TDEE Calculator

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns just keeping you alive — breathing, circulating blood, running your organs — if you literally stayed in bed all day. TDEE is your BMR plus everything else: walking, working, exercising, even fidgeting. It's your actual daily calorie burn. BMI (Body Mass Index) is a completely different thing — a height-to-weight ratio that says nothing about calories. TDEE is the number that matters for eating.

Absolutely. Your TDEE shifts as your weight, age, muscle mass, and activity level change. Lose 20 pounds and your body burns fewer calories at rest. Start a new workout routine and it burns more. This calculator gives you a snapshot — a solid starting point — but recalculating every few months (or when your routine changes significantly) keeps your numbers honest.

We use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research has shown to be the most reliable formula-based estimator for most people — it's the one dietitians tend to reach for. That said, any formula is an estimate. Individual metabolism varies. Use this number as your starting line, then adjust based on what actually happens over 2–3 weeks: if your weight isn't moving the way you expected, nudge your calories by 100–200 and reassess.

Think of your TDEE as a weekly average, not a daily rule. Some days you'll eat a little more, some a little less — and that's completely normal. What matters is where you land over the course of a week. Rigid daily targets tend to create stress; a flexible weekly budget is more sustainable and just as effective.

Recalculate when something meaningful changes: you've lost or gained 10+ pounds, your activity level has shifted (started a new job, picked up a sport, stopped going to the gym), or it's been 3–6 months since your last check. Your body adapts, and your numbers should adapt with it.

This calculator gives you a solid calorie baseline, but health conditions add layers — sodium limits, protein targets, specific nutrient ratios — that a simple TDEE number doesn't capture. Check out our health condition guides for condition-specific eating strategies, and always work with your doctor or a registered dietitian to set personal targets.