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TDEE calculator.

Find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the calories you need each day to maintain, lose, or gain weight.

Biological sex

This calculator provides an estimate. Individual results vary based on genetics, hormones, muscle mass, and other factors. Consult a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet.

Activity Level Reference

Sedentary

Desk job, no exercise, minimal movement

× 1.2

Lightly active

Light exercise or sport 1–3 days/week

× 1.375

Moderately active

Moderate exercise or sport 3–5 days/week

× 1.55

Very active

Hard exercise or sport 6–7 days/week

× 1.725

Extra active

Very hard daily exercise or physical job (e.g. construction, athlete)

× 1.9

How to calculate your TDEE

TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure — is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including everything from breathing and digesting food to walking, exercising, and thinking. Knowing your TDEE is the foundation of any science-based approach to weight management: eat fewer calories than your TDEE to lose weight, eat more to gain weight, or match it to maintain.

How TDEE is calculated

TDEE is estimated in two steps:

  • Step 1 — Find your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): the calories you burn at complete rest. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate widely-used formula.
  • Step 2 — Multiply by an activity factor: TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equations

Male: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) + 5
Female: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) − 161

Activity level multipliers

  • Sedentary (×1.2): Desk job, little to no exercise.
  • Lightly active (×1.375): Light exercise 1–3 days per week.
  • Moderately active (×1.55): Moderate exercise 3–5 days per week.
  • Very active (×1.725): Hard exercise 6–7 days per week.
  • Extra active (×1.9): Very hard exercise, physical job, or training twice a day.

Using TDEE for weight management

  • Weight loss: Eat 300–500 calories below your TDEE for a safe, sustainable deficit of about 0.5–1 lb per week. Avoid cutting more than 1,000 calories below TDEE — extreme deficits can cause muscle loss, fatigue, and metabolic slowdown.
  • Maintenance: Eat at your TDEE to maintain your current weight. This is useful for athletes who want to perform without gaining or losing.
  • Weight gain / muscle building: Eat 250–500 calories above your TDEE. Pair with strength training to ensure the extra calories build muscle rather than fat.

Why TDEE estimates aren't perfect

TDEE calculators provide an estimate based on population averages. Individual metabolism varies due to genetics, body composition, hormones, sleep quality, and stress levels. Use your TDEE as a starting point, then adjust based on real-world results. If you're eating at your calculated TDEE and your weight changes, adjust your calorie intake by 100–200 calories and reassess after two weeks. Check your BMI periodically to track overall progress.

Frequently asked questions.

What is TDEE?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, accounting for your basal metabolic rate (BMR) plus all physical activity. It is the most important number for managing weight: eat below your TDEE to lose weight, above it to gain weight, and at it to maintain.

What is BMR and how is it different from TDEE?

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body needs at complete rest — just to keep organs functioning, breathe, and maintain body temperature. TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier. Most people's TDEE is 1.2–1.9× their BMR depending on how active they are.

What formula does this calculator use?

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is the most accurate BMR formula for most people according to research. Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5. Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161. TDEE = BMR × activity factor.

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

A deficit of 500 calories per day below your TDEE creates approximately 0.45 kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week. A 1,000 calorie daily deficit leads to about 0.9 kg (2 lb) per week. Most health professionals recommend staying above 1,200 calories/day for women and 1,500 for men to avoid nutrient deficiencies.

What activity level should I choose?

Sedentary: desk job, little or no exercise. Lightly active: light exercise 1–3 days/week. Moderately active: moderate exercise 3–5 days/week. Very active: hard exercise 6–7 days/week. Extra active: very hard daily exercise or a physically demanding job (construction, athletics). Most office workers fall into Sedentary or Lightly Active.

Why does TDEE change as I lose weight?

As you lose weight, your body is smaller and requires fewer calories to maintain itself — both your BMR and your TDEE decrease. This is why weight loss often plateaus: the same calorie intake that created a deficit at a higher weight no longer creates one at a lower weight. Recalculate your TDEE every 4–6 weeks if actively cutting.

How accurate is TDEE calculation?

Calculated TDEE is an estimate with roughly ±10–15% accuracy for most people. Factors like muscle mass, genetics, hormones, sleep, and stress affect real-world calorie burn. Use the calculated TDEE as a starting point, track your weight for 2–3 weeks, and adjust calories up or down by 100–200 based on the trend.

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