TDEE Calculator: Total Daily Energy Expenditure
Estimate the calories you burn each day from your basal metabolic rate plus activity. Use the result as the starting line for cutting, bulking, or maintaining.
Your TDEE
- BMR
- 1,783 kcal
- Activity ×
- 1.550
- Cut target
- 2,263 kcal
- Lean gain
- 3,013 kcal
Worked examples
How TDEE is calculated
Total Daily Energy Expenditure is your basal metabolic rate (BMR) multiplied by an activity factor. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for BMR, which is the formula clinical dietitians and modern research consistently rank as the most accurate for the general population.
Mifflin-St Jeor:
Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
Then TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier. The multipliers we use range from 1.2 for sedentary office workers up to 1.9 for athletes training twice a day. These come from population studies and they are estimates, not absolutes, your real number could be 10% above or below the calculator's output.
How to use your TDEE
Your TDEE is the starting line, not the destination. Use it like this:
- Want to lose fat? Eat 300–500 kcal below TDEE per day. Expect roughly 0.5–1 lb (0.2–0.5 kg) of fat loss per week.
- Want to maintain? Eat at TDEE and adjust if the scale trends in either direction over four weeks.
- Want to build muscle? Eat 200–300 kcal above TDEE, train hard, and accept that lean gains are slow.
Whatever the goal, weigh yourself the same way every morning, average the readings over seven days, and compare week to week. The day-to-day noise is mostly water, food in transit, and glycogen, none of it is fat.
Worked examples
Example 1. Sarah is 28, 165 cm, 65 kg, and works at a desk with three Pilates classes a week. BMR ≈ 1,396 kcal; TDEE at 1.375 ≈ 1,920 kcal. For a slow cut she eats 1,520 kcal and tracks weekly average bodyweight.
Example 2. Marcus is 42, 183 cm, 95 kg, lifts four times a week and walks 10k steps a day. BMR ≈ 1,884 kcal; TDEE at 1.725 ≈ 3,250 kcal. He eats 2,750 kcal aiming to drop body fat while keeping strength.
Example 3. Dan is 30, 178 cm, 82 kg, plays rec football twice a week, lifts twice. BMR ≈ 1,810 kcal; TDEE at 1.55 ≈ 2,805 kcal. He's bulking and eats 3,050 kcal, adjusting if weekly weight gain exceeds 0.5 lb.
Common mistakes
- Picking too high an activity level. Most people overrate themselves by one tier.
- Trusting watch calories. Wearables overestimate exercise calories by 20-30%.
- Recalculating too often. Give a new target 14 days before changing anything.
- Eating back exercise calories. Your activity multiplier already includes them.
- Forgetting to update as you change. Recalculate every 10 lb / 5 kg of bodyweight change.
FAQ
What does TDEE mean?+
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period from all sources combined: your resting metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, exercise, and non-exercise activity.
Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?+
In practice, yes. Eat at your TDEE and bodyweight should remain stable over a few weeks. Any difference is just terminology.
Which activity level should I pick?+
Be honest and skew lower. Most desk workers who exercise 3-4 times a week are 'moderate', not 'active'. If your weight changes faster than expected, drop one level and recalculate.
How accurate is the TDEE calculator?+
It usually lands within 5-10% of reality for most people. Activity factors are population averages, so confirm with 10-14 days of consistent eating and weighing yourself the same way every morning.
Why does my number look high?+
If you're sedentary 22 hours a day, the multiplier matters more than people assume. Recheck your activity level and remember that exercise calories from watches and gym machines are typically overestimated by 20-30%.
Do I have to recalculate as I lose weight?+
Yes. Every 10 lb / 5 kg of weight change, your BMR and therefore TDEE shift noticeably. Recalculate every month or so during a fat loss phase.
Related calculators
- Macro CalculatorTurn a calorie target into clear protein, carb, and fat grams. Pick a goal and we handle the math, including a sensible protein floor.
- Calorie Deficit CalculatorPick a realistic weekly fat loss rate and see the daily calorie target that gets you there without wrecking your training.
- BMR CalculatorFind the calories your body burns at complete rest using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the modern gold standard for BMR estimation.
- Protein Intake CalculatorGet a daily protein target in grams based on bodyweight, activity level, and whether you're cutting, maintaining, or building muscle.
- Body Fat CalculatorEstimate body fat percentage with the US Navy tape method. All you need is a soft tape measure and one minute.
- Ideal Weight CalculatorGet a healthy weight range using BMI plus the classic Devine and Robinson formulas. Useful as a sanity check, not a verdict.
- One Rep Max CalculatorEstimate your one rep max from a set you've already done, plus a full percentage table for programming your next block.
- Lean Body Mass CalculatorEstimate the weight of everything in your body that isn't fat, muscle, bone, organs and water, using the Boer and Hume formulas.
- Water Intake CalculatorGet a personalized daily water target based on bodyweight, activity, and climate, in cups, ounces, or liters.
- Strength Standards CalculatorEnter a lift and your bodyweight to see where you rank, from untrained to elite, plus exactly how much more you need for the next level.
- Powerlifting Score CalculatorEnter your bodyweight and best squat, bench and deadlift to get your DOTS and Wilks scores, the standard way to compare strength across weight classes.
- Race Time PredictorEnter a recent race time and distance to predict your finish time and pace at another distance, using the proven Riegel formula.
- FFMI CalculatorEstimate your fat-free mass index from weight, height and body fat to gauge your muscularity and where you sit relative to natural limits.
- Reverse Dieting CalculatorPlan a gradual week-by-week calorie increase after a cut, easing from your current intake back up toward maintenance while limiting fat regain.
- Weight Loss Timeline CalculatorSee how long it takes to reach your goal weight at a given calorie deficit, with a week-by-week curve and an estimated goal date.
- Calories Burned CalculatorEstimate the calories you burn for an activity and duration, based on your bodyweight and the activity's intensity.
- Heart Rate Zone CalculatorFind your max heart rate and five personalized training zones using the Karvonen method, so you train at the right intensity for your goal.
- Keto Macro CalculatorGet keto-friendly daily macros, low carbs, moderate protein, high fat, based on your calorie target and goal, with a sensible carb cap.
- Body Recomposition CalculatorGet calorie and high-protein targets designed to lose fat and gain muscle at once, with optional higher-calorie training days and lower rest days.
Related guides
- How to Calculate Your Macros for Fat Loss (Complete Guide)A complete, no-fluff walkthrough for setting calories and macros that actually produce fat loss without trashing performance.
- How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight?A practical answer with the math, the trade-offs of aggressive vs slow deficits, and the calories most people actually need.
- TDEE Explained: How Your Body Burns CaloriesWhat TDEE actually is, the four components that make it up, and why two calculators can give you different numbers.