Science-Backed Formula (Mifflin-St Jeor)

TDEE & Calorie Deficit Calculator

Find your exact daily calorie and macronutrient targets for sustainable fat loss, muscle building, or weight maintenance.

Step 1: Your Profile Details
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
1758kcal/day

Calories expended at absolute rest just to maintain biological life.

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
2725kcal/day

Your true maintenance calories including exercise and daily movement.

Step 2: Choose Your Goal Target

Select your desired rate of progress to see your daily target and macro split.

Macronutrient Targets (2316 kcal)

Protein
203g35% of cals
Carbs
232g40% of cals
Fat
64g25% of cals
Ready to track towards 2316 kcal/day?Set this target directly into your Banana Vision meal tracker.
Open Tracker

How Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is Calculated

Your metabolism is made up of four distinct energy components:

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) ~60-70%

Resting Energy

Calories burned maintaining basic organ functions: heart beating, lungs breathing, brain activity, and cellular turnover.

2. NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity) ~15-20%

Daily Movement

Energy expended through subconscious daily activities: walking, standing, pacing, typing, and household chores.

3. Exercise Activity (EAT) ~5-10%

Workout Expenditure

Direct physical training sessions including weightlifting, running, cycling, swimming, and HIIT.

4. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) ~10%

Digestion Burn

The caloric cost of digesting and absorbing nutrients. Protein has the highest TEF (20-30%), burning up to a third of its calories in digestion!

Activity Level Multiplier Guide

Activity LevelMultiplierDescription
Sedentary1.20Desk job, <5,000 steps/day, little or no exercise.
Lightly Active1.375Light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week or 6,000-8,000 steps/day.
Moderately Active1.55Moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week or 8,000-11,000 steps/day.
Very Active1.725Hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week or physically demanding job.

Frequently Asked Questions About Calorie Deficits

Everything you need to know about food nutrition, tracking, and calories.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the baseline number of calories your body burns simply staying alive at rest (breathing, circulating blood, cell repair). Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is your BMR multiplied by your physical activity multiplier (daily steps, exercise, thermic effect of food). TDEE represents your true maintenance calorie level.
A moderate deficit of 15% to 20% below your TDEE (approx. 300 to 500 kcal/day) is optimal. This produces sustainable fat loss of 0.35kg to 0.5kg (0.75 to 1.1 lbs) per week while minimizing hunger, fatigue, and muscle loss.
We use the peer-reviewed Mifflin-St Jeor equation, widely recognized in clinical nutrition as the most accurate formula for estimating resting metabolic rate without direct calorimetry.
Use Banana Vision! Once you calculate your target, open the Banana Vision app and snap a photo of each meal. The AI estimates portion sizes, calculates calories and macros, and tracks your daily total against your goal.
Effortless Calorie Tracking

Ready to Hit Your Target Without Weighing Food?

Take a photo of whatever you eat. Banana Vision's AI computer vision calculates calories, macros, and portions automatically against your daily target.

Instant photo AI
Voice & text logging
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