Your Maintenance Calories

2,011calories / day

Weight Loss (Deficit)

1,511 kcal

-500 calorie standard deficit

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

1,676 kcal

Calories burned at absolute rest

This calculation uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, widely considered the most accurate formula for modern populations by the ADA. Your actual maintenance may vary slightly based on body composition.

Understanding Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than your TDEE. To gain weight, you must consume more.

TDEE is calculated by first determining your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)—the calories your body needs to simply exist and keep your organs functioning—and then multiplying it by an activity multiplier that accounts for your daily movement and exercise.

The Clinical Formula: Mifflin-St Jeor

While older calculators use the Harris-Benedict equation, modern clinical nutritionists rely on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Published in 1990, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has concluded it is the most reliable predictor of resting energy expenditure in healthy adults.

Mifflin-St Jeor BMR Equation:

Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5

Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161

A Practical Example

Consider David, a 30-year-old male who is 180cm tall and weighs 85kg.

Using the formula: (10 × 85) + (6.25 × 180) - (5 × 30) + 5 = 1,830 calories (BMR).

David works an office job but lifts weights 3-5 days a week, categorizing him as "Moderately Active" (multiplier of 1.55).
1,830 × 1.55 = 2,836 calories (TDEE). If David wants to lose 1 pound a week, he should target roughly 2,336 calories per day.