind it
Tap “?” to understand each number.
Burned at rest
kcal
Your basal metabolic rate: the energy to breathe, keep your heart beating and hold your body temperature, without moving.
Burned by activity
kcal
Everything you do during the day: walking, working, exercising. It's the part that varies the most.
Activity factor
The multiplier applied to your basal metabolic rate, from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extremely active).
Your BMI
Body mass index: your weight divided by your height squared. It's a general benchmark and doesn't change your maintenance here.
Estimates for healthy adults aged 18 to 80, not medical advice. Pregnant, breastfeeding, or being treated for an illness or an eating disorder? Ask a doctor or a dietitian before changing your diet.
At rest , activity Breakdown unavailableThe essentials
The formula
Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 × weight in kg, plus 6.25 × height in cm, minus 5 × age, then plus 5 for a man or minus 161 for a woman. Example: a 35-year-old man, 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) and 80 kg (176 lb), burns 1,755 kcal at rest; moderately active, × 1.55, his maintenance is about 2,720 kcal.
Choosing your activity level
It has the biggest effect on the result: each level adds about 17.5% of your basal metabolic rate, or 300 kcal per day for a metabolic rate of 1,700 kcal. An office job and two workouts a week counts as “lightly active.” When in doubt, pick the lower level.
An estimate, not a measurement
In most adults, measured metabolism lands within 10% of the equation, but the gap can be larger. Track your weight for two to three weeks: if it stays stable, you've found your real maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between basal metabolic rate and TDEE?
Your basal metabolic rate is what you burn at complete rest. TDEE adds your activity for the day. TDEE is the starting point for losing, maintaining or gaining weight.
How many calories per day for a woman or a man?
It depends mostly on your weight, height, age and activity. With this calculator's formula: a 30-year-old woman, 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) and 60 kg (132 lb), lightly active, burns about 1,820 kcal per day; a 55-year-old woman, 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) and 65 kg (143 lb), sedentary, about 1,480 kcal; a 30-year-old man, 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) and 75 kg (165 lb), lightly active, about 2,360 kcal.
How do I calculate my basal metabolic rate?
With the Mifflin-St Jeor formula: 10 × weight in kg, plus 6.25 × height in cm, minus 5 × age, then plus 5 for a man or minus 161 for a woman. The calculator above does it for you and shows it under “At rest.”
Do I have to eat exactly my maintenance to keep my weight?
Not down to the calorie. What you burn varies from one day to the next, and what counts is the average over several weeks. If your weight changes while you eat at your estimated maintenance, it's the estimate that needs adjusting.
Why doesn't Hephira give exactly the same number?
Hephira starts from the same Mifflin-St Jeor equation, but with no activity level to choose: it takes into account the sports you report. Its estimate can therefore differ from this one.
Is the calculator right for everyone?
It's designed for healthy adults aged 18 to 80. During pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or with an illness that affects weight or eating, ask a doctor or a dietitian for advice.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-247. doi:10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(5):775-789. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2005.02.005
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