Calculate Total Daily Energy Expenditure(TDEE)
Result
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How TDEE Is Calculated
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is an estimation of how many calories you burn per day when exercise is taken into account. It's calculated by first figuring out your Basal Metabolic Rate, and then multiplying that value by an activity multiplier.
Since your BMR represents how many calories your body burns when at rest, it is necessary to adjust the numbers upwards to account for the calories you burn during the day. This is true even for those with a sedentary lifestyle. Our TDEE calculator uses the best formulas and displays your score in a way that's easy to read and meaningful.
The formulas behind the numbers
Basal Metabolic Rate (Mifflin-St Jeor)
BMR is the energy your body spends just staying alive — breathing, circulation, cell repair. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is the most accurate predictive formula for healthy adults, landing within about 10% of measured BMR for roughly 80% of people.
Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
Activity multiplier
BMR only covers you at rest. Multiplying it by an activity factor accounts for everything else you do in a day — walking, training, work, even digestion.
TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier
Body Mass Index
BMI is a quick screen for whether your weight sits in a healthy range for your height. It says nothing about body composition, so a muscular build can read high without being unhealthy.
BMI = weight(kg) ÷ height(m)²
Calories to lose or gain weight
One kilogram of body fat holds roughly 7,700 calories. Eating 500 calories a day under your TDEE puts you about half a kilogram down per week; eating 500 over does the reverse. Sustained loss beyond 1 kg/week should be supervised by a doctor.
Target calories = TDEE ± daily deficit or surplus
0.25 kg/week ≈ 250 cal/day 0.5 kg/week ≈ 500 cal/day 1 kg/week ≈ 1,000 cal/day
Activity multipliers
| Activity level | What it looks like | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job, little or no exercise | × 1.2 |
| Lightly active | Light exercise 1–3 times a week | × 1.375 |
| Moderately active | Exercise 4–5 times a week | × 1.55 |
| Active | Daily exercise, or intense exercise 3–4 times a week | × 1.725 |
| Very active | Intense exercise 6–7 times a week, or a physical job | × 1.9 |
These figures are estimates produced by a predictive equation, not a medical measurement. Individual metabolism varies. Speak to a doctor or a qualified nutritionist before making a large change to how much you eat, especially if you are pregnant, managing PCOS or a thyroid condition, or have any other medical condition.
TDEE — frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including everything from resting metabolism to exercise and digestion. Eat at your TDEE and your weight holds steady; eat under it and you lose weight, over it and you gain.
How is TDEE calculated?
First your Basal Metabolic Rate is calculated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation from your gender, age, height and weight. That BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor between 1.2 (sedentary) and 1.9 (very active) to arrive at your TDEE.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation lands within about 10% of measured resting metabolic rate for roughly 80% of healthy adults. Treat the number as a starting point: track your weight for two to three weeks and adjust your intake up or down based on what actually happens.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A deficit of 500 calories a day below your TDEE works out to around half a kilogram of weight loss per week. Going lower gets you there faster but is harder to sustain and risks losing muscle. Men should not drop below 1,500 calories a day and women below 1,200 without medical supervision.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what your body burns at complete rest, purely to keep you alive. TDEE is BMR plus everything else — walking around, working, training, digesting food. TDEE is always the larger of the two and is the number to plan your eating around.
Should I recalculate my TDEE as my weight changes?
Yes. Weight is an input to the formula, so as you lose or gain, your TDEE moves with it. Recalculating every 4–5 kg of change keeps your calorie target honest.