# TDEE Calculator

> Free TDEE calculator with Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict comparison, activity multipliers, macro targets, and bookmarkable URLs.

- **Category:** Calculators
- **URL:** https://www.teafun.cyou/tools/tdee/
- **Privacy:** Runs entirely in your browser — no uploads, no account, no tracking.
- **Also known as:** calorie calculator, maintenance calories, macro planning
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- **Tags:** Health, Planning

## About

Estimate your daily calories with Mifflin-St Jeor, compare Harris-Benedict, and get macro targets you can bookmark.

## How to Use the TDEE Calculator

Enter sex (BMR formulas have a constant offset of ~166 kcal between men and women due to lean-mass differences), age, height, and weight. Pick units — metric (kg/cm) or imperial (lb/in); the converter rounds conservatively. Select your activity multiplier honestly: **most people overestimate**. A common error: counting 10K steps/day from your phone plus three weekly gym sessions as 'very active' (1.725). The accurate label is usually moderately active (1.55) — 'very active' is reserved for athletes training 6+ days/week including cardio + resistance, not for office workers who go to the gym. If you know your body-fat percentage (DEXA scan, bioelectrical impedance, or skinfold calipers within +/-3%), enable the Katch-McArdle toggle for a 5-10% accuracy improvement over Mifflin: `BMR_K = 370 + 21.6 * lean_mass_kg`. The output shows your maintenance calories (TDEE), a 500-kcal deficit (~1 lb/week loss), a 250-kcal deficit (~0.5 lb/week), and a 250-kcal surplus (lean bulk rate of ~0.5 lb/week gain).

## Why Knowing Your TDEE Changes How You Eat

TDEE is an **estimate, not a measurement**. The only accurate measurement is doubly-labeled water in a metabolic lab ($800-1,500 per test) or a continuous calorimetry chamber for 24 hours. Mifflin-St Jeor agrees with doubly-labeled water within +/-300 kcal for 95% of adults — fine for a starting point, not fine for declaring 'I am definitely eating at maintenance and not losing weight, so my metabolism is broken'. The actual cause of stalled cuts is usually **NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) suppression**: when you eat less, your subconscious fidgeting, posture, walking pace, and standing time decrease by 100-300 kcal/day automatically (Levine et al., Mayo Clinic 2005 work). Body composition tracks better via 2-week weight averages and progress photos than via daily-scale fluctuations (water weight swings +/-2-3 lb day-to-day). Use the calculator's TDEE as a starting calorie target, weigh yourself daily, average over 14 days, and adjust by 100 kcal/day if the trend is not matching your goal — do not blame the formula until 4 weeks of disciplined tracking shows no movement.

_SEO title: TDEE Calculator – Daily Calories & Macros | TeaFun_

## FAQ

### What is TDEE?

TDEE means total daily energy expenditure — the calories you burn across resting metabolism, daily movement, and training.

### Why use Mifflin-St Jeor?

It is widely considered more reliable than older formulas for estimating maintenance calories in the general population.

### Are the macro targets exact?

No. They are planning targets. Track real-world progress for 2 to 3 weeks and adjust calories or macros based on weight, hunger, recovery, and training.