TDEE Calculator: Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs
TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is the calories you burn in a full day: your resting burn plus digestion, daily movement and exercise. It is your maintenance number. A moderately active 28-year-old man of 75 kg and 178 cm burns about 2,678 kcal a day; a 30-year-old woman of 65 kg and 165 cm, about 2,124. Enter your details for yours.
Enter Your Details
Estimate your daily baseline & total energy turnover
To maintain your current body weight at your current activity level, your body requires approximately 2,678 calories per day.
What Is TDEE and How Is It Calculated?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a full 24-hour day, including rest, digestion, and movement. It is calculated by taking your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the energy your body needs just to stay alive at complete rest — and multiplying it by an activity multiplier that reflects how much you move day to day. Eating below your TDEE produces a calorie deficit and weight loss; eating above it produces a surplus and weight gain.
The Four Components of TDEE
TDEE is not one single measurement — it's the sum of four separate energy costs your body pays every day:
Calories burned keeping your heart beating, lungs breathing, and organs functioning while completely at rest.
Calories burned from everyday movement that isn't structured exercise: walking, fidgeting, standing, chores.
Calories your body spends digesting, absorbing, and processing the food you eat. Protein has the highest thermic cost.
Calories burned during deliberate workouts and structured training sessions.
Physical Activity Multipliers Used in This Calculator
After calculating BMR, this calculator multiplies it by one of five activity levels to estimate TDEE:
| Activity Level | Multiplier | Typical Lifestyle |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | × 1.2 | Desk job, little or no exercise |
| Lightly Active | × 1.375 | Light exercise 1–3 days/week |
| Moderately Active | × 1.55 | Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week |
| Very Active | × 1.725 | Hard exercise 6–7 days/week |
| Extremely Active | × 1.9 | Physical job or twice-daily training |
Worked example using the form defaults
The calculator opens on a 28-year-old man who weighs 75 kg and is 178 cm tall, with Moderately Active selected (× 1.55). Mifflin-St Jeor puts his BMR at (10 × 75) + (6.25 × 178) − (5 × 28) + 5 = 750 + 1,112.5 − 140 + 5 = 1,727.5 kcal. This page rounds that to 1,728 before the activity multiply. 1,728 × 1.55 = 2,678.4, which prints as 2,678 kcal — the figure shown before you change an input.
Switch only the activity to Lightly Active (× 1.375) and 1,728 × 1.375 prints 2,376 kcal, about 300 kcal less. The macro calculator multiplies the unrounded 1,727.5, so the same lightly active choice there prints 2,375. Moderate activity is 2,678 on both. The equation did not change. Choosing an activity level that is too high is usually a bigger miss than swapping BMR formulas. A desk job plus a few gym days is not Very Active. The formula comparison shows why the activity multiplier dominates the error, and the NEAT guide covers the everyday movement that multiplier is meant to stand in for.
TDEE for women
The equation changes one constant: −161 instead of +5. A 30-year-old woman who weighs 65 kg and is 165 cm tall has a BMR of 1,370 kcal. Her TDEE is about 1,644 kcal if sedentary, 1,884 if lightly active and 2,124 if moderately active. The same height, weight and age give a man a higher number, because of that constant.
Sedentary or lightly active?
Pick the level that describes your whole week, not your best day. Gym sessions add less than most people expect: four 45-minute weight sessions average roughly 113 kcal a day for a 75 kg person, less than half the 240 to 300 kcal gap between sedentary and lightly active for the two example people. For the opening man, sedentary is 2,074 kcal and lightly active is 2,376. If you are unsure, start one level lower and adjust from your weight trend.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
It is a good starting estimate, not a measurement. Mifflin-St Jeor came out best in a 2005 review because it was within 10% of measured resting metabolism for more people than the other common equations, yet in one study of 150 adults about a quarter of the differences in BMR between people could not be explained by body size or age. The activity level adds more uncertainty. Eat at your TDEE for two to three weeks and adjust from your average weight, as the formula comparison's 21-day check explains.
12-Week Projected Weight Trajectory
A straight-line estimate at 7,700 kcal per kilogram. Real weight change is usually slower and less even: water shifts week to week, and TDEE falls as weight falls. A surplus adds weight, not only muscle.
Target Macronutrient Distribution
Calibrated for 2,678 kcal/day maintenance
4 kcal/g • Muscle repair & high satiety
4 kcal/g • Cellular energy & glycogen fueling
9 kcal/g • Hormone production & cell integrity
Daily Meal & Recipe Planner
Portions are scaled to your daily calorie target. Food values are typical averages, so protein, carb and fat totals will not match the split above exactly. Allergen filters only check the names of foods in this planner. Always read labels.
No filters active.
TDEE Formulas Compared
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation by default. A 2005 systematic review found it estimated resting metabolic rate within 10% of measured values more often than the other equations it tested. The full formula comparison covers five equations side by side.
The most widely recommended equation for healthy adults. In a 2005 review it was more likely than the others tested to land within 10% of measured values.
Calculates BMR directly from Lean Body Mass: 370 + (21.6 × LBM in kg). Useful when you have a reliable body-fat estimate.
The 1919 equation as revised by Roza and Shizgal in 1984. It tends to read a little higher than Mifflin-St Jeor for many adults.
Guides
Mifflin-St Jeor, Katch-McArdle, Harris-Benedict, Cunningham and Oxford on the same person, and why the activity level moves the result more than the formula.
NEAT vs CardioHow much walking, standing and chores add to TDEE compared with workouts, with the research behind it.
Reverse DietingWhat happens to energy expenditure after a diet, and how to return to maintenance calories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TDEE and why does it matter?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. Knowing your TDEE is essential because eating below it produces weight loss, while eating above it yields weight gain.
How often should I recalculate my TDEE?
You should recalculate your TDEE every 5 to 10 lbs (2 to 5 kg) of weight change or whenever your training frequency or daily step count changes significantly.
How is TDEE calculated?
TDEE is calculated as BMR × Physical Activity Level (PAL). BMR is estimated using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age) + 5 for men (-161 for women). The form’s starting inputs — a 28-year-old man, 75 kg, 178 cm, moderately active (× 1.55) — start from a Mifflin-St Jeor result of 1,727.5 kcal. This page rounds that to 1,728 before multiplying, so TDEE prints as 2,678 kcal. The same person at lightly active (× 1.375) is 2,376 kcal.
What is the difference between TDEE and BMR?
BMR is the baseline calories burned at complete rest to keep organs functioning. TDEE includes all daily movement, exercise, and digestion, and is always higher than BMR.
How many calories should I eat to lose fat?
Start from your TDEE and eat less than it. A deficit of 300 to 500 kcal a day is a common starting point. The Lose Fat option on this page subtracts 500 kcal, which works out to about 1 lb (0.45 kg) a week at 7,700 kcal per kilogram. Real loss is usually less even than that, so judge it by your average weight over two to three weeks. The calculator will not set a target below your BMR.
Is a TDEE calculator accurate?
It is an estimate. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation used here was within 10% of measured resting metabolism more often than other common equations in a 2005 review, but individuals can be further off, and the activity level adds more error. Track your weight for two to three weeks at your TDEE and adjust.
Should I pick sedentary or lightly active?
Pick the level that matches your whole week. A desk job with a few short workouts is often closer to sedentary or lightly active than to moderately active. If unsure, choose the lower level and adjust from your weight trend.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1990;51(2):241–247.
- Roza AM, Shizgal HM. The Harris Benedict equation reevaluated: resting energy requirements and the body cell mass. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1984;40(1):168–182.
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005;105(5):775–789.
- McArdle WD, Katch FI, Katch VL. Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (Katch-McArdle equation).
- Hall KD. What is the required energy deficit per unit weight loss? International Journal of Obesity. 2008;32(3):573–576.
- Johnstone AM, Murison SD, Duncan JS, Rance KA, Speakman JR. Factors influencing variation in basal metabolic rate include fat-free mass, fat mass, age, and circulating thyroxine but not sex, circulating leptin, or triiodothyronine. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005;82(5):941–948.
Results are estimates for healthy adults, not medical advice. See the medical disclaimer and how these calculators work.