TDEE Calculator
Enter sex, age, height, weight, and activity level to estimate BMR, TDEE, and a maintenance-calorie range, with steps and training minutes to check the activity factor.
Estimated result
- Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
- 1,648.8 kcal/day
- Activity factor
- × 1.55 · Moderate
- Unrounded TDEE
- 2,555.6 kcal/day
- Range basis
- 95%–105% of TDEE
Treat the estimate as a starting point. Keep intake and activity fairly stable for 2–4 weeks, then calibrate with the 7-day average of morning body weight.
A share link contains sex, age, height, weight, activity level, and any steps or training minutes entered. Send it only to a trusted recipient.
How to understand the result
TDEE and the maintenance range
TDEE is a static midpoint estimate of daily energy use. The page also shows ±5% to represent day-to-day activity, logging error, and adaptation; it is not a prescription that guarantees stable weight.
The activity factor has the largest effect
Multiplying the same BMR by 1.2 instead of 1.55 changes the estimate by about 29%. Steps and training minutes can support a choice but cannot capture work activity, intensity, recovery, or all non-exercise movement.
Calibrate with a 2–4 week trend
When intake logging and activity are fairly stable, compare 7-day averages of morning body weight. A persistent rise or fall suggests actual maintenance calories differ from the estimate.
How to use the TDEE calculator
- Enter body data Choose a unit and enter sex, age, height, and weight.
- Choose activity Select a conservative activity factor and optionally compare it with steps and weekly training minutes.
- Review and calibrate Review BMR, TDEE, and the maintenance range, then calibrate with a 2–4 week weight trend.
Formula, assumptions, and limits
Formula, variables, and rounding
Weight is converted to kilograms and height to centimetres. Full browser precision is retained; BMR and TDEE details show one decimal, while the main result and range show whole kilocalories. Classification and later calculations use unrounded values.
Mifflin–St Jeor estimates adult resting energy expenditure. The TDEE multipliers are a simplified convention, not individual measurements from the original study. The ±5% range expresses uncertainty and is not a clinical boundary.
Activity factors and the steps/training hint
| Factor | Page label | Possible starting description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2 | Sedentary | Little daily movement and almost no planned exercise. |
| 1.375 | Light | Some daily movement or a small amount of weekly exercise. |
| 1.55 | Moderate | Both daily steps and regular exercise are at a moderate level. |
| 1.725 | High | High step counts, frequent training, or a physically active job. |
| 1.9 | Very high | Physical work combined with a high training load; uncommon for most users. |
The hint maps steps and training minutes to five levels, averages the available levels, and rounds to the nearest level. Step bands are below 5,000; 5,000–7,499; 7,500–9,999; 10,000–12,499; and at least 12,500. Training bands are below 60; 60–149; 150–299; 300–449; and at least 450 minutes per week.
This is a page heuristic that reduces subjective choice, not a medical standard. It cannot identify exercise intensity, physical work, or individual recovery, and it never automatically overrides the selected factor.
Example: BMR 1648.75 × 1.55
Input: male, age 30, height 175 cm, weight 70 kg, moderately active (1.55).
BMR: 10 × 70 + 6.25 × 175 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 1648.75 kcal/day.
TDEE: 1648.75 × 1.55 = 2555.5625 kcal/day, displayed as 2,556 kcal/day.
Maintenance range: about 2,428–2,683 kcal/day. Calibrate this range with a 2–4 week weight trend.
Scope, privacy, and authoritative sources
- The activity factor is the main source of error and can vary with steps, exercise intensity, work, and non-exercise movement.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, minors, illness, eating-disorder risk, and high-level athletes require specialized models or qualified professional assessment.
- The result is general health information, not a weight-loss prescription, nutrition therapy, diagnosis, or guaranteed maintenance intake.
- Calculations stay in the browser and are not uploaded or stored in localStorage; current inputs enter the URL only when a share link is created.
Equation source: PubMed: Mifflin and colleagues' resting-energy-expenditure prediction equation
For dynamic weight change, see NIDDK Body Weight Planner Its model is more complex than a static activity factor; this page does not copy or call its algorithm.
Implementation reviewed 31 July 2026: independent native JavaScript with no third-party calculation library; the core calculation works without a network connection.
Content reviewed: 31 July 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between TDEE and BMR?
BMR estimates energy needed for basic life functions. TDEE multiplies BMR by an activity factor to estimate total daily energy use including ordinary movement and exercise.
How should I choose an activity factor?
Choose a conservative level from several recent weeks of daily movement, work activity, and training. Use steps and training minutes only as a cross-check, then calibrate with a 2–4 week weight trend.
Can steps and training minutes calculate an exact activity factor?
No. This page maps them to five levels only as a starting hint. It cannot measure intensity, physical work, recovery, or all non-exercise activity and never replaces your selection automatically.
Why does the estimate differ from my actual weight trend?
Activity factor, food logging, water weight, training load, and adaptation all create error. Compare 7-day averages of morning body weight for 2–4 weeks under fairly stable conditions instead of judging one day.
Can I use this during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or illness?
Do not use this estimate as a calorie target in those situations. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, illness, recovery, minors, and high-level athletic training may require specialized models and advice from a doctor or registered dietitian.