TDEE calculator: your daily calories and macros
Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is the number of calories you use in a day: your resting energy (BMR) multiplied by an activity factor. Most women use about 1,700 to 2,200 and most men 2,200 to 2,800. Enter your details below to get your TDEE and a daily target in grams of protein, fat, carbohydrate and fibre for losing, keeping or gaining weight.
Calculate your TDEE and macros
For healthy adults 18 to 70. Not for pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, or people with kidney or liver disease or diabetes on medicines.
| Your daily target | Amount |
|---|---|
| BMR (energy at complete rest) | |
| TDEE (maintenance calories) | |
| Calories for your goal | |
| Protein | |
| Fat | |
| Carbohydrate | |
| Fibre (at least) |
An estimate within about 10 percent for most people. Watch your weight and energy over 3 to 4 weeks and adjust by 100 to 200 calories if needed.
Get a diet chart for these targetsWhat your TDEE is made of
Your body uses energy in four ways. Knowing them explains why two people of the same weight can have very different needs.
| Part of TDEE | Roughly how much | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| BMR (resting energy) | 60 to 70 percent | Heart, brain, breathing, liver, kidneys and keeping you warm while at complete rest |
| Thermic effect of food | About 10 percent | Energy used to digest and absorb meals; protein costs more than fat or carbohydrate |
| Everyday movement (NEAT) | 15 to 30 percent | Walking, housework, cooking, stairs, standing, fidgeting, childcare |
| Exercise | 0 to 10 percent for most people | Planned workouts, gym, sport, a fast walk |
For most people everyday movement matters more than the gym. A woman who is on her feet all day at home can burn more than an office worker who exercises for 30 minutes.
How the calculator works
It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for BMR, which reviews found to be the most accurate simple formula for healthy adults, including people with obesity:
- Men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
- Women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor to give TDEE:
| Activity level | Factor | Pakistani example |
|---|---|---|
| Mostly sitting | 1.2 | Bank or office job, student, drives to work, no exercise |
| Light | 1.375 | Housewife with normal housework, teacher on her feet, or a walk 1 to 3 days a week |
| Moderate | 1.55 | Gym, cricket or brisk walking 3 to 5 days a week |
| Very active | 1.725 | Hard training 6 to 7 days a week, or a job on your feet and lifting |
| Heavy | 1.9 | Labourer, farmer or athlete in daily heavy work plus training |
How the macros are set
- Calories for your goal: to lose about ½ kg a week the calculator subtracts 500 from your TDEE, but never goes below 1,200 (women) or 1,500 (men). To gain slowly it adds 300.
- Protein: about 1.0 g per kg to keep weight if you are not very active, and 1.4 g per kg if you exercise or are losing weight (to protect muscle). 1.6 g per kg if you want to gain muscle. Protein is capped at 30 percent of your calories.
- Fat: about 27 percent of calories, inside the 20 to 35 percent range recommended for adults.
- Carbohydrate: everything that is left. This usually lands inside the recommended 45 to 65 percent of calories.
- Fibre: at least 14 g for every 1,000 calories, as the US Dietary Reference Intakes advise.
Worked example
A 35-year-old woman, 72 kg, 5 ft 3 in (160 cm), who does normal housework and walks a few times a week (factor 1.375) and wants to lose weight:
- BMR = 720 + 1,000 − 175 − 161 = 1,384; TDEE = 1,384 × 1.375 = about 1,900 calories.
- Target to lose about ½ kg a week = about 1,400 calories.
- Protein 1.4 × 72 = about 100 g; fat 27 percent = about 40 g; carbohydrate about 155 g; fibre at least 20 g.
What 100 g of protein looks like on a Pakistani plate
Numbers on a screen are hard to cook with. These are approximate amounts for common foods, which vary by brand and recipe.
| Food | Protein (about) |
|---|---|
| 1 boiled egg | 6 g |
| 1 katori (about 150 g) cooked daal such as masoor or moong | 8 to 10 g |
| 1 katori plain dahi | 5 to 6 g |
| 1 glass (250 ml) milk | 8 g |
| 100 g cooked chicken breast (about a palm-sized piece) | 30 g |
| 1 medium chapati | 3 to 4 g |
| 1 handful (30 g) roasted chanay | 5 to 6 g |
One day that reaches about 85 g: 2 eggs, 2 katori daal, 1 katori dahi, 100 g chicken, 3 chapatis and a glass of milk. For more options see protein-rich foods in Pakistan. Fat: 1 teaspoon of cooking oil is about 5 g of fat and 45 calories, so 4 teaspoons a day is 20 g.
Using your numbers
- Eat at your target for 3 to 4 weeks and weigh yourself at the same time once a week.
- If your weight did not move in 3 weeks, change calories by 100 to 200, not 500.
- Do not drop calories every time progress slows; first check portions, oil and drinks.
- Build the plate: half sabzi or salad, a palm of protein, a fist of chapati or rice, and a thumb of oil.
A dietitian can turn the numbers into a weekly menu with the food your family cooks. See the online consultation.
See a doctor first if
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding: calorie and protein needs are different
- You have diabetes on insulin or sugar tablets, kidney disease (high creatinine or low eGFR) or liver disease
- You are under 18, over 70, or have an eating disorder or a history of one
- You are losing weight without trying, or feel weak or dizzy on your calorie target
Common questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE means total daily energy expenditure: all the calories your body uses in a day. It is made of your resting energy use (BMR), the energy to digest food, everyday movement such as walking and housework, and exercise. Eating at your TDEE keeps your weight steady, below it you lose weight and above it you gain.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the energy your body would use lying still all day to keep the heart, brain, breathing and organs working. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor, so it is always higher. A 35-year-old woman of 72 kg and 160 cm has a BMR of about 1,400 calories and a TDEE of about 1,900.
How is this different from your calorie calculator?
Both use the same Mifflin-St Jeor formula for calories. The calorie calculator gives you maintenance, loss and gain numbers. This page also turns your calorie target into grams of protein, fat and carbohydrate and a fibre minimum, which is useful when you plan meals or train.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
It is an estimate that is usually within about 10 percent. Real needs differ with muscle mass, genes, sleep, illness and how much you really move. Treat the number as a starting point: eat to it for 3 to 4 weeks, watch your weight trend, and move it up or down by 100 to 200 calories if nothing changes.
Which activity level should I choose?
Choose lower when unsure; most people overestimate. A desk job with a short walk is "mostly sitting". A woman who does cooking, cleaning and childcare all day but does not exercise is usually "light". Gym or sport 3 to 5 days a week is "moderate". Heavy labour plus training is "very active" or "heavy". Do not count the same activity twice, for example a physical job and a gym session together are not always "very active".
Do I need to hit my macros exactly?
No. Aim to land within about 10 percent of your protein and calorie targets on most days. Carbohydrate and fat can swing a little. Eating your protein and fibre target matters more than reaching an exact fat or carbohydrate number.
How much protein do I need a day?
The minimum for healthy adults is 0.8 g per kg of body weight. People who exercise, are losing weight or are older often do better with 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg, and sports guidelines allow up to 2.0 g per kg for people who train hard. For a 70 kg person that is about 56 g at the minimum and 85 to 110 g for an active person.
Is a high-protein diet safe for the kidneys?
In people with healthy kidneys, intakes up to about 2 g per kg a day have not been shown to harm the kidneys. If you have kidney disease, a high creatinine or eGFR below 60, high protein can do harm, and your nephrologist or dietitian must set your protein. Use our eGFR calculator if you are unsure about your kidney function.
Why am I not losing weight at my calculated calories?
The usual reasons are cooking oil and portions being larger than you think, drinks and weekend meals, water retention, short sleep, or counting activity that you do not really do. Weigh yourself at the same time each week and judge the trend over 3 to 4 weeks. Thyroid problems, PCOS and some medicines slow weight loss; ask your doctor if you suspect these.
Keep reading
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Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr, 1990
- Frankenfield D et al. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc, 2005
- Jäger R et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. National Academies Press, 2005
- WHO. Healthy diet fact sheet
- NHS. Understanding calories