TDEE Calculator
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure free online. Find your daily calorie needs based on weight, height, age, and activity level instantly.
How to Use TDEE Calculator
- 1Select your biological sex (Male or Female).
- 2Enter your age, height, and weight using metric (cm/kg) or imperial (ft/lbs) units.
- 3Choose your activity level from the dropdown (Sedentary to Extremely Active).
- 4Click Calculate to see your BMR, TDEE maintenance calories, and goal-based targets.
- 5Use the Copy button to save your calorie summary.
About TDEE Calculator
Our TDEE Calculator helps you find exactly how many calories your body burns per day. Enter your stats and activity level to get your maintenance calories, plus custom targets for weight loss, gain, or maintenance. Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate BMR formula available.
How TDEE Calculator Works
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period, including your resting metabolism, the energy cost of digesting food (thermic effect of food), and all physical activity. Our TDEE calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate — the calories you would burn if you stayed completely still all day — and then multiplies that by an activity factor that accounts for how much you move. The Mifflin-St Jeor formula was derived from a 1990 study and is consistently rated the most accurate general-purpose BMR predictor in clinical literature, outperforming the older Harris-Benedict equation by about 5%. Once you have your TDEE, the logic for reaching any body composition goal becomes straightforward: eat at your TDEE to maintain weight, create a calorie deficit to lose fat, or eat above TDEE to support muscle growth. The calculator also breaks down recommended macronutrient splits for each goal so you can set up your diet with precision.
Male BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) + 5
Female BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) − 161
TDEE = BMR × Activity MultiplierExample: 30-year-old woman, 65 kg, 165 cm, moderately active
- BMR = (10 × 65) + (6.25 × 165) − (5 × 30) − 161
- BMR = 650 + 1031.25 − 150 − 161 = 1,370 kcal/day
- Activity multiplier (Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week) = 1.55
- TDEE = 1,370 × 1.55 = 2,124 kcal/day
Maintenance calories ≈ 2,124 kcal/day · Fat loss target ≈ 1,624 kcal/day (500 kcal deficit)
Reference Data
Activity Level Multipliers (Mifflin-St Jeor)
| Activity Level | Multiplier | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Desk job, little or no 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 | Physical job + hard daily exercise or twice-daily training |
Daily Calorie Targets by Goal (based on TDEE)
| Goal | Calorie Target | Expected Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggressive fat loss | TDEE − 750 kcal | ~0.7 kg/week | Not recommended below 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 for men |
| Moderate fat loss | TDEE − 500 kcal | ~0.45 kg/week | Most sustainable deficit for most people |
| Mild fat loss | TDEE − 250 kcal | ~0.23 kg/week | Ideal when close to goal weight |
| Maintenance | TDEE | No change | Keep weight stable |
| Lean muscle gain | TDEE + 200 kcal | ~0.1–0.2 kg/week | Minimises fat gain during bulk |
| Muscle gain | TDEE + 400 kcal | ~0.2–0.4 kg/week | Suitable for beginners or returning lifters |
Who Uses This Tool and Why
- ✓Individuals cutting or bulking in the gym use TDEE to set precise calorie targets that move body weight at a predictable rate.
- ✓Registered dietitians and nutritionists use TDEE estimates as a starting point when designing personalised meal plans for clients.
- ✓Athletes preparing for competition use their TDEE alongside their training log to ensure energy availability does not drop too low, risking RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport).
- ✓People recovering from eating disorders work with their clinical team to use TDEE as a benchmark for establishing a healthy, adequate food intake.
- ✓Researchers and health-app developers use TDEE calculations to power adaptive calorie recommendations that adjust as users log exercise.
Limitations & Practical Tips
Known Limitations
- •TDEE calculators provide an estimate, not a measurement. Individual variation in metabolism can mean your true TDEE is 10–15% higher or lower than the formula predicts.
- •Activity multipliers are imprecise — "moderately active" means different things to different people, and the multipliers were derived from populations that may not reflect your lifestyle.
- •The Mifflin-St Jeor formula was validated in adults aged 19–78 and may be less accurate for very lean athletes (tends to underestimate) or those with significant obesity (may overestimate).
- •Metabolic rate decreases with prolonged caloric restriction (adaptive thermogenesis), meaning your TDEE will drop during a long diet even if your activity stays the same.
- •Hormonal conditions like hypothyroidism, PCOS, or insulin resistance can lower effective TDEE, meaning the formula's output will overestimate how many calories you can eat without gaining weight.
Tips for Best Results
- →Treat your TDEE as a starting hypothesis. Track your weight daily for two weeks while eating at your calculated TDEE — if you gain, you ate too much; if you lose, your real TDEE is higher than the formula estimated.
- →Recalculate your TDEE every 4–6 weeks as you lose or gain weight, since your BMR changes as your body composition changes.
- →Use a food scale when tracking calories, at least initially. Studies show most people underestimate their intake by 20–50% using volume estimates alone.
- →On rest days, your TDEE is genuinely lower — many people use calorie cycling (eating less on rest days) to maintain a weekly deficit while still fuelling hard training days.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is TDEE and why does it matter?
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including exercise and daily activity. Knowing your TDEE lets you set a calorie target — eat at TDEE to maintain weight, below it to lose, or above it to gain.
- What formula does this TDEE calculator use?
It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, widely considered the most accurate BMR formula for most adults. BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor (1.2 to 1.9) based on your exercise level to produce your TDEE.
- How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A 500 calorie daily deficit below your TDEE will produce roughly 1 pound (0.45 kg) of fat loss per week. A 250 calorie deficit is a gentler approach for 0.5 lb/week. Deficits larger than 1000 calories per day are generally not recommended without medical supervision.
- Is TDEE the same as BMR?
No. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories burned at complete rest — just to keep organs functioning. TDEE includes BMR plus all the energy you burn through movement and exercise. TDEE is always higher than BMR.
- How accurate is the TDEE estimate?
The Mifflin-St Jeor formula is accurate within ±10–15% for most people. Individual variation in metabolism, genetics, and body composition means your real TDEE may differ from the estimate. The best approach is to treat the output as a starting point and adjust based on 2 weeks of real tracking.
- What activity level should I select?
Choose the level that best describes your average week. Sedentary (1.2) means a desk job with little walking. Lightly active (1.375) means 1–3 days of light exercise. Moderately active (1.55) means 3–5 days of proper gym sessions or cardio. Very active (1.725) means intense training 6–7 days. Extremely active (1.9) means daily hard training plus a physically demanding job.
- How many calories do I need to build muscle?
A modest calorie surplus of 200–400 calories above your TDEE ("lean bulk") supports muscle growth while minimising fat gain. Beginners and those returning after a break may gain muscle in a deficit initially. Increase calories more aggressively only if you are an experienced lifter who is gaining strength but not size.
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Last updated: May 2, 2026 — TDEE Calculator by CalcDash.