TDEE calculator
Estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and daily calorie needs for maintaining, losing, or gaining weight.
What is TDEE?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the number of calories your body burns in a full day — not just lying still, but living your actual life. It's built from four pieces: your BMR (energy at complete rest), the thermic effect of food (energy spent digesting), non-exercise movement like walking and fidgeting, and any structured exercise on top. TDEE is the single most useful number for setting a calorie target, because it's the actual baseline you're gaining, losing, or maintaining weight around.
BMR vs. TDEE
BMR answers "how much would I burn today if I didn't get out of bed?" TDEE answers "how much will I actually burn today?" — BMR multiplied by an activity factor. That's why two people with an identical BMR can have very different TDEE numbers: a desk job versus a physically active one can easily be a 500–800 calorie gap.
How activity level changes the number
The activity multiplier is where most of the estimate's uncertainty lives. It's meant to capture your whole week, not just workout days — someone who trains hard four days but sits the rest of the week usually lands closer to "Light" or "Moderate" than "Very active." When in doubt, pick the lower option and adjust upward if your weight trend runs faster than expected.
Using TDEE to lose, maintain, or gain weight
Eating at your TDEE maintains weight. A sustained deficit below it drives loss; a sustained surplus above it drives gain — roughly 7,700 kcal per kilogram (3,500 kcal per pound) of body weight change. The goals table below converts your TDEE into common targets so you don't have to do that math by hand.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories you burn in a day, including your basal metabolic rate plus calories burned through activity, exercise, and digestion.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the energy your body burns at complete rest just to stay alive — breathing, circulation, cell repair. TDEE takes that BMR and multiplies it by an activity factor to account for movement, exercise, and daily life on top of it. TDEE is always the larger number.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A deficit of about 500 calories per day below your TDEE typically leads to roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss per week. Avoid deficits larger than 20–25% of TDEE for sustainable results — bigger cuts tend to backfire through muscle loss and rebound hunger.
What formula is used to calculate BMR here?
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is generally considered more accurate than the older Harris-Benedict formula for most adults.
How accurate is a TDEE estimate?
Formula-based TDEE is an estimate, typically within about 10% of your true number — everyone's metabolism varies slightly due to genetics, muscle mass, and hormones. Treat the result as a starting point, then adjust up or down based on how your actual weight trend responds over 2–3 weeks.
Should I recalculate my TDEE as I lose or gain weight?
Yes. TDEE depends on your current weight and activity level, so it drops as you lose weight and rises as you gain. Recalculating every 5–7 kg (10–15 lb) of change, or every few months, keeps your target realistic.
Do I need to hit my calorie target exactly every day?
No — what matters is your average intake over a week or two, not any single day. Weekly totals smooth out normal day-to-day variation from social meals, weekends, or hunger levels.