Calorie / TDEE / BMR Calculator
One page for basal metabolism, maintenance calories, and lose / maintain / gain targets — plus a full guide to the formulas, visuals, and how it ties to cooking.
BMR
1370
kcal / day at rest
TDEE / maintenance
2124
kcal / day
Goal calories
2124
kcal / day target
Estimates only — not medical advice. Talk to a professional for personal nutrition plans.
How it works
Enter your details
Sex, age, height, and weight (metric or imperial).
Choose activity & goal
Activity multiplies BMR into TDEE. Goal adjusts calories for loss, maintenance, or gain.
Pick a BMR formula
Mifflin–St Jeor is the default. Harris–Benedict is available as a toggle.
Read results, then the guide
Use goal calories as a starting point, then read the deep guide below for context.
What are BMR and TDEE?
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) estimates how many calories your body uses at complete rest — breathing, circulating blood, and keeping organs working. Think of it as your metabolic baseline.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) estimates calories burned across a typical day after multiplying BMR by an activity factor (desk job vs training vs physical work). Eating near TDEE usually maintains weight for many people; eating below or above tends to move weight over time.
From BMR to daily target
Activity raises maintenance above BMR. Goals nudge calories below or above maintenance.
Formulas this calculator uses
Formula
Mifflin–St Jeor BMR
- MenBMR = 10w + 6.25h − 5a + 5
- WomenBMR = 10w + 6.25h − 5a − 161
- w, h, aWeight (kg), height (cm), age (years)
- TDEEBMR × activity factor (1.2 to 1.9 in this tool)
Harris–Benedict (revised) is available as an alternate formula in the calculator above.
Worked example (illustrative)
Adult, 30 years, 165 cm, 65 kg, moderate activity, Mifflin formula.
BMR lands roughly in the mid‑1,300s kcal. Multiply by ~1.55 for moderate activity to get maintenance (TDEE), then apply a goal adjustment if you want loss or gain.
Enter the same numbers in the tool to see exact rounded outputs for your device.
Lose, maintain, or gain
This FoodsLiver calculator applies simple daily adjustments on top of maintenance:
- Lose: about −500 kcal/day (common rule of thumb for gradual loss)
- Maintain: ≈ TDEE
- Gain: about +300 kcal/day (gentle surplus)
Example day (illustrative)
Maintenance
2,200
kcal TDEE
Mild deficit
−500
kcal / day
Goal intake
1,700
kcal target
Numbers vary by person. This tool estimates — it is not a meal plan or medical advice.
Mifflin–St Jeor vs Harris–Benedict
Which formula?
Mifflin
Default
Modern everyday estimate
Harris
Alternate
Older revised equation
Reality
Estimate
Track & adjust 2–4 weeks
Different equations produce slightly different BMRs for the same person. Neither replaces lab testing or a dietitian’s assessment. Use one consistently, watch weekly averages, and adjust calories if weight is not moving the way you expect.
How this ties to cooking on FoodsLiver
Knowing a daily calorie ballpark helps when you plan portions from our recipes, scale servings with the Recipe Scaler, or split macros later with the macro calculator. Recipe nutrition labels (when present) are per-recipe estimates — your day still depends on everything else you eat and how active you are.