# TDEE & Macro Calculator

> Calculate your TDEE, maintenance calories, and daily macros for weight loss, muscle gain, or maintenance. Uses Mifflin-St Jeor (or Katch-McArdle with body fat), projects weekly weight change, and sets a water target — free, private, local-only.

Enter your stats to get your BMR, activity-adjusted TDEE (maintenance calories), and a daily calorie target for cutting, maintaining, or lean bulking. Add your body fat % to switch to the more accurate Katch-McArdle formula. The tool also projects how fast you'd gain or lose weight at your target, splits calories into protein/carb/fat grams for your chosen diet style, and suggests a daily water intake. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is stored.

- **Live tool:** https://www.toolnova.org/utilities/tdee-calorie-macro-calculator
- **Category:** Calculators & Converters (https://www.toolnova.org/utilities)
- **Price:** Free
- **Requirements:** Runs in a modern web browser · No signup · No install

## What this tool does

- BMR via Mifflin-St Jeor, or Katch-McArdle when body fat % is given
- Activity-adjusted TDEE and goal targets (cut / maintain / lean bulk)
- Projected weekly weight change at your target
- Protein / carb / fat macro breakdown in grams and percent
- Diet presets (balanced, high-protein, low-carb, keto) + water target
- Metric & imperial; 100% client-side, no data leaves your browser

## How to use TDEE & Macro Calculator

1. **Enter your body stats** — Set gender, age, weight, and height in metric or imperial. Optionally add your body fat % for a more accurate Katch-McArdle estimate.
2. **Pick your activity level** — Choose how active you are, from sedentary to athlete. This multiplier turns your BMR into your real TDEE (maintenance calories).
3. **Choose a goal** — Select cut, maintain, or lean bulk to set your daily calorie target and see the projected weekly weight change.
4. **Read your macros** — Pick a diet style to split your target into protein, carb, and fat grams, and check your suggested daily water intake.

## Common use cases

- Finding maintenance calories before starting a diet
- Setting a calorie deficit for weight loss with a realistic weekly rate
- Planning a lean-bulk surplus for muscle gain
- Getting protein/carb/fat targets for meal planning
- Dialing in keto or low-carb macros
- Estimating a daily water intake target

## About

### What TDEE actually is

Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the calories you burn in a day — your resting metabolism plus activity. It's the anchor for any nutrition plan: eat below it to lose weight, at it to maintain, above it to gain. Guessing this number is why many diets stall.

### Why Mifflin-St Jeor

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, widely regarded as one of the most accurate formulas for estimating resting metabolic rate in the general population. Multiplying it by an activity factor produces a realistic TDEE rather than a wild guess.

### Macros, not just calories

Two diets with the same calories can feel and perform very differently depending on protein, carb, and fat split. Adequate protein preserves muscle in a deficit and aids satiety, which is why the tool breaks your target into grams rather than just a calorie number.

## FAQ

### What is TDEE and how is it calculated?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories you burn in a day. It is calculated by first finding your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplying it by an activity factor (1.2 for sedentary up to 1.9 for very active). This calculator does that automatically.

### How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

To lose fat, eat below your TDEE. A moderate deficit of 15-25% (roughly 300-700 calories/day) supports steady loss of about 0.5-1kg per week while preserving muscle. Select the 'Cut' goal to see your target automatically.

### How should I split my macros?

A common evidence-based starting point is 1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of body weight, 20-30% of calories from fat, and the remainder from carbs. This tool sets protein based on your weight and goal, then fills fat and carbs to hit your calorie target.

### Is my health data stored anywhere?

No. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser. Your weight, height, age, and results are never uploaded, logged, or shared.

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ToolNova — free, privacy-first browser tools. Most tools process data locally on your device. See https://www.toolnova.org/llms.txt for the full directory.