TDEE Calculator for Women
The same calculator with the women's equation, the pregnancy and breastfeeding additions from the Dietary Reference Intakes, and the 1,200 kcal floor applied to any deficit.
Example result for a 35-year-old woman, 5 ft 5 in, 160 lb, lightly active. Enter your numbers to replace it.
Example TDEE (maintenance calories)
1,955 kcal/day
Estimated range 1,759 to 2,150 (±10%; the real gap can be larger) · about 13,683 kcal a week
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor): 10 × 72.6 kg + 6.25 × 165.1 cm − 5 × 35 − 161 = 1,422 kcal
TDEE = BMR × Lightly active (× 1.375): 1,422 × 1.375 = 1,955 kcal/day
To maintain your weight, eat about 1,955 kcal/day.
| Macro | Grams | % of calories | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 116 g | 24% | 1.6 g per kg of body weight |
| Fat | 54 g | 25% | 25% of calories |
| Carbs | 251 g | 51% | the rest |
| Level | Multiplier | TDEE |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | × 1.2 | 1,706 kcal |
| ▸ Lightly active | × 1.375 | 1,955 kcal |
| Moderately active | × 1.55 | 2,204 kcal |
| Very active | × 1.725 | 2,452 kcal |
| Extra active | × 1.9 | 2,701 kcal |
Each step is worth about 249 kcal a day. Picking one level too high is the most common reason a deficit does not work. How to choose.
Different number on another calculator? Here is why
| Formula | BMR | TDEE (× 1.375) |
|---|---|---|
| Mifflin-St Jeor (this site) | 1,422 | 1,955 |
| Harris-Benedict (revised 1984) | 1,479 | 2,033 |
| Katch-McArdle | needs your body fat % (enter it above) | |
- Activity step. One level down gives 1,706, one level up gives 2,204. Some sites use in-between multipliers (1.465) or a different scale (1.4 to 2.4), which moves the result by 100 to 300 kcal on its own.
- Units and rounding. 160.0 lb is 72.6 kg and 5 ft 5 in is 165.1 cm. A site that rounds to 80 kg and 175 cm shifts BMR by a few kcal; a site that rounds the multiplier shifts more.
- Body fat. Formulas that use lean mass give lower numbers for people with more body fat and higher numbers for lean, muscular people.
Differences of 100 to 200 kcal between calculators are normal and smaller than the error of the formula itself, which is at least ±10%. Why calculators disagree.
BMI 26.6 (overweight, CDC categories). BMI is not used in the calculation.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation has two versions that differ by one constant: men add 5, women subtract 161. For two people of the same height, weight and age, that is a 166 kcal gap in BMR and about 228 kcal in TDEE at the same activity level. The constant stands in for the average difference in lean mass; a woman with more muscle than average burns more than the equation says, which is what the optional body-fat field and the Katch-McArdle line in the results are for.
Average TDEE for women is lower than for men mainly because of body size and composition. That is also why deficits for women run into the 1,200 kcal floor more often: a smaller TDEE leaves less room to subtract from.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
The Dietary Reference Intakes add a fixed amount to the non-pregnant requirement, and the calculator applies the same figures when you choose a stage in the form:
| Stage | Added to TDEE |
|---|---|
| Pregnant, 2nd trimester | + 340 kcal/day |
| Pregnant, 3rd trimester | + 452 kcal/day |
| Breastfeeding, baby under 6 months | + 330 kcal/day |
| Breastfeeding, baby 7 to 12 months | + 400 kcal/day |
Example: a 30-year-old at 5 ft 5 in and 150 lb, lightly active, has a TDEE of 1,927 kcal; in the third trimester the estimate becomes 2,379 kcal. No addition is made for the first trimester, matching the guidelines. The calculator does not offer deficit targets during pregnancy; weight goals in pregnancy belong with your obstetric care, and the Dietary Guidelines put the breastfeeding figures at about 330 kcal in the first six months and 400 after that, which is already net of the fat stores most mothers draw on.
Menstrual cycle, menopause and PCOS
Resting metabolism rises slightly in the second half of the menstrual cycle and water weight swings by a few pounds; both are real and both are smaller than the ±10% error of the equation, so the calculator does not adjust for them. Weekly weight averages, not daily readings, are the way to see through the swings.
After menopause, lean mass tends to fall and TDEE with it, but there is no validated extra term to apply; the age term in the equation already lowers BMR each year, and resistance training is the lever that changes the trend. For PCOS, thyroid conditions and medications that affect weight, a formula cannot capture the individual effect. Use the estimate as a starting point and let the tracker show your real number after two to four weeks of logging.
How to calculate TDEE for a female, by hand
- BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161.
- Multiply by the activity factor: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 lightly active, 1.55 moderately active, 1.725 very active, 1.9 extra active.
- Add 340 or 452 kcal in the second or third trimester, or 330 or 400 kcal while breastfeeding, if they apply.
Convert first if you work in pounds and inches: divide pounds by 2.2046 and multiply inches by 2.54. The calculator above does all of it and shows each line.
Questions
Why is my TDEE as a woman lower than my partner's with the same stats?
The women's equation subtracts 161 where the men's adds 5, a 166 kcal difference in BMR that reflects the average gap in lean mass. If you know your body-fat percentage, enter it: the Katch-McArdle line in the results estimates from lean mass alone and ignores sex.
Is 1,200 calories enough for a woman?
It is the floor this calculator applies for deficits without medical supervision, not a target. Whether it is "enough" depends on your TDEE: for a TDEE of 1,600 it is a reasonable 400 kcal deficit; for a TDEE of 2,200 it is too aggressive and the calculator will suggest a slower rate instead.
Does breastfeeding burn calories?
Yes. The Dietary Reference Intakes estimate the energy cost of milk production at about 500 kcal a day in the first six months, of which roughly 170 kcal typically come from pregnancy fat stores, leaving about 330 kcal to add to intake. From seven months the addition is about 400 kcal.
By Alton Vieira · Updated . Estimates for healthy adults; not medical advice. How every number is calculated.
- Mifflin MD et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990.
- Kominiarek MA, Rajan P. Nutrition recommendations in pregnancy and lactation. Med Clin North Am. 2016 (PMC5104202), citing the Dietary Reference Intakes for energy.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005.