How to Use the TDEE and Target Calorie Calculator
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories you burn in a day, and it's the essential baseline for planning a cut or a bulk. This calculator first estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, multiplies it by an activity factor to get TDEE, and then applies your selected goal to show a daily target calorie intake.
BMR is the minimum energy your body needs just to stay alive if you did nothing but lie down all day; TDEE adds the calories burned through daily activity like walking and chores plus any exercise. Overestimating your activity level inflates your target calories and can stall your progress, so it's worth being honest about how often you actually train.
Choosing Lose weight subtracts 500 kcal from your TDEE, while Gain weight adds 300 kcal — these are commonly recommended deficit and surplus ranges. Cutting calories too aggressively risks muscle loss and a slower metabolism, so it isn't recommended.
The result is an estimate based on a standard formula — actual calorie needs vary with genetics, muscle mass, and hormonal factors. Stick to your target for 2-3 weeks and track your weight; if nothing changes, adjust in 100-200 kcal increments from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the minimum energy your body burns just to stay alive at rest. TDEE adds the calories burned through daily activity and exercise on top of that. Diet and bulking plans should be based on TDEE, not BMR.
Cutting calories far below your TDEE can produce faster initial weight loss, but it often comes at the cost of muscle loss and a slower metabolism. A deficit of roughly 300-500 kcal per day below TDEE is generally recommended.