How many calories do you burn a day?
Enter your stats and how active you are. You get your basal metabolic rate, your maintenance calories and sensible targets for a cut or a bulk.
Calculator
Basal metabolic rate: 1,768 kcal — what you burn at complete rest.
- Fat loss2,240 kcal−500 kcal · about 0.5 kg / 1 lb a week
- Mild cut2,490 kcal−250 kcal · slower, easier to keep
- Lean bulk2,990 kcal+250 kcal · minimal fat gain
- Bulk3,240 kcal+500 kcal · faster weight gain
What TDEE means
TDEE — total daily energy expenditure — is the number of calories your body uses in a day. Eat roughly that much and your weight stays put; eat less and you lose weight; eat more and you gain it. That is why it is the starting point for almost every nutrition plan.
It is made of four parts. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is what you burn at complete rest just to stay alive, and for most people it is 60–70% of the total. On top of that sit the energy you spend digesting food, your planned exercise, and everything else you do while moving around — walking, standing, fidgeting, taking the stairs.
How this calculator works
First it estimates your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which uses your weight, height, age and sex. In studies comparing prediction equations against measured metabolic rate, Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate of the common formulas for adults, which is why dietitians default to it.
Then it multiplies your BMR by an activity factor, from 1.2 for a desk job with no training up to 1.9 for hard daily training or a physical job. The result is your estimated maintenance intake. The cut and bulk targets are fixed offsets from it: about 250–500 kcal below for fat loss, 250–500 kcal above for muscle gain.
Use the number as a starting point
Any formula is an estimate — two people with identical stats can differ by a few hundred calories a day. Eat at your target for two to three weeks, weigh yourself several times a week and compare weekly averages. If your weight moves faster or slower than planned, adjust by 100–200 kcal and check again.
Pick the activity level honestly. Most people overrate it: three gym sessions a week with an office job is “moderately active”, not “very active”. If you are unsure, choose the lower option — it is easier to add food than to wonder why the scale is not moving.
The formula
- BMR, men
10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5- BMR, women
10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161- TDEE
BMR × activity factor1.2 sedentary · 1.375 light · 1.55 moderate · 1.725 very active · 1.9 extra active
FAQ
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the energy you burn at complete rest — breathing, circulation, keeping your organs running. TDEE adds everything else: digestion, exercise and daily movement. You plan your diet around TDEE, because eating only your BMR means a much larger deficit than most people intend.
How accurate is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation?
For most healthy adults it lands within about 10% of a measured resting metabolic rate, which makes it the most reliable of the common prediction equations. It is less accurate for very muscular or very lean people, where a formula based on lean body mass such as Katch-McArdle can be closer.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A deficit of about 500 kcal a day below your TDEE gives roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) of loss a week, which is a pace most people can keep while holding on to muscle. Smaller deficits of 250–300 kcal suit people who are already lean. Going much lower than your BMR for long periods usually costs muscle and makes the diet hard to stick to.
How many calories should I eat to build muscle?
A surplus of 250–500 kcal above maintenance is enough for most people. Beginners can grow on the higher end; experienced lifters gain muscle slowly, so a smaller surplus keeps fat gain down. Aim to gain about 0.25–0.5% of your body weight per month and train with progressive overload.
Should I recalculate my TDEE as my weight changes?
Yes. A lighter body burns less energy, so your maintenance falls as you lose weight. Recalculate every 4–5 kg (10 lb) of change, or whenever progress has stalled for two or three weeks.
Moves that burn the most energy
More free tools
Bravel tracks this for you automatically
The app recalculates your calorie target as your weight and activity change, so you never have to come back to a calculator. Join the waitlist and get it at launch.