Macro Calculator – Daily Nutrition

A TDEE Calculator is a useful tool to help you understand how many calories you burn in a day. TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. This refers to all of the energy you require to perform essential bodily functions, daily activities and physical activity.

Knowing how many calories you should be eating per day can help you make informed decisions regarding your nutrition to reach your goals whether it be weight loss, muscle gain or weight maintenance.

When you are at rest your body still requires calories to support essential bodily functions such as breathing, blood flow, digestion and body temperature. The additional calories are required when you are walking, working, and performing physical activity.

A TDEE Calculator will provide you with an estimate of how many calories you need each day.

For those living in the US, knowing your TDEE can be a great starting point to create a calorie controlled diet to help you manage your weight or improve your fitness.

Our TDEE Calculator will provide you with an estimate of your daily energy expenditure based on your age, gender, height, weight and activity level. This can help you understand how many calories you may need to consume to maintain, lose or gain weight.

How to use the TDEE Calculator

This tool is easy to use. Simply input your personal details and activity level.

Steps:

• Sex – Select the correct option based on the equation.
• Age – Enter your age.
• Weight – Enter your weight in pounds or kg.
• Height – Enter your height in feet/inches or cms.
• Activity Level – Select the best option based on how physically active you are.
• Calculate – Click the calculate button.

Your results will show you your estimated maintenance calories.

This can help you create a calorie deficit or surplus based on your goals.

TDEE Calculator Equation

A TDEE Calculator typically uses two equations; Basal Metabolic Rate and activity multiplier.

1. Basal Metabolic Rate

This is an estimate of how many calories are burned whilst at rest to support essential bodily functions.

A common way to calculate this is using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.

Men:

[latex]BMR = (10 x W) + (6.25 x H) – (5 x A) + 5[/latex]

Women:

[latex]BMR = (10 x W) + (6.25 x H) – (5 x A) – 161[/latex]

Where,

W – Weight (kg)

H – Height (cms)

A – Age (years)

2. Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Multiply your BMR by the activity multiplier.

[latex]TDEE = BMR x Activity Factor[/latex]

Activity Multipliers:

Activity Level Description Multiplier

Sedentary Little or no exercise 1.20

Lightly Active Light exercise 1-3 times per week 1.375

Moderately Active Moderate exercise 3-5 times per week 1.55

Very Active Strenuous exercise 6-7 times per week 1.725

Extra Active Intense training or physically demanding job 1.90

Example

If a male aged 30 wants to know how many calories they should be eating per day. They weigh 80kg, are 180cm tall and do moderate activity 5 times per week.

Personal Details Value

Age 30

Sex Male

Weight 80kg

Height 180cms

Activity Level Moderately Active

Activity Multiplier 1.55

Step 1 – Calculate BMR

Use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation:

[latex]BMR = (10 x 80) + (6.25 x 180) – (5 x 30) + 5[/latex]

[latex]BMR = 800 + 1125 – 150 + 5[/latex]

[latex]BMR = 1,780 calories[/latex]

Step 2 – Calculate TDEE

[latex]TDEE = 1,780 x 1.55[/latex]

[latex]TDEE = 2,759 calories[/latex]

Your estimated TDEE would be 2,759 calories per day.

This means that they would burn around 2,759 calories per day based on their details. To help them maintain their weight, they may want to aim to eat around 2,759 calories. However, this can vary based on their metabolism, intensity of exercise and daily activity.

Understanding your results

After entering your details, you will receive an estimate of your daily calorie expenditure. Understanding how the results break down can help you create your nutrition plan based on your goals.

• Basal Metabolic Rate – An estimate of how many calories your body will burn at rest to support essential functions.
• Activity Level – The multiplier used to calculate your activity level.
• Total Daily Energy Expenditure – An estimate of how many calories your body will burn per day.
• Maintenance Calories – An estimate of how many calories you should be eating per day to maintain your current weight.
• Weight Loss Calories – A lower calorie target to help you create an energy deficit.
• Weight Gain Calories – A higher calorie target to help you gradually gain weight.

If your TDEE is 2,500 calories, you may want to aim to eat around 2,500 calories per day to help you maintain your weight.

However, if you want to lose weight you may want to eat less calories and if you want to gain weight you may want to eat more calories based on your actual calorie expenditure.

Factors affecting your TDEE

There are various factors that can impact how many calories you burn per day.

• Age – As you age, your energy requirements can change.
• Gender – Gender can impact your average body composition.
• Body Weight – Those with a higher body weight will generally need more energy.
• Height – Height is one of the variables used in common BMR equations.
• Physical Activity – Exercising, walking, running, cycling can increase your energy expenditure.
• Muscle Mass – Muscle requires energy to be maintained. Those with more lean muscle mass will have higher energy requirements at rest.
• Lifestyle – Your occupation, domestic activities, travelling can have a significant impact on your calorie expenditure.
• Health – Certain medical conditions, medications, hormonal changes and recovering from illness can impact your energy requirements.

Benefits and Uses of a TDEE Calculator

A TDEE Calculator can help you understand how many calories you need per day. This can help you make informed decisions regarding your nutrition.

• Weight Loss – Helps you understand your maintenance calories so you can create a reasonable calorie deficit.
• Muscle Gain – Helps you identify a starting point for creating an energy surplus.
• Maintenance – Helps you understand roughly how much energy you require from food per day.
• Nutrition – Helps you create meal plans based on your estimated daily calorie requirements.
• Fitness Tracking – Helps you recalculate your energy requirements based on your changing weight and activity levels.
• Understanding your Metabolism – Helps you understand how much energy you require at rest and during physical activity.
• Goal Setting – Helps you set realistic goals based on your estimated calorie requirements.

If your estimated TDEE is 2,400 calories, this can be a good starting point when creating your daily meal plan. You can then adjust your calories based on your weight trends and fitness progress.

Accuracy

A TDEE Calculator is simply an estimate. It will depend on how accurate your details are and what equation is used.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is used to calculate your energy requirements at rest. The activity multiplier will give you an estimate of your energy expenditure during physical activity.

Your actual TDEE may vary based on:

• Metabolism and body composition.
• Intensity and frequency of exercise.
• Daily activity.
• Muscle mass and body fat %.
• Quality of sleep and stress levels.
• Medical conditions, medications.
• Hormonal changes and ageing.

The activity multipliers are generalisations and may not be accurate for everyone. For example, someone who exercises regularly but sits most of the day may have different energy requirements compared to someone with a physically demanding job.

To get a more accurate result, track your weight, food and activity over a few weeks. This can help you adjust your calorie target based on how you are progressing.

This Calculator is for general information and fitness purposes only. If you have any specific nutritional requirements, medical conditions please consult with a registered dietitian or qualified healthcare professional.

FAQs

What is a TDEE Calculator?

A TDEE Calculator is an online tool that can help you estimate how many calories you burn per day. Using your age, gender, height, weight and activity level will help calculate your estimated energy expenditure.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is how many calories you need to consume whilst at rest to support essential bodily functions. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your BMR plus how many calories you burn during physical activity.

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

To lose weight you will generally need to eat less calories than your TDEE. A common starting point is to create a 500 calorie deficit per day. However this will also depend on your health, weight and individual circumstances.

How many calories should I eat to maintain my weight?

Your estimated TDEE will give you a starting point. For example if your TDEE is 2,200 calories you may want to aim to eat around 2,200 calories per day to help you maintain your weight. Your actual maintenance calories can vary.

Will my TDEE change as I lose weight?

Yes. As you lose weight your TDEE can reduce as your body will generally need less energy to maintain your reduced weight and activity throughout the day. Your activity levels and body composition can also impact your calorie requirements.

What activity level should I choose?

Choose the best option based on your lifestyle. If you sit most of the day and do little exercise then you may want to choose lightly active instead of very active. Choosing a realistic activity level will help give you a more useful result.

How often should I recalculate my TDEE?

If your weight, exercise or activity level has changed significantly you can recalculate your TDEE. Checking your TDEE every few weeks or when you notice changes to your body weight can help ensure your nutrition is in line with your requirements.