Free tool
TDEE Calculator
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is roughly how many calories you burn in a day — resting metabolism plus everything you do on top of it. It is the number every calorie target is derived from.
This uses the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, the one most clinical guidance now prefers over the older Harris–Benedict.
Fill in age, height and weight to estimate your daily energy needs.
How accurate is this?
Treat it as a starting estimate, not a measurement. Predictive equations typically land within about 10% of measured expenditure for most people, but individual metabolism varies with body composition, genetics, thyroid function and medication. Two people with identical height, weight and age can differ by several hundred calories a day.
The practical approach: take the estimate, eat to it consistently for two to three weeks, and adjust based on what the scale and your measurements actually do. Your own data beats any equation.
Why the activity multiplier is where people go wrong
Most people overestimate it. “Moderately active” means genuinely training three to five days a week, not a desk job with a walk. Choosing a multiplier one band too high inflates your target by several hundred calories and quietly erases the deficit you thought you were in — the single most common reason a diet “stops working”.
If in doubt, pick the lower band.
TDEE falls as you lose weight
A smaller body burns fewer calories, and the deficit that worked at the start gradually stops being a deficit. This is normal physiology, not failure, and it is why plateaus arrive around the three-to-four month mark. Recalculate every 5 kg or so.
A number is a starting point, not a plan
Calculators estimate. What actually changes the result is what you do next — and whether anyone is checking. MetaFit pairs you with a doctor, a nutritionist and a coach.
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This tool provides general information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Estimates are population averages and will not describe every individual. Speak to a registered medical practitioner before making changes to medication, diet or exercise.