# TDEE Calculator
Estimate your BMR and total daily energy expenditure from age, sex, weight, height and activity, with calorie goals, BMI and all activity levels.
## Run it
- **CLI:** `gizza tool tdee-calculator 'age=30'`
- **Web:** https://gizza.ai/tools/tdee-calculator/
- **Agents:** machine-readable descriptor (parameters JSON Schema) at https://gizza.ai/tools/tdee-calculator/tool.json
## Inputs
- `age` — Age (years) _(field)_
- `sex` — Sex _(field)_
- `weight` — Weight (kg or lb) _(field)_
- `height` — Height (cm or inches) _(field)_
- `units` — Units _(field)_
- `activity` — Activity level _(field)_
- `formula` — BMR formula _(field)_
- `body_fat` — Body fat % (Katch-McArdle only) _(field)_
- `energy_unit` — Energy unit _(field)_
## Output
- Result (text)
## Query parameters
Open the tool pre-filled and auto-run via URL:
- `age` — Age (years)
- `sex` — Sex
- `weight` — Weight (kg or lb)
- `height` — Height (cm or inches)
- `units` — Units
- `activity` — Activity level
- `formula` — BMR formula
- `body_fat` — Body fat % (Katch-McArdle only)
- `energy_unit` — Energy unit
Example: `https://gizza.ai/tools/tdee-calculator/?age=30&sex=male&weight=70&height=175&units=metric&activity=moderate&formula=mifflin_st_jeor&body_fat=20&energy_unit=calories`
---
## About this tool
This TDEE calculator estimates two numbers that anchor almost every diet and training plan:
your **Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)** — the energy your body burns at complete rest — and your
**Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)** — that BMR scaled up by how active you are. Enter your
**age**, **sex**, **weight** and **height** (in metric or imperial units), pick an **activity
level**, and optionally choose a **BMR formula** and whether to see results in **Calories** or
**kilojoules**. Everything runs locally in your browser; nothing you type is uploaded.
It returns your **BMR**, your **TDEE** at the chosen activity level, the **activity multiplier**
used, your **BMI** and its category, calorie **goals** for cutting, maintaining and bulking, and
your **TDEE at all five activity levels** so you can see how much movement changes the number.
Three standard equations are supported. **Mifflin-St Jeor** (the default and most accurate for
most people today) and the revised **Harris-Benedict** both use age, sex, weight and height.
**Katch-McArdle** instead uses your **lean body mass** derived from a body-fat percentage, so it
ignores age, sex and height. TDEE is always `BMR × activity multiplier`, where the multipliers are
1.2 (sedentary), 1.375 (light), 1.55 (moderate), 1.725 (very active) and 1.9 (extra active).
### Example
Enter age **30**, sex **male**, weight **70**, height **175**, units **metric**, activity
**moderate**, formula **mifflin_st_jeor**:
```json
{
"bmr": 1649.0,
"tdee": 2556.0,
"activity": "moderate",
"activity_multiplier": 1.55,
"formula": "mifflin_st_jeor",
"energy_unit": "calories",
"bmi": 22.9,
"bmi_category": "normal",
"goals": {
"mild_loss": 2306.0,
"loss": 2056.0,
"extreme_loss": 1556.0,
"maintain": 2556.0,
"mild_gain": 2806.0,
"gain": 3056.0
},
"tdee_by_activity": [ ... ],
"summary": "BMR 1649 kcal (mifflin-st-jeor); TDEE 2556 kcal/day at moderate activity (×1.55)"
}
```
Mifflin-St Jeor gives BMR = `10×70 + 6.25×175 − 5×30 + 5 = 1649` kcal, and moderate activity
lifts that to `1649 × 1.55 = 2556` kcal/day. To lose about half a kilo (one pound) a week, eat
around the **loss** target of **2056** kcal; to gain, aim near the **gain** target of **3056**.
### Limits & notes
- Every field is optional and falls back to a sensible default (age **30**, **male**, **70**
kg, **175** cm, **moderate** activity, **Mifflin-St Jeor**, **metric**, **Calories**).
- With imperial units, enter **weight in pounds** and **height in total inches** (e.g. 5'10" =
**70**). BMI is reported for every formula.
- The activity multipliers (1.2–1.9) and goal offsets (±250, ±500, −1000 kcal/day) are the widely
used industry conventions; goal targets are floored at 0 and are **estimates for planning, not
medical advice**. Very low calorie targets are not automatically safe.
- **Macronutrient (protein/carb/fat) splits are not included** — there is no single standard
ratio; use the calorie targets with your own preferred split.
- These are population averages with a typical error of a few percent; individual metabolism
varies. Track your weight for a couple of weeks and adjust.
## FAQ
What's the difference between BMR and TDEE?
**BMR** (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the energy your body burns just to stay alive at complete
rest — breathing, circulation, cell repair — with no activity at all. **TDEE** (Total Daily
Energy Expenditure) is your *whole-day* burn: BMR plus everything you do — walking, exercise,
digesting food, fidgeting. This tool estimates TDEE by multiplying BMR by an activity factor
between 1.2 and 1.9. Your maintenance calories are your TDEE.
Which BMR formula should I choose?
**Mifflin-St Jeor** is the default and is generally the most accurate for the modern general
population, so use it unless you have a reason not to. **Harris-Benedict** (the revised 1984
version) is an older equation that tends to read a little higher. **Katch-McArdle** can be more
accurate *if you know your body-fat percentage*, because it works from lean body mass and ignores
age, sex and height — useful for lean or very muscular people. If you don't know your body fat,
stick with Mifflin-St Jeor.
How do I pick the right activity level?
Match it to a typical week, and be honest — most people overestimate. **Sedentary** (×1.2) is a
desk job with little or no exercise; **light** (×1.375) adds 1–3 easy workouts; **moderate**
(×1.55) is 3–5 solid sessions; **very active** (×1.725) is 6–7 hard sessions; **extra active**
(×1.9) is twice-a-day training or heavy physical labour. The tool shows your TDEE at *all five*
levels so you can compare. If your weight isn't moving as expected after two weeks, step the level
down.
How are the cutting and bulking targets calculated?
They are fixed daily offsets from your TDEE: **mild loss** is −250 kcal, **loss** is −500 kcal
(about 0.5 kg / 1 lb per week), **extreme loss** is −1000 kcal (about 1 kg / 2 lb per week), and
the two **gain** targets add +250 and +500 kcal. Roughly 7,700 kcal ≈ 1 kg of body fat, which is
where those weekly estimates come from. They're planning starting points, not guarantees — real
results depend on adherence, water weight and individual metabolism, and very aggressive deficits
aren't safe for everyone.
Can I get results in kilojoules instead of Calories?
Yes — set **Energy unit** to **Kilojoules** and every energy figure (BMR, TDEE, all goals and the
per-level TDEE) is converted using 1 kcal = 4.184 kJ. Note that "Calories" on nutrition labels
means kilocalories (kcal), which is what this tool uses by default.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser via WebAssembly. Nothing you enter is uploaded,
logged or stored — reload the page and it's gone.
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