Pindrop

TDEE Calculator

Estimate the calories you burn in a day from your size and activity, then see targets for cutting, maintaining, or lean bulking.

yrs
lbs
ft
in
%

Optional. Switches to the Katch-McArdle formula.

Maintenance calories

2,763cal/day

BMR 1,783 cal · Mifflin-St Jeor
Mild cut (−250)
2,513cal
Cut (−500)
2,263cal
Lean bulk (+300)
3,063cal
Protein
144–216g

What this calculator does

Total daily energy expenditure is the number of calories you burn in a day once everything is counted: staying alive, moving around, and exercise. It is the anchor for any nutrition plan. Eat below it to lose fat, above it to gain, or at it to hold steady. This calculator estimates it from your age, sex, height, weight, and how active you are.

The base is your resting burn, calculated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is the current standard. If you enter a body-fat percentage, it switches to the Katch-McArdle formula, which works from lean mass and tends to be more accurate for lean or very muscular people. An activity multiplier then scales resting burn up to a full day.

Reading the result

The big number is maintenance. Below it are common targets: a mild or moderate deficit for fat loss, a small surplus for a lean gain, and a protein range of about 0.8 to 1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight. Be honest with the activity level, since most people overestimate it. If your weight looks like it was entered in the wrong unit, a warning will point it out.

Common questions

How do you calculate TDEE?
TDEE, your total daily energy expenditure, starts with your BMR, the calories you burn at rest, then multiplies by an activity factor for movement and exercise. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula for BMR, which needs your age, height, weight, and sex. The result is roughly the calories you burn in a day.
How many calories do I need to maintain my weight?
Your maintenance is your TDEE, the point where calories in match calories out. Eat that amount and your weight holds steady. It is an estimate though, so track your actual weight for two weeks and adjust if you are drifting up or down.
How many calories should I eat to cut or bulk?
For cutting, drop about 500 calories below your TDEE for roughly a pound of fat loss a week. For bulking, add 250 to 500 above it to gain slowly without piling on fat. Bigger swings work faster but get messier, so most people stay in that range.
What is the difference between Mifflin-St Jeor and Katch-McArdle?
Mifflin-St Jeor uses your age, height, weight, and sex, and works well for most people. Katch-McArdle instead uses your lean body mass, so it needs a body fat percentage. If you are very lean or very muscular, Katch-McArdle can be more accurate because it accounts for how much muscle you carry.
How much protein should I eat per day?
A common target is 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of body weight, or per pound of goal weight if you are carrying a lot of fat. For a 180 lb person that is roughly 125 to 180 grams a day. Protein matters most when you are cutting, since it protects muscle in a deficit.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
It is a solid starting estimate, usually within a couple hundred calories, but not exact. Real metabolism shifts with genetics, activity you underestimate, and how much you fidget. Use the number as a baseline, then adjust based on what the scale actually does over a few weeks.

Pindrop is a calculation tool, not medical advice. Confirm your dose and protocol with a licensed healthcare provider.