TDEE & BMR Calculator — how many calories do you need?
Find out exactly how many calories you need per day — whether you want to lose weight, maintain, or gain.
Fill in your details and click "Calculate" to see your result.
What are TDEE and BMR?
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — for breathing, your heartbeat, maintaining body temperature, and other basic life functions. It's the minimum energy you need just to stay alive, even if you spent the whole day in bed.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. It's the real number of calories you burn over a day, including work, everyday movement, and workouts. TDEE is your reference point — eat exactly that many calories and your weight stays stable.
How to calculate your calorie needs (formula)
Our calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula — considered one of the most accurate ways to estimate resting metabolism:
Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
Multiply your BMR by an activity factor to get your TDEE:
- 1.2 — sedentary (desk job, no exercise)
- 1.375 — lightly active (1–3 workouts/week)
- 1.55 — moderately active (3–5 workouts/week)
- 1.725 — very active (6–7 workouts/week)
- 1.9 — extra active (daily training + physical job)
How to lose or gain weight based on your result
To lose weight, eat less than your TDEE — a safe deficit is 300–500 kcal per day, which gives about 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss per week. To gain weight, eat more than your TDEE — a surplus of 300–500 kcal per day supports mass gain without excessive fat storage. To maintain weight, eat exactly your TDEE.
Knowing your calorie number is just the start — how you split protein, fat, and carbs across your meals matters too. That's where the Swaplate meal planner comes in — AI builds a meal plan matched exactly to your calories and macros.
Frequently asked questions about TDEE and BMR
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep basic life functions running (breathing, heartbeat, digestion). TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor — the real number of calories you burn over a full day, including work, workouts, and everyday movement.
How do you calculate your calorie needs?
The most accurate method is the Mifflin-St Jeor formula: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) + 5 (for men) or − 161 (for women). Then you multiply BMR by an activity factor (1.2 for sedentary, up to 1.9 for very intense activity) to get TDEE — the calories needed to maintain your current weight.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A safe calorie deficit is usually 300–500 kcal below TDEE per day — enough to lose about 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week without losing muscle mass. A bigger deficit speeds up weight loss but increases the risk of rebound weight gain and muscle loss. Our calculator subtracts 500 kcal from TDEE by default when you choose the "Lose weight" goal.
Is the TDEE calculator accurate?
The calculator is based on the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, considered one of the most accurate ways to estimate resting metabolism (average error of about 10% versus calorimetric measurements). The result is a solid starting point — individual metabolic differences, body composition, and health status can affect real needs, so it is worth tracking your weight and adjusting calories every 2–3 weeks.
What should I do with my TDEE result?
Once you know your daily calorie needs, you can easily build a meal plan around them. Swaplate automatically generates a personalized 7-day meal plan matched exactly to your calculated calorie target — just sign up and pick a plan.
Now that you know your calories, plan your meals.
AI will build you a 7-day meal plan matched exactly to your calculated calorie target.
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