TDEE & Macro Calculator
Enter your stats and activity level to get your maintenance calories and a protein/carb/fat split for your goal — instantly, no signup. Works as a TDEE calculator, calorie calculator, and calorie deficit calculator all in one.
Calculate your calories & macros
How this is calculated
BMR uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, or the Katch-McArdle formula (more accurate) if you enter a body fat percentage. BMR is multiplied by your activity level to get TDEE — your maintenance calories. Your goal then adjusts that number: -500/day for cutting, +350/day for bulking, unchanged for maintenance (never recommended below BMR). Protein is set at 2.2 g/kg body weight when cutting (to preserve muscle) or 1.8 g/kg otherwise, fat at 25% of total calories, and carbs fill the remainder.
Worked example
Using this calculator's defaults — male, 30, 5'10", 180 lb, moderately active, no body fat % entered (so Mifflin-St Jeor is used):
| BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) | 1,783 cal |
| TDEE (BMR × 1.55 moderate) | 2,763 cal |
| Maintain: target / protein / fat / carbs | 2,763 cal / 147g / 77g / 371g |
| Cut: target / protein / fat / carbs | 2,263 cal / 180g / 63g / 245g |
| Bulk: target / protein / fat / carbs | 3,113 cal / 147g / 87g / 437g |
Notice protein is higher in grams on the cut (180g vs 147g) even though total calories are lower — that's the 2.2 g/kg-when-cutting rule protecting muscle mass while calories are restricted.
Mifflin-St Jeor vs. Katch-McArdle
Mifflin-St Jeor estimates BMR from height, weight, age, and sex — it works for anyone but treats two
people at the same stats as identical regardless of body composition. Katch-McArdle instead calculates
BMR directly from lean body mass, using the body fat % you enter: 370 + 21.6 × lean mass (kg).
For the same person above at 18% body fat, Katch-McArdle gives a BMR of 1,816 cal — about 33 cal higher
than Mifflin-St Jeor's 1,783, because more of this person's weight is muscle than the formula's default
assumption. The more accurately you know your body fat %, the more this formula is worth using.
Activity multipliers
| Sedentary — little/no exercise | ×1.2 |
| Lightly active — 1-3 days/week | ×1.375 |
| Moderately active — 3-5 days/week | ×1.55 |
| Very active — 6-7 days/week | ×1.725 |
| Extra active — hard training + physical job | ×1.9 |
This is a general estimate, not medical advice — consult a professional for individual guidance, especially if you have a medical condition that affects diet or metabolism.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the calculator refuse to go below my BMR?
BMR is roughly the calories your body burns at complete rest just to keep organs running. Eating consistently below that for an extended period is generally discouraged without medical supervision, so this tool floors the "cut" target at your BMR even if the -500/day math would technically go lower.
Why is my protein target in grams, not a percentage?
Protein needs scale with body weight (and lean mass), not with how many calories you happen to be eating — a percentage-of-calories approach would (incorrectly) tell a bulking dieter to eat far more protein than needed and a cutting dieter less than they need to preserve muscle. Grams-per-kilogram avoids that.
Should I enter my body fat percentage if I'm not sure of it?
Only if it's a reasonably accurate estimate (from a DEXA scan, calipers, or a smart scale you trust) — a wildly wrong number makes Katch-McArdle less accurate than just leaving the field blank and using Mifflin-St Jeor, which doesn't need it.
Is -500/+350 calories per day the right amount for everyone?
It's a commonly used starting point (roughly a pound of fat loss every 1-2 weeks on a cut), not a universal rule — individual response varies with adherence, activity changes, and metabolic adaptation. Treat the target as a starting point to adjust from based on how your weight actually trends over a few weeks, not a fixed prescription.