Daily Calorie Calculator — TDEE & BMR CalculatorMifflin–St Jeor · Harris-Benedict · Weight Loss · Muscle Gain · Maintenance
Use this free Daily Calorie Calculator to estimate your precise Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the two most important numbers in any successful nutrition and weight management plan. Powered by the gold-standard Mifflin–St Jeor equation — the most clinically accurate BMR formula recommended by registered dietitians — and cross-referenced with the classic Harris-Benedict formula, this TDEE calculator takes your age, biological sex, height, weight, and physical activity level (PAL) to calculate your exact daily calorie needs across every goal: Aggressive Fat Loss · Moderate Weight Loss · Calorie Maintenance · Lean Muscle Gain · Aggressive Bulking. Simply enter your stats to instantly know how many calories you should eat per day to reach your specific body composition goal.
Your BMR — the baseline number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain vital functions like breathing, circulation, and cell repair — is multiplied by your chosen activity multiplier across five levels: Sedentary (×1.2), Lightly Active (×1.375), Moderately Active (×1.55), Very Active (×1.725), and Extra Active (×1.9) — to produce your full TDEE: the actual number of calories your body burns every day. This figure is the foundation of every evidence-based calorie deficit plan for weight loss, calorie surplus plan for bulking, macro tracking strategy, intermittent fasting protocol, and body recomposition program — trusted by personal trainers, sports nutritionists, competitive bodybuilders, and registered dietitians (RDs) worldwide for accurate daily calorie intake planning, fitness goal setting, and sustainable long-term weight management.
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Calorie Calculator — Your Daily Energy Requirement Based on Body and Activity
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period combining basal metabolic rate with activity. A 35-year-old, 80kg, 175cm male with moderate activity (office job plus exercise 3-4 days/week) has a TDEE around 2,600 calories. Eating at exactly TDEE maintains weight; eating 500 below creates a deficit that produces roughly 0.5 kg/week of fat loss (3,500 calories per pound of fat is the standard approximation). The calorie calculator computes TDEE using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (the most validated for non-athletes) with activity multipliers ranging from sedentary to very active.
The relationship between calorie deficit and weight loss is not perfectly linear due to metabolic adaptation. Sustained large deficits (1,000+ calories) trigger metabolic slowdown, muscle catabolism, and hormonal changes that reduce TDEE over time — which is why crash diets produce fast initial results that plateau and reverse. A 20-25% deficit from TDEE is typically recommended as the maximum sustainable rate. The calculator sets reasonable deficit targets and projects expected weight loss rate based on the entered deficit.
Macronutrient distribution within your calorie target significantly affects body composition, hunger, and adherence. Protein at 1.6-2.2 g/kg of body weight preserves muscle during a deficit and increases satiety. Each gram of protein and carbohydrate provides 4 calories; each gram of fat provides 9 calories; alcohol provides 7 calories. The calculator allocates macronutrients in grams based on user-selected ratios (high protein, low carb, balanced, or custom) within the computed calorie target.