TDEE calculator
Your maintenance calories in ten seconds — plus cut and lean-bulk targets and the protein range that actually builds muscle.
| Goal | Calories | Expected pace |
|---|---|---|
| Cut (lose fat) | 2,178 kcal | ≈ 0.5 kg / 1 lb per week |
| Maintain | 2,678 kcal | Hold weight, recomp slowly |
| Lean bulk | 2,978 kcal | ≈ 1–2 kg / 2–4 lb per month |
Protein target while lifting: 120–165 g/day (1.6–2.2 g per kg of bodyweight). Formulas estimate — track your weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust by 100–200 kcal if it moves the wrong way.
How this calculator works
It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the formula with the best track record in validation studies, to estimate your basal metabolic rate — the calories you'd burn doing nothing all day. That number is multiplied by an activity factor to produce your TDEE. From there, fat loss and muscle gain are arithmetic: a 500 kcal daily deficit loses roughly half a kilo a week, a 300 kcal surplus supports lean gaining.
Be honest with the activity multiplier — it's the biggest source of error. Three gym sessions a week with a desk job is "Light", not "Moderate". When in doubt, pick the lower level and adjust upward if you're losing weight you meant to keep.
Calories are half the story — protein is the other half
For lifters, the research consensus is 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day (0.7–1 g per lb). Below that range, some of your training stimulus is wasted; above it, extra protein does no harm but buys little. The calculator prints your personal range under the results.
The classic sequence: pick your calorie target from the table, hit your protein number daily, train hard on a structured plan, and weigh yourself a few mornings a week. The 2–3 week trend — not any single day — tells you whether to adjust.
The training half is on us.
Calories set the budget — logged workouts spend it well. Track sets, PRs and weekly muscle coverage free with Liftrava.