TDEE Calculator
Estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), maintenance calories, BMR, and daily calorie targets for losing, maintaining, or gaining weight.
Results
Enter your details and calculate to see your estimated daily calories.
What Is TDEE?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE, is an estimate of the total energy your body uses in a day. It includes your resting energy needs plus normal movement, daily activity, and exercise.
In practical terms, TDEE estimates how many calories you burn per day after accounting for both resting metabolism and your selected activity level.
TDEE and Maintenance Calories
TDEE describes your estimated calories burned per day. Maintenance calories describe approximately how many calories you would eat to match that expenditure.
For calculator purposes, estimated TDEE and estimated maintenance calories are approximately the same numerical value. Real body weight can still vary over time because both energy expenditure and food intake are estimates.
How Is TDEE Calculated?
This calculator uses a two-stage calculation. First, it estimates BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Then it multiplies that BMR by the selected activity factor. BMR represents estimated resting energy use before daily activity is included. If you want to estimate and explore resting energy expenditure on its own, use the BMR Calculator.
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 Levels Explained
Sedentary
Little or no exercise
1.20
Lightly active
Light exercise about 1-3 days per week
1.375
Moderately active
Moderate exercise about 3-5 days per week
1.55
Very active
Hard exercise about 6-7 days per week
1.725
Extra active
Very hard exercise, physical job, or intense training
1.90
Activity level is an estimate, and choosing the appropriate category can materially affect the calculated TDEE.
TDEE vs BMR
BMR estimates resting energy expenditure, while TDEE starts with estimated BMR and then accounts for activity. That makes TDEE more useful for estimating maintenance calorie needs.
BMR
- Resting energy needs: yes
- Daily activity: no
- Exercise: no
- Useful for maintenance calories: not by itself
TDEE
- Resting energy needs: included
- Daily activity: yes
- Exercise: yes
- Useful for maintenance calories: yes
Using TDEE to Lose, Maintain, or Gain Weight
Eating below estimated TDEE creates an estimated calorie deficit. Eating around estimated TDEE is a starting point for maintenance. Eating above estimated TDEE creates an estimated calorie surplus.
Weight loss
20% below TDEE
Maintain weight
TDEE
Weight gain
10% above TDEE
These targets are starting estimates, not promises of a specific rate of weight change.
How Accurate Is a TDEE Calculator?
A TDEE calculator estimates rather than measures energy expenditure. BMR is estimated from population-based equations, and activity level is also an approximation.
Two people with similar inputs can have different real-world energy expenditure. Treat the calculated number as a useful starting estimate rather than an exact calorie requirement. Body-weight trends over time can provide feedback about whether the initial estimate is too high or too low.
Example TDEE Calculation
Example inputs: male, age 30, weight 80 kg, height 180 cm, moderately active, activity multiplier 1.55.
Step 1 - Calculate BMR
= 1,780 calories/day
Step 2 - Calculate TDEE
= 2,759 calories/day
Step 3 - Estimate daily calorie targets
Weight loss
2,759 × 0.80 = 2,207.2
Displayed result: 2,207 calories/day
Maintenance
2,759 calories/day
Weight gain
2,759 × 1.10 = 3,034.9
Displayed result: 3,035 calories/day
The calculator rounds calorie results for display.