TDEE Calculator: Total Daily Energy Expenditure
Your TDEE is the number of calories you burn in a day. Enter your details and activity level to estimate it and see what to eat to maintain, lose or gain.
What is TDEE?
Total daily energy expenditure is everything you burn in 24 hours: basal metabolism (keeping organs running), digestion, daily movement and workouts. It is the number your maintenance calories are built on. Eating at TDEE keeps weight stable; every 500 calories below it equals roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss per week.
TDEE vs BMR
BMR (basal metabolic rate) is what you burn lying still, awake, fasted — usually 60–70% of TDEE. TDEE = BMR × activity factor. Typical factors: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light (1–3 sessions/week), 1.55 moderate (3–5), 1.725 very active (6–7), 1.9 extremely active or physical job. Most people overestimate their activity by one step; if in doubt, pick the lower one.
How to calculate TDEE for women and men (formula)
Mifflin-St Jeor: men BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age + 5; women BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height − 5×age − 161. Multiply by the activity factor. Example: a 30-year-old woman, 165 cm, 65 kg, moderately active → BMR ≈ 1,370, TDEE ≈ 2,120 calories.
Using your TDEE to lose weight
Subtract 10–20% (roughly 250–500 calories) from TDEE for a sustainable deficit, keep protein high and re-run the calculator every 5 kg (10 lb) lost, because TDEE falls as weight falls. The calorie deficit calculator does the subtraction and estimates your goal date.
Sources
- Mifflin MD et al., Am J Clin Nutr 1990 (PubMed 2305711) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2305711/
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans (current edition) — https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/
- CDC, Losing weight — https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/losing-weight/index.html
This calculator is educational and not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or are under 18, ask a clinician before changing your diet.
What the result tells you
Your total daily energy expenditure — about how many calories you burn in a day, including activity. Eat around this to maintain weight.
How to use it
- Use it as your maintenance line: subtract to lose, add to gain.
- Pick the activity level that reflects a typical week, not your hardest day.
- Recalculate every 4–6 weeks as weight and training change.
Recommendations
- To lose fat, subtract about 300–500 kcal/day; to gain, add about 200–300.
- Your real burn varies day to day — treat this as an average.
- Compare it against your actual intake and weight trend to fine-tune.
Health & wellbeing
This is an estimate for healthy adults. Big, sudden calorie cuts rarely stick — change gradually and watch your energy and mood.
Troubleshooting
Looks too high or low? Re-check activity level — it's the biggest swing factor — plus height, weight, age, and units.
How it’s calculated
Resting energy comes from Mifflin–St Jeor, then an activity factor scales it to your total daily burn.
TDEE = resting energy × activity factor.
Resting energy = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5 (men) or − 161 (women). Factors: 1.2 sedentary to 1.9 very active.
Source: Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al., 1990.
Common questions
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
Within about ±10% for most healthy adults; the activity factor is the biggest source of error. Confirm with two weeks of tracking.
Why is my TDEE lower than I expected?
Smaller bodies, older age and desk jobs all lower it. It also drops after dieting for several months.
Should I use TDEE or BMR to set my calories?
TDEE. Never eat below BMR for long without medical supervision.