TDEE Calculator

Enter Your Details

Age

Gender

Height (cm)

Weight (kg)

Activity Level

BMR Estimation Formula

Metabolic Health

What Is TDEE?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the estimated number of calories your body burns in a full day from resting metabolism, daily movement, exercise, digestion, and normal body functions.

Your TDEE is useful because it gives you an estimate of maintenance calories. If your average calorie intake stays close to your TDEE, your body weight tends to remain stable.

Key Concepts

BMR vs. TDEE

A TDEE calculator starts with your resting calorie burn, then adjusts it for your daily activity level.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): BMR is the number of calories your body needs at rest to support basic functions such as breathing, blood circulation, body temperature, and organ function.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): TDEE is your total calories burned per day. It is usually higher than BMR because it includes movement, exercise, digestion, daily activity, and normal body functions.
Maintenance Calories: Maintenance calories are the estimated daily calories that keep body weight stable. In practice, TDEE is commonly used as the starting estimate for maintenance calories.

The Math

TDEE Formula

The calculator first estimates BMR, then multiplies it by an activity factor to estimate total daily calorie needs.

Core equation

\text{TDEE} = \text{BMR} \times \text{Activity Multiplier}

This converts resting calorie burn into estimated total daily calorie burn.

Mifflin-St Jeor equation

\begin{aligned} \text{Men: } \text{BMR} &= 10W + 6.25H - 5A + 5\\ \text{Women: } \text{BMR} &= 10W + 6.25H - 5A - 161 \end{aligned}

W is body weight in kilograms, H is height in centimeters, and A is age in years.

Katch-McArdle equation

\text{BMR} = 370 + (21.6 \times \text{Lean Body Mass})

This option can be useful when body fat percentage is known because it estimates needs from lean mass.

Activity Multipliers

How Activity Level Changes TDEE

After BMR is estimated, the selected activity level changes the final calorie target. Choosing the closest realistic level matters more than choosing the highest one.

Activity level	Description	Multiplier
Basal Metabolic Rate	No exercise activity added	1.00
Sedentary	Little or no exercise	1.20
Lightly active	Light exercise 1-3 days per week	1.375
Moderate	Exercise 4-5 times per week	1.465
Active	Daily exercise or intense exercise 3-4 times per week	1.55
Very active	Intense exercise 6-7 times per week	1.725
Extra active	Very intense exercise daily or a highly physical job	1.90

Weight Goals

Using TDEE for Weight Loss or Weight Gain

TDEE is the baseline. A calorie deficit is used for weight loss, while a calorie surplus is used for weight gain.

Weight loss target

\text{Weight Loss Calories} = \text{TDEE} - \text{Calorie Deficit}

A moderate deficit such as 250-500 calories per day is often easier to sustain than an aggressive deficit.

Weight gain target

\text{Weight Gain Calories} = \text{TDEE} + \text{Calorie Surplus}

A moderate surplus can support weight gain while helping limit unnecessary fat gain.

Accuracy

Common TDEE Mistakes

TDEE is a strong planning estimate, but it works best when you treat it as a starting point and adjust based on real progress.

Overestimating activity: Many people choose an activity level that is too high. A desk job with a few workouts per week may still be lightly active rather than very active.
Treating TDEE as exact: TDEE is an estimate, not a fixed number. Real calorie needs can shift with sleep, stress, steps, training volume, and non-exercise movement.
Ignoring weight changes: As body weight changes, calorie needs also change. Someone who loses weight often needs fewer calories than before.
Using extreme deficits: Very low calorie intake can be difficult to sustain and may not be safe for everyone. A moderate deficit is usually easier to keep while preserving muscle.

If body weight is not moving in the expected direction after two to four consistent weeks, adjust calories or activity gradually instead of making extreme changes.

TDEE Calculator FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

A TDEE Calculator estimates how many calories you burn per day based on your BMR and activity level.

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest. TDEE is the total number of calories your body burns in a full day, including activity.

Yes, TDEE is commonly used as an estimate of maintenance calories.

To estimate weight loss calories, subtract a calorie deficit from your TDEE. For example, Weight Loss Calories = TDEE - 500.

To estimate weight gain calories, add a calorie surplus to your TDEE. For example, Weight Gain Calories = TDEE + 250 to 500.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is a common default choice. If your body fat percentage is known, Katch-McArdle can also be useful because it uses lean body mass.

It gives a useful estimate, but it is not exact. Real calorie needs can vary based on activity, body composition, health, hormones, and lifestyle.

💡

💡 Have an Idea?

Can't find the calculator you're looking for or want to suggest improvements? Let us know and we'll build it for you!