TDEE Calculator — Total Daily Energy Expenditure
This calculator provides estimates for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Results may vary based on individual factors. Consult a healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or exercise routine.
What is TDEE and why does it matter?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It combines three components: your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories burned at rest, the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) — energy used to digest meals, and your physical activity — from walking to the gym to fidgeting at your desk.
Your TDEE is the single most important number for any nutrition goal. Eat at your TDEE to maintain weight. Eat below it to lose weight. Eat above it to gain. Every successful diet — whether keto, intermittent fasting, or simple calorie counting — works because it creates a deficit below your TDEE.
How TDEE is calculated
First, we calculate your BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation - the formula the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends for both normal-weight and obese adults. It replaced the 1919 Harris-Benedict equation, which overestimates modern populations by around 5%. Your BMR depends on your weight, height, age, and gender. Then we multiply your BMR by an activity factor that reflects how much you move throughout the day.
| Activity Level | Factor | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Office job, minimal 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 | Athlete or physical labor job |
Using TDEE for weight loss
The right deficit depends on your size: aim to lose 0.5-1% of your body weight per week, which works out to roughly 250-750 calories a day below your TDEE. Slower rates preserve more muscle. Our lose-weight target is floored at your estimated BMR - not because eating below BMR is physiologically dangerous in itself, but because the BMR estimate carries around 150 calories of error, and going under it makes lean-mass loss and nutrient shortfalls more likely.
For the most accurate results, use your calculated TDEE as a starting point and let real-world change be the judge: if the scale is not moving as expected, adjust by 100-200 calories. Then recalculate every 4 weeks or every 5% of body weight lost, whichever comes first. TDEE calculators are estimates - your body is the final judge.
Once you know your TDEE, use our Macro Calculator to divide those calories into protein, carbs, and fat. Or see your full weight loss timeline with the Weight Loss Calculator. Not sure about your baseline? Check your BMR first.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. It includes your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the thermic effect of food (digestion), and all physical activity. TDEE is the number you need to eat at to maintain your current weight.
How do I calculate my TDEE?
TDEE is calculated by first finding your BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (based on weight, height, age, and gender), then multiplying by an activity factor: 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 for lightly active, 1.55 for moderately active, 1.725 for very active, or 1.9 for extremely active.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Aim to lose 0.5-1% of your body weight per week, which usually means eating 250-750 calories below your TDEE depending on your size. Our calculator sizes the deficit to your body weight rather than using a fixed 500 calories for everyone, and floors the target at your estimated BMR - not because dipping below BMR is automatically harmful, but because the estimate itself carries around 150 calories of error, and eating under it makes muscle loss and nutrient shortfalls more likely.
How accurate is TDEE?
Less accurate than most calculators admit. Validated against gold-standard measurement, even the best formulas land within 10% of true expenditure for fewer than half of people, and they underestimate on average. Individual variation comes from genetics, muscle mass, hormones, and non-exercise activity (fidgeting, posture). Treat your calculated TDEE as a starting estimate, then adjust based on your real-world weight change.
What is the difference between TDEE and BMR?
BMR is calories burned at complete rest — just to keep your body alive. TDEE includes BMR plus all additional calories burned through daily movement, exercise, and digesting food. For a sedentary person, TDEE is about 20% higher than BMR. For very active people, TDEE can be 70-100% higher.
Should I eat back my exercise calories?
If your TDEE already accounts for your exercise level, no — those calories are already included. If you calculated TDEE at sedentary and exercise separately, you can add back 50-75% of exercise calories (trackers tend to overestimate). The safest approach: set your activity level honestly and eat at your TDEE minus your desired deficit.
Formulas and scientific references Mifflin-St Jeor equation (1990) for resting metabolic rate, multiplied by a physical activity level (PAL) between 1.2 and 1.9.
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
- 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
- Prado-Novoa O, Howard KR, Laskaridou E, et al. Validity of predictive equations for total energy expenditure against doubly labeled water. Scientific Reports, 2024;14:15754
This calculator gives a general educational estimate, not medical or individualized nutrition advice. Prediction equations are wrong by more than 10% in roughly 1 in 3 people.