TDEE Calculator

What is TDEE?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including basal metabolism, digestion, non-exercise activity, and exercise. It's the number you'd eat to maintain your current weight.

How TDEE is calculated

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, widely regarded as the most accurate formula for resting metabolism in healthy adults:

• Male BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) + 5
• Female BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) − 161

BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor to estimate TDEE:

• Sedentary (desk job, no exercise): BMR × 1.2
• Lightly active (1-3 days/week): BMR × 1.375
• Moderately active (3-5 days/week): BMR × 1.55
• Very active (6-7 days/week): BMR × 1.725
• Extra active (hard training + physical job): BMR × 1.9

Using TDEE for weight loss or gain

A pound of body fat is roughly 3,500 kcal, so a daily deficit of 500 kcal produces about 1 pound of weight loss per week. A 250 kcal deficit yields about 0.5 lb/week, a more sustainable pace. Surplus targets work the same way for lean-mass gain.

These numbers are estimates. Real-world results depend on sleep, stress, hormones, and measurement accuracy. Track your weight trend over 2-3 weeks and adjust calories up or down based on what actually happens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TDEE the same as BMR? No. BMR is the calories you'd burn at complete rest. TDEE includes everything else: movement, exercise, digestion. TDEE is always higher than BMR.

Which activity level should I pick? Most people overestimate. If you have a desk job and train 3-4x per week, "Lightly active" or "Moderately active" is usually closer than you'd think.

How accurate is this? Mifflin-St Jeor has a standard error of roughly ±10% for healthy adults. It's the best available estimate without lab testing, but treat the number as a starting point, not an absolute.