TrainersBookCalorie calculator (TDEE)
Estimate how many calories you burn in a day, and get an example split of protein, carbs and fat.
How the calculator works
It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is one of the most used formulas for resting energy needs in adults. The result is your basal metabolic rate (BMR): roughly what your body uses at complete rest.
Then it multiplies BMR by an activity factor to get your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), often called maintenance calories.
| Activity | Factor |
|---|---|
| Mostly sitting | 1.2 |
| Train 1–3 days a week | 1.375 |
| Train 3–5 days a week | 1.55 |
| Train 6–7 days a week | 1.725 |
| Physical job and training | 1.9 |
The example macro split uses 1.8 g protein per kg of body weight, 25% of calories from fat and the rest from carbohydrates. It is a starting point, not a rule.
Treat the number as a starting point
Any formula can be off by a few hundred calories for a single person. The best check is your own data:
- Eat around the estimate for two to three weeks and log it.
- Weigh yourself a few mornings a week and look at the weekly average, not single days.
- If the average is stable, the estimate is close to your real maintenance. If it moves, adjust by 100–200 kcal and check again.
Pick the activity level that matches a normal week, not your best one. Most people overestimate how active they are.
Lower and higher intake
The calculator also shows about 15% below and 10% above maintenance. Those are common, moderate ranges that people use when they want to change body composition slowly while still training well. Bigger gaps tend to be harder to keep up and can make training feel worse.
This is an estimate for healthy adults who train. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or have a history of eating problems, talk to a healthcare professional before changing how you eat.
Track it without the spreadsheet
Knowing your number is the easy part. A calorie and macro tracker shows how close you actually get, day by day. New to it? Start with how to count macros or work out your protein needs.
Common questions
What is TDEE?
Total daily energy expenditure: the calories you burn in a day, including rest, daily movement and training. Eating around your TDEE keeps your weight roughly stable.
How accurate is a calorie calculator?
It is an estimate. For most people it lands within about 10% of real needs. Log what you eat and watch your weekly average weight for a few weeks to find your own number.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what your body uses at complete rest. TDEE is BMR plus everything you do during the day, including training.
Should I eat back the calories from a workout?
The activity level already includes your training, so you do not need to add workouts on top.