TOOLS / TDEE
TDEE Calculator
Calculate your BMR and TDEE from sex, age, height, weight and activity level, with calorie ranges and a macro (PFC) breakdown for cutting, maintaining or bulking.
Reverse-engineer your intake.
These are research-based estimation formulas, and results vary by individual. They are not a substitute for medical judgment — consult a doctor if you have a medical condition.
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Enter this to switch to the Katch-McArdle formula, which factors in body composition.
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Formula & Sources
BMR is calculated using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula (default) or the Katch-McArdle formula (selectable only when body fat % is entered), then multiplied by an activity factor to estimate TDEE.
BMR formulas
- Mifflin-St Jeor (male): 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age + 5
- Mifflin-St Jeor (female): 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age − 161
- Katch-McArdle: 370 + 21.6×lean body mass(kg) (only when body fat % is entered)
Activity level factors
TDEE is calculated by multiplying BMR by the following factors.
- Sedentary: × 1.2
- Light exercise 1–3 days/week: × 1.375
- Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week: × 1.55
- Hard exercise 6–7 days/week: × 1.725
- Physical job + training: × 1.9
How the calorie targets are derived
Cutting is shown as TDEE −10 to −20%, maintenance as TDEE itself, and bulking as TDEE +5 to +15%. These are presented as ranges rather than a single definitive number.
How the PFC breakdown is calculated
Using a dedicated target calorie figure for PFC (cutting: TDEE×0.85, maintenance: TDEE, bulking: TDEE×1.10), protein is set to the midpoint of the goal-specific g/kg range, fat is fixed at 25% of the target, and carbs are calculated from the remaining calories. If carbs would fall below zero, the tool reports that PFC targets can't be constructed.
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FAQ
- Q. How accurate is the TDEE estimate?
- A. Research on formulas like Mifflin-St Jeor and Katch-McArdle reports individual variation of roughly ±10%. Treat the result as a starting point, and adjust your intake based on how your actual body weight changes over time.
- Q. Why are the cutting/bulking calorie targets shown as a range?
- A. There's no single calorie number that's optimal for everyone, so we show ranges reported in research instead (for example, cutting at roughly 10–20% below TDEE). Adjust within the range based on your own situation.
- Q. Can I use this tool if I have a medical condition?
- A. This tool provides reference estimates based on general formulas and is not a substitute for medical judgment. If you have a medical condition or are under a doctor's care, please consult your doctor about calorie and nutrition management.
Reviewed by
Tomonobu SomedaHead Trainer at well-being-life Gym
What research shows, and what happens on the gym floor — I check our content against both.
Content reviewed from the perspective of coaching practice and supplement-industry experience
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