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NUTRITION CALCULATOR

TDEE CALCULATOR

Estimate the calories you burn in a day, then get maintenance, surplus and deficit targets for how you train.

UNITS
SEX
YEARS
LB
FT / IN
USES KATCH-McARDLE
ESTIMATED TDEE
0 KCAL / DAY
Lose fat
—
300 to 500 below
Maintain
—
Recomposition
Build muscle
—
200 to 300 above

This is a starting estimate, not a verdict. Track your calories and weigh in daily for two to three weeks, then adjust from the scale trend. TDEE for lifters shows how.

The method

How the estimate works

TDEE, total daily energy expenditure, is the calories you burn in a full day. It is the sum of four parts: resting metabolism (BMR), the calories spent digesting food, the calories burned in training, and everything else you do that is not formal exercise.

This calculator estimates resting calories with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies by an activity factor from 1.2 to 1.9 to cover the rest. If you enter a body fat percentage, it uses Katch-McArdle instead, which works from lean mass and fits muscular lifters better than a formula built on total weight.

Reading the result

What to do with your number

  1. Building muscle: eat 200 to 300 calories above TDEE. The scale should creep up about 0.25 to 0.5 percent of bodyweight per week.
  2. Losing fat: eat 300 to 500 below. That is roughly 0.5 to 1 pound a week without wrecking your training.
  3. Holding weight or recomposing: eat at TDEE and let training drive the change.
  4. Check it against the scale. After two to three weeks, a flat trend means your intake equals your real TDEE. If the trend disagrees with the plan, the formula was off, not your body.
  5. Recalculate when bodyweight moves 10 pounds or more, or when your training or job changes.

Calories set the budget. The rest of the fueling picture decides how you spend it: lock in protein first, then see how to run a clean surplus or a recomposition.

Calibration

Why every calculator is a guess

The biggest unknown is non-exercise activity: walking, standing, fidgeting, the physical demands of your job. It varies enormously between people and shrinks when you diet. That is why a desk worker and a contractor who lift the same program can differ by hundreds of calories a day.

Do not use a watch’s calorie burn to correct the estimate. Wearables routinely overstate lifting calories. Use the scale trend. The full method is in TDEE for lifters.

Fuel the work, then program it

Calories are one training variable. Center Mass Strength pairs adaptive programming with fueling guidance that treats nutrition like the rest of your training: measured, adjusted and honest.

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FAQ

Questions lifters ask

What is a TDEE calculator?

It estimates the calories you burn in a full day: your basal metabolic rate plus daily movement and training. Eat at that number and your weight holds. Eat above it and you gain, below it and you lose.

How accurate is a TDEE calculator?

It is a starting estimate, typically within about 10 percent. Two lifters of the same size can differ by several hundred calories a day, mostly from non-exercise activity. Confirm it by tracking calories and bodyweight for two to three weeks and adjusting from the scale trend.

Which formula does this TDEE calculator use?

Mifflin-St Jeor for resting calories, which has held up well in validation studies, multiplied by an activity factor. If you enter a body fat percentage it switches to Katch-McArdle, which is built on lean mass and suits lifters with more muscle than average.

Which activity level should a lifter pick?

Pick for your whole week, not just the gym. A desk worker who lifts four days a week is usually Moderate. Lifting four to six days plus an active job is Very active. When you are between two levels, choose the lower one and let the scale correct you.

How many calories above TDEE should I eat to build muscle?

About 200 to 300 calories above TDEE. That supports growth while keeping most of the gain lean, and the scale should climb roughly 0.25 to 0.5 percent of bodyweight per week.

How many calories below TDEE should I eat to lose fat?

About 300 to 500 below TDEE, which is roughly 0.5 to 1 pound per week for most lifters. A bigger cut costs training quality and muscle.

Why did my weight stop changing when the calculator says I should be losing?

TDEE drops as you lose weight, and daily movement quietly falls in a deficit. A two-week stall after six or more weeks of dieting usually means the real number moved. Trim intake by 100 to 200 calories or add daily steps, then give it two more weeks.

Sources

References

  1. Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-247. PubMed
  2. Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826-837. PubMed
  3. Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Norton LE. Metabolic adaptation to weight loss: implications for the athlete. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014;11(1):7. PubMed
Read how to set your calories from TDEE →