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CALCPARK

TDEE Calculator

Daily calorie needs from Mifflin–St Jeor, Harris–Benedict or Katch–McArdle BMR and activity level, with weight-loss and gain targets and macro grams.

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How to use it

  1. Choose units and sex, then enter age, height and weight. Add body fat % if you know it from a tape, scale or DXA measurement.
  2. Pick the activity level that describes a typical week, counting exercise and your job. When in doubt choose the lower one.
  3. Read your TDEE and the five calorie targets. Switch the BMR formula to compare – the differences show the uncertainty of any estimate.
  4. Choose the target and the macro split you want to follow to get daily grams of protein, carbohydrate and fat.
  5. Track your weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust by 100–200 kcal if it moves faster or slower than planned.

Example

Man, 30 years, 175 cm, 75 kg, moderately active. Mifflin–St Jeor: 10 × 75 + 6.25 × 175 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 1,698.75 kcal. TDEE = 1,698.75 × 1.55 = 2,633 kcal/day. Weight-loss target 2,133 kcal, mild loss 2,383, mild gain 2,883, gain 3,133. Harris–Benedict gives a BMR of 1,763 kcal (TDEE 2,732) and, at 15% body fat, Katch–McArdle gives 370 + 21.6 × 63.75 = 1,747 kcal. A balanced 30/40/30 split of the 2,633 kcal maintenance intake is 197 g protein, 263 g carbohydrate and 88 g fat.

Equations, activity factors and limits

Mifflin–St Jeor (1990):   BMR = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5 (men) / − 161 (women)
Harris–Benedict (1984):   men   BMR = 88.362 + 13.397 × kg + 4.799 × cm − 5.677 × age
                          women BMR = 447.593 + 9.247 × kg + 3.098 × cm − 4.330 × age
Katch–McArdle:            BMR = 370 + 21.6 × lean mass (kg),  lean mass = kg × (1 − body fat %)
TDEE = BMR × activity factor (1.2 / 1.375 / 1.55 / 1.725 / 1.9)
Targets = TDEE − 500, − 250, + 250, + 500 kcal;  grams = kcal × share ÷ 4 (protein, carbs) or ÷ 9 (fat)

The Mifflin–St Jeor equation was fitted on 498 adults and predicts resting energy expenditure within 10% for about 80% of non-obese and 70% of obese people, which the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found to be the best of the common equations. The Harris–Benedict figures are the 1984 Roza & Shizgal revision of the 1919 original, which overestimates by about 5% for modern populations. Katch–McArdle uses lean mass, so it is the better choice for very muscular or very lean people – but only as good as the body fat figure you enter. The activity factors come from the original Harris–Benedict practice and are coarse: a desk worker who trains hard three times a week usually lands between 1.375 and 1.55. The 7,700 kcal per kilogram of fat rule behind the weekly estimates is an average; real loss slows as weight falls. Not valid for children, pregnancy or illness. The previous version of this page used Mifflin–St Jeor only, with fixed ±500 kcal targets and a single 30/40/30 split.

Sources: Mifflin et al. 1990, Am J Clin Nutr, Roza & Shizgal 1984, Am J Clin Nutr (Harris–Benedict revision), Frankenfield et al. 2005, J Am Diet Assoc – comparison of predictive equations, McArdle, Katch & Katch – Exercise Physiology (Katch–McArdle equation).

Calorie needs vary by ±10–15% between people with identical inputs. These figures are estimates, not medical or dietary advice; do not eat below your BMR for long periods and talk to a doctor or dietitian before a major change, especially with a medical condition, an eating disorder history, pregnancy or breastfeeding.

BMR, RMR and TDEE

BMR is the energy your body uses at complete rest; the equations actually predict resting metabolic rate, which is a few percent higher, but the two terms are used interchangeably here. TDEE adds the thermic effect of food (about 10%) and all movement, from training to fidgeting, through the activity factor. Because the factor is the largest source of error, treat the result as a starting point and let the scale correct it.

Questions

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Subtract 250–500 kcal from your TDEE. For the example above that is 2,133–2,383 kcal/day, roughly 0.25–0.5 kg per week. Larger deficits are harder to sustain and lose more muscle; never go below your BMR without medical supervision.
Which activity level should I choose?
Count a normal week. Sedentary: desk job, no exercise. Lightly active: 1–3 light sessions. Moderately active: 3–5 sessions. Very active: hard training 6–7 days. Extra active: physical job plus training. If you sit most of the day and train 3 times, "lightly active" is usually closer than "moderately active".
Why does Katch–McArdle give a different number?
It ignores height, age and sex and uses lean mass alone. If your body fat is lower than average for your BMI it gives a higher BMR than Mifflin–St Jeor, and vice versa. The quality of the body fat estimate decides which is closer.
How much protein is in the macro split?
The "balanced" preset puts 30% of energy into protein, about 1.5–2 g per kg of body weight for most people, which covers the 1.2–2.0 g/kg range usually recommended for people who train. The row under protein shows the grams per kilogram for your weight.