Frequently asked questions
Everything people ask about TDEE, BMR, activity levels, and calorie targets — in plain language.
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure: the total calories your body burns in 24 hours, including your basal metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, and all physical activity.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
Estimates are typically within about 10% when activity is reported honestly. Most people overestimate their activity level by one tier, which shifts results by roughly 250 calories per day. Use the estimate as a starting point and adjust on real weight change.
Which activity level should I choose?
Match structured training days per week to one of the five standard tiers: Sedentary (1.2), Light (1.375), Moderate (1.55), Heavy (1.725), or Athlete (1.9). When in doubt, choose the lower tier.
Which formula does this calculator use?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is the default. When body fat percentage is provided, Katch-McArdle and Cunningham estimates are also shown, and the revised Harris-Benedict equation is included for comparison.
How do I turn my TDEE into a calorie target?
Eat at your TDEE to maintain weight, subtract about 500 calories per day to lose roughly one pound per week, or add about 500 calories per day to gain roughly one pound of muscle per week while training.
I think I'm fit but my BMI says I'm overweight. Is BMI broken?
BMI uses average weight for your height and frustrates people with extra muscle mass. It was designed for populations, not individuals. Pair it with waist-to-height ratio or body fat percentage for a fuller picture.
What is the best macronutrient ratio?
There is no single best ratio. Keep protein at 1.6–2.2 g/kg of body weight, fat at roughly 25–30% of calories, and let carbohydrates fill the rest. Higher protein matters most in a deficit.
Do I have to work out to lose weight?
No. Weight change is driven by calorie intake. Exercise improves health, muscle retention, and appearance, but the deficit itself comes from your diet. Ten minutes a day is infinitely better than zero.
Why does my TDEE change over time?
As you lose weight your BMR falls, metabolic adaptation lowers resting expenditure further, and aging reduces both lean mass and daily movement (NEAT). Recalculate every six to eight weeks during active weight change.
I'm not losing weight even at a deficit. What should I do?
Track with a food scale for one week, judge weight on a seven-day average, re-verify your activity level, and if nothing changes in four weeks, reduce calories by 100–150 per day and retest.