Calorie Calculator (TDEE)
Total daily energy expenditure by activity.
Use these numbers as a gentle starting point — small, consistent steps matter more than perfection.
How to use Calorie Calculator
Estimate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) from BMR and activity.
Open Calorie Calculator on toolpermarket and fill in the inputs the tool asks for.
In the Stats and goal field, enter age, weight, height, sex and activity. Activity level scales the result a lot.
In the Goal field, pick maintain, lose, or gain. A deficit or surplus is applied on top of TDEE.
Press Calculate to compute the result. The output appears immediately below the form. Adjust the inputs and recalculate as many times as you need.
Read the result and use it as needed. If the number looks off, re-check your inputs and run it again — the math is deterministic, so the same entries always return the same answer.
Worked example. A lightly active 30-year-old needing maintenance at ~2,000 calories gets about 1,500 for a lose weight plan or 2,500 to gain.
Tips for accurate results.
TDEE, not BMR, is the number to eat from.
Aim for a modest deficit — extreme cuts backfire.
Recompute after weight or habit changes.
When to use Calorie Calculator. Setting a daily calorie target. Planning a cut or bulk with real numbers. Understanding why two people need different intakes.
When you actually reach for this
- You want a daily calorie target from your age, weight, height and activity.
- You are planning a cut or bulk and need a maintenance baseline.
Where this tool stops being accurate
- It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor estimate, which is a population average, not a lab measurement of your metabolism.
- It does not account for medical conditions, medications or highly unusual training loads.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as BMR?
No. BMR is rest-only; this estimate adds your activity to reach TDEE, total daily energy expenditure, then applies a goal adjustment. You eat from the TDEE-based figure, not the bare BMR, which is why the target is much higher than the resting number. You’ve got this.
How big a deficit should I use to lose weight?
A modest one — commonly 300 to 500 calories below maintenance — loses weight steadily without triggering burnout or muscle loss. Extreme deficits from the calculator are mathematically valid but rarely sustainable, so the tool reports them without endorsing them. You’ve got this.
Why does my friend’s target differ so much?
Because calorie need scales with weight, height, age, sex and activity. Two people of different size or movement can legitimately need a thousand calories apart. The calculator reflects those inputs rather than a one-size target. You’ve got this.
How accurate is the calorie number?
It is an estimate from a standard equation; real needs vary by plus or minus a few hundred calories. Treat it as a starting point and adjust from the scale. You’ve got this.
Should I eat the maintenance or the goal number?
For weight loss eat below maintenance, for gain above it. The tool shows maintenance; apply your deficit or surplus on top. You’ve got this.