Daily Calorie and TDEE Calculator
An estimate of your daily energy needs based on height, weight, age and activity level.
TDEE estimates the total calories your body uses in a day, including activity. It is a starting point, not an exact figure.
This daily calories calculator estimates your basal metabolic rate and your total daily energy expenditure. Together they set a realistic starting point, whether you want to lose weight or hold it steady.
How we work out daily calories
First we calculate basal metabolic rate using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which takes your weight, height, age and sex. Then we multiply that figure by an activity factor to reach total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE. We use Mifflin-St Jeor because it fits modern populations better than the older Harris-Benedict equation.
The most common mistake: the activity multiplier
Most people pick an activity level that runs too high. For example, working at a desk and training four times a week still counts as moderate rather than very active. Very active means physical work all day, or two training sessions daily. So choosing the wrong multiplier can add three to four hundred to your estimate, and that alone explains why the scale will not move.
How to use the daily calories number
To lose weight, subtract fifteen to twenty per cent from TDEE, and no more. A deeper deficit speeds up muscle loss and drags your metabolic rate down. Hold it for two weeks, weigh yourself at the same time each morning, and read the weekly average rather than any single day. If that average has not moved, then drop a hundred calories or add daily steps. Also try the BMI calculator.
When the estimate stops explaining anything
If you have held a consistent deficit for eight weeks and your weight still has not moved, the problem is no longer arithmetic. Usually one of three things explains it: metabolic adaptation after long-term dieting, an underactive thyroid, or an intake estimate that misses cooking oil and drinks. A metabolic assessment and a thyroid panel answer two of those three with numbers.
Why two people the same size need different daily calories
Metabolic rate adapts to your dieting history. Therefore two people with identical height and weight can have real requirements that differ by several hundred calories. Someone who has spent years in and out of restriction typically sits lower than the formula predicts. That said, it is not a reason to eat less. Instead, treat the estimate as a hypothesis to test for two weeks. The Ministry of Health Malaysia publishes general guidance. Book a consultation.
Frequently Asked
Which formula is most accurate?
Mifflin-St Jeor is more accurate for modern populations than Harris-Benedict, though every formula gives an estimate.
How big a deficit is safe?
Fifteen to twenty per cent below TDEE. Deeper than that accelerates muscle loss.
Why is my weight not moving?
Usually the activity multiplier was set too high, or intake is being underestimated.
Start with one conversation
An initial consultation to understand your situation before any testing is recommended.
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