Calculator
Enter your details, pick a BMR formula, and customize activity, exercise, and TEF.
Example data table
A worked example helps you verify your settings and outputs.
| Example profile | Inputs | Key outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Moderately active adult |
Sex: Male Age: 30 Height: 175 cm Weight: 70 kg Formula: Mifflin-St Jeor Activity: Moderate (1.55) Exercise: 30 min/day at 6 MET TEF: 10% Goal: Deficit 300 kcal/day |
BMR ≈ 1,649 kcal/day Base ≈ 2,649 kcal/day TEF ≈ 265 kcal/day TDEE ≈ 2,914 kcal/day Target ≈ 2,614 kcal/day |
Formula used
How to use this calculator
- Pick your unit system and enter age, sex, height, and weight.
- Select a BMR formula; add body fat if you choose Katch-McArdle.
- Choose an activity level that matches your normal routine.
- Add exercise using METs or calories-per-session for your week.
- Keep TEF at 10% unless you have a reason to change it.
- Set a goal deficit or surplus, then press Calculate.
- Use Download CSV or PDF to save your report.
Understanding Daily Energy Expenditure
Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the energy your body uses in a day. It combines basal needs, daily activity, planned exercise, and the energy cost of digestion. Estimating TDEE helps you plan calories for weight maintenance, loss, or gain with less guesswork. Because intake and movement vary, the estimate is best treated as a starting baseline, not a “true” number.
Choosing a BMR Model
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) estimates calories used at rest. Mifflin-St Jeor is commonly used for general adults and often performs well in practice. Revised Harris-Benedict is a classic alternative with slightly different coefficients. Katch-McArdle uses lean body mass, so it can be helpful when body fat is known and stable. If body fat is uncertain, select a weight-and-height model for consistency.
Activity, NEAT, and Exercise Inputs
The activity factor scales BMR for typical daily living, from sedentary to athlete. NEAT provides a manual adjustment for extra walking, physical work, or unusually sedentary days, and it can capture changes that the multiplier misses. Exercise can be entered using METs and minutes per day, where kcal/min ≈ MET × 3.5 × kg / 200. Alternatively, enter calories per session and sessions per week to estimate a daily average.
Thermic Effect and Goal Adjustments
Thermic effect of food (TEF) represents energy spent processing meals. Many users apply 10%, while higher protein patterns may push TEF upward and very low intake patterns may reduce it. The calculator applies TEF to the base expenditure, then totals it into TDEE. Next, a deficit or surplus can be applied as a fixed kcal value or a percentage, producing a practical target intake. Targets are also shown in kilojoules for international labeling.
Interpreting Outputs for Nutrition Planning
The results list BMR, activity calories, exercise calories, and TEF separately so you can see what drives the total. A ±5% range communicates normal day-to-day variation and measurement noise. Use the target calories as your starting point, track body weight and performance for two to three weeks, then adjust in small steps. If adherence is difficult, reduce the goal size before changing food quality or training load.
FAQs
Which BMR formula should I use?
Use Mifflin-St Jeor for most adults. Choose Revised Harris-Benedict if you prefer a classic equation. Use Katch-McArdle when you have a reliable body fat percentage and want BMR based on lean mass.
Do I need body fat percentage?
Only if you select the Katch-McArdle option. For the other formulas, body fat is optional and can be left blank. If your body fat estimate is uncertain, a height-and-weight formula is usually more consistent.
How do I pick the right activity level?
Match the multiplier to your typical week, not a best week. Sedentary fits mostly seated days. Light to moderate fits regular walking or standing jobs. Very active and athlete fit frequent training plus high daily movement.
What MET value should I enter?
Use a value that reflects the session intensity. Brisk walking is often 3–5 METs, jogging may be 7–10, and vigorous running can be higher. If unsure, choose a conservative MET and refine after comparing results to real trends.
Why does TEF change my total?
TEF estimates calories used to digest and process food. The calculator applies TEF as a percentage of your base expenditure, so higher TEF increases TDEE slightly. Many people start with 10% unless a clinician suggests otherwise.
How often should I update my estimate?
Recalculate when weight changes meaningfully, your training volume shifts, or your daily routine changes. Otherwise, review weekly weight and performance trends and adjust targets gradually, rather than changing numbers every day.