Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure to understand how many calories you burn per day based on your activity level.
Metric (kg / cm)
Imperial (lbs / inches)
Male
Female
Sedentary (Office job, little exercise)
Light Activity (Exercise 1-3 days/week)
Moderate Activity (Exercise 3-5 days/week)
High Activity (Heavy exercise 6-7 days/week)
Athlete (Physical job or 2x daily training)
Your Daily Calorie Burn (TDEE)0calories / day
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR – Coma Calories)0
Calories for Mild Weight Loss (-0.25kg/week)0
Calories for Weight Loss (-0.5kg/week)0
Calories for Weight Gain (+0.5kg/week)0
Understanding Your Daily Calorie Burn Rate
Your "Daily Calorie Burn Rate," scientifically known as your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), is the total number of calories your body incinerates in a 24-hour period. This number is critical for anyone looking to manage their weight, improve athletic performance, or simply maintain their current physique.
Unlike a generic recommendation of "2,000 calories a day," your specific burn rate depends on unique physiological factors including your height, weight, age, gender, and how much you move throughout the day.
The Components of Daily Energy Expenditure
Your daily calorie burn isn't just about how much you run on a treadmill. It is composed of three main factors:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): This accounts for 60-75% of your total burn. These are the calories your body needs just to keep you alive—powering your heart, lungs, brain, and cell regeneration while you are completely at rest.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): Roughly 10% of your daily burn comes from the energy required to digest, absorb, and store the nutrients from the food you eat.
Physical Activity Expenditure: This includes both Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT)—planned workouts—and Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)—fidgeting, walking to the car, typing, and standing.
How This Calculator Works
This calculator utilizes the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, which is widely considered by the dietetic community to be the most accurate formula for estimating BMR in healthy individuals. The formula works as follows:
Men: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
Women: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161
Once the BMR is established, we apply an Activity Multiplier (ranging from 1.2 to 1.9) to determine your final TDEE.
Using Your Results for Weight Management
Once you know your daily burn rate (TDEE), you have the blueprint for weight control:
To Maintain Weight: Eat exactly your TDEE calories.
To Lose Weight: Create a caloric deficit. A standard deficit is 500 calories below your TDEE per day, which typically results in about 0.5kg (1lb) of fat loss per week.
To Gain Muscle: Create a caloric surplus. Consuming 250-500 calories above your TDEE, combined with resistance training, supports muscle growth.
Keep in mind that as you lose or gain weight, your TDEE will change. It is recommended to recalculate your numbers after every 5kg (10-15lbs) of weight change to keep your progress on track.
function updateLabels() {
var unit = document.getElementById("calc-unit").value;
var weightLabel = document.getElementById("label-weight");
var heightLabel = document.getElementById("label-height");
var weightInput = document.getElementById("calc-weight");
var heightInput = document.getElementById("calc-height");
if (unit === "imperial") {
weightLabel.innerText = "Weight (lbs)";
heightLabel.innerText = "Height (inches)";
weightInput.placeholder = "e.g. 150";
heightInput.placeholder = "e.g. 69";
} else {
weightLabel.innerText = "Weight (kg)";
heightLabel.innerText = "Height (cm)";
weightInput.placeholder = "e.g. 70";
heightInput.placeholder = "e.g. 175";
}
}
function calculateBurnRate() {
// 1. Get Input Values
var unit = document.getElementById("calc-unit").value;
var gender = document.getElementById("calc-gender").value;
var age = parseFloat(document.getElementById("calc-age").value);
var weight = parseFloat(document.getElementById("calc-weight").value);
var height = parseFloat(document.getElementById("calc-height").value);
var activityMultiplier = parseFloat(document.getElementById("calc-activity").value);
// 2. Validation
if (isNaN(age) || isNaN(weight) || isNaN(height) || isNaN(activityMultiplier)) {
alert("Please enter valid numbers for Age, Weight, and Height.");
return;
}
if (age < 1 || weight < 1 || height < 1) {
alert("Values must be positive numbers.");
return;
}
// 3. Convert to Metric for Calculation (if Imperial)
var weightKg = weight;
var heightCm = height;
if (unit === "imperial") {
// lbs to kg
weightKg = weight * 0.453592;
// inches to cm
heightCm = height * 2.54;
}
// 4. Calculate BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor Equation)
var bmr = 0;
if (gender === "male") {
// (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) + 5
bmr = (10 * weightKg) + (6.25 * heightCm) – (5 * age) + 5;
} else {
// (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) – 161
bmr = (10 * weightKg) + (6.25 * heightCm) – (5 * age) – 161;
}
// 5. Calculate TDEE
var tdee = bmr * activityMultiplier;
// 6. Calculate Goals
var mildLoss = tdee – 250;
var loss = tdee – 500;
var gain = tdee + 500;
// Ensure calories don't go below dangerous levels (arbitrary safety check for display)
if (loss < 1200 && gender === "female") loss = 1200;
if (loss < 1500 && gender === "male") loss = 1500;
// 7. Display Results
document.getElementById("res-tdee").innerText = Math.round(tdee).toLocaleString();
document.getElementById("res-bmr").innerText = Math.round(bmr).toLocaleString() + " kcal";
document.getElementById("res-mild-loss").innerText = Math.round(mildLoss).toLocaleString() + " kcal";
document.getElementById("res-loss").innerText = Math.round(loss).toLocaleString() + " kcal";
document.getElementById("res-gain").innerText = Math.round(gain).toLocaleString() + " kcal";
document.getElementById("calc-result").style.display = "block";
}