Energy and macros

Calorie Calculator (TDEE)

Estimate your basal metabolic rate and your total daily energy needs. This is the starting point for every Lean Bulk and every Cut.

Sex

With your body fat percentage, the calculator also uses Katch-McArdle.

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How it works

The calculator first estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR): the energy your body burns per day at complete rest. For this it uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula based on body weight, height, age and sex.

It multiplies your BMR by an activity factor between 1.2 and 1.9. The result is your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE): the number of calories you burn on a typical day on which your weight stays the same.

If you know your body fat percentage, the calculator also uses Katch-McArdle. This formula starts from lean mass and often fits very muscular or very lean people better.

How to use your result

Treat your TDEE as a starting value, not as a fixed truth. Even the most accurate common formula is off by more than 10 percent from measured BMR for some people, and the activity factor is only a rough classification. That is why the calculator shows a range.

Eat roughly this amount for two to three weeks and watch your trend weight. If the trend stays stable, you have found your true maintenance. If it rises or falls, adjust in small steps.

For a Lean Bulk you add a small surplus on top, for a Cut you subtract a deficit. How big depends on your target pace: the calorie target calculator works that out for you.

Formula and source

Men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) - 5 × age (years) + 5
Women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) - 5 × age (years) - 161
Katch-McArdle: BMR = 370 + 21.6 × lean mass (kg)
TDEE = BMR × activity factor (1.2 / 1.375 / 1.55 / 1.725 / 1.9)

Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST et al. (1990): A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51(2). Katch-McArdle formula after McArdle, Katch and Katch: Exercise Physiology. On accuracy: Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C (2005): Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 105(5). The activity factors are common approximations.

Frequently asked questions

BMR is what you burn at complete rest, covering breathing, heart, brain and body temperature. TDEE also includes everyday movement, training and digestion. For your nutrition, TDEE is what counts.

When in doubt, the lower one. Many people overestimate their activity, especially with a desk job. What matters is not the factor anyway, but what your trend weight shows over the next few weeks.

In a systematic review (Frankenfield et al. 2005), Mifflin-St Jeor came out as the most reliable formula without a body fat measurement. Katch-McArdle needs your body fat percentage and can fit better with a lot of muscle mass, but it is only as good as your body fat estimate.

Every formula estimates the average of similar people. Your expenditure can be above or below that, and daily weights fluctuate with water and gut contents. So watch the trend over two to three weeks and then adjust your calories.

No, if you picked a fitting activity factor: your training is already included. The calorie numbers from fitness watches are also often inaccurate.

All results are estimates and do not replace advice from a doctor or dietitian.

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Macro calculator Protein, fat and carbs from your calorie target. Bulk and cut calorie target Surplus or deficit from your target rate per week. Protein calculator Daily protein intake for building muscle and cutting.