TDEE Calculator: Calculate Your Maintenance Calories and Macro Targets

Your body burns calories every day through basic body functions, movement, exercise, and daily activities. The total amount of energy you burn in a typical day is called your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE.

Knowing your TDEE helps you estimate how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. From there, you can set a calorie target for losing weight, maintaining your weight, building muscle, or gaining weight.

Use the free Gori Calorie Calculator to estimate your maintenance calories and get a daily calorie and macro target based on your goal.

Calculate Your TDEE and Calorie Target

What Is TDEE?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It represents the estimated number of calories your body uses during a normal day.

Your TDEE includes energy used for:

• Resting and basic body functions
• Walking and everyday movement
• Exercise and physical activity
• Digesting food

Your TDEE is often used as your maintenance calorie estimate. If you consistently eat around your TDEE, your weight should generally stay around the same level.

What Are Maintenance Calories?

Maintenance calories are the estimated number of calories you need each day to maintain your current weight.

For example, if your estimated TDEE is 2,300 calories per day:

• Around 2,300 calories: maintain your weight
• Below 2,300 calories: create a calorie deficit and lose weight over time
• Above 2,300 calories: create a calorie surplus and gain weight over time

Your actual calorie needs vary based on your body, activity, and changes in weight. Treat your TDEE as a starting estimate and compare it with your weight trend over time.

How Does a TDEE Calculator Work?

A TDEE calculator first estimates your resting calorie needs using your age, sex, height, and weight. Gori uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for this estimate.

Your activity level then adjusts the estimate based on how active you are.

Gori gives you four activity options:

• Mostly sitting: desk days with little structured movement
• Lightly active: walking or 1–2 easy exercise sessions per week
• Active: training 3–5 days per week
• Very active: hard training or physical work

Choosing an activity level close to your normal routine helps produce a more useful estimate.

How Many Calories Should You Eat to Lose Weight?

Weight loss requires a calorie deficit. This means eating fewer calories than your body uses over time.

Gori's calculator sets a weight-loss target at about 500 calories below maintenance when the calculation allows it. This targets roughly 0.5 kg of weight loss per week.

For example:

Your results depend on your personal information and selected activity level. Gori also uses a 1,400-calorie floor for its weight-loss target.

How Many Calories Should You Eat to Gain Weight?

If your goal is to gain weight, you need to consistently eat more calories than you burn.

Gori uses a calorie surplus for its weight-gain target. The calculator sets this at about 15% above maintenance at the goal weight.

For example, if your maintenance calories are 2,400 calories, a 15% surplus would put your target around 2,760 calories per day.

Eating more calories gives your body additional energy to support weight gain. Combining your calorie surplus with adequate protein and resistance training is useful when your goal is to gain muscle rather than only increase body weight.

What About Building Muscle?

Building muscle and gaining weight are related goals, but they are not identical.

Gori provides a separate Build Muscle goal. It uses a slight calorie surplus of about 10% above maintenance and sets protein at 1.6 g per kg of body weight.

A small surplus helps provide additional energy while limiting unnecessary calorie intake. Resistance training is also an important part of a muscle-building plan.

What Are Macros?

Macros, short for macronutrients, are the three main nutrients that provide calories:

• Protein
• Carbohydrates
• Fat

Your calorie target tells you how much energy to eat. Your macro targets help you divide those calories between protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

Protein provides 4 calories per gram, carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, and fat provides 9 calories per gram.

Protein for Weight Loss

Protein is especially useful during weight loss because it helps you maintain lean mass while eating fewer calories.

Gori targets about 2.0 g of protein per kg of goal weight for its weight-loss calculation.

Protein for Muscle Building

For the Build Muscle goal, Gori uses a protein target of 1.6 g per kg.

This gives you a simple starting point for planning your daily protein intake alongside your calorie target.

TDEE vs. BMR

TDEE and BMR are different numbers.

BMR, or Basal Metabolic Rate, estimates the energy your body needs at rest.

TDEE includes your resting energy plus energy from your normal daily activity.

Think of it like this:

BMR = calories your body needs at rest

TDEE = BMR + daily activity

Your TDEE is the more useful number when deciding how many calories to eat for weight loss, maintenance, or weight gain.

How to Use Your TDEE Result

Once you calculate your TDEE, use it as the starting point for your nutrition goal.

If you want to lose weight

Choose Lose Weight.

Your calculator result gives you a calorie target below maintenance and a protein target designed for your goal.

If you want to maintain your weight

Choose Hold Weight.

Your calorie target stays around your estimated maintenance calories.

If you want to build muscle

Choose Build Muscle.

Your target uses a small calorie surplus and a protein target of 1.6 g per kg.

If you want to gain weight

Choose Gain Weight.

Your target uses a larger calorie surplus to support gradual weight gain.

Your TDEE Is an Estimate

A TDEE calculator gives you a starting number. Your actual calorie needs change based on factors such as your activity, body weight, and changes in body composition.

For example, two people with the same height and weight might burn different amounts of energy because their activity levels and body composition differ.

Use your calculated target consistently, then watch your weight trend over several weeks. If your progress does not match your goal, adjust your calorie intake.

Calculate Your Maintenance Calories

You do not need to manually calculate your BMR, activity adjustment, calorie deficit, or calorie surplus.

Use the Gori Calorie Calculator to enter your:

• Sex
• Age
• Height
• Weight
• Activity level
• Goal

The calculator then estimates your maintenance calories and gives you a daily calorie target for your selected goal. It also provides protein and macro targets to help you plan your diet.

Calculate Your TDEE and Macro Targets with Gori