TDEE Calculator

What your TDEE is made of

Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) has four parts. They explain why two people with the same weight can need very different amounts of food.

BMR (basal metabolic rate): the energy your body uses at rest for breathing, blood flow, brain work and other organ functions. For most people this is the largest part of the day. See the BMR calculator guide.
NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis): energy for all movement that is not sport, such as walking to work, standing, cooking, cleaning and even fidgeting. NEAT changes a lot from person to person.
Exercise: planned activity such as gym workouts, running, cycling, yoga or sports.
Thermic effect of food (TEF): the energy used to digest and process food. For a mixed diet it is about 10% of the day's energy use (usually 5–15%). Protein needs more energy to digest than carbohydrate or fat.

The calculator does not measure each part separately. It estimates your BMR with an equation, then multiplies it by one activity factor that covers NEAT, exercise and TEF together.

The activity multipliers used by the calculator

Pick the level that matches a normal week, not your most active week. Choosing a level that is too high is a common reason for slow progress. The last column uses the BMR of the example below (1,370 kcal).

Activity levels in the Calorie Cal calculator
Activity level	Multiplier	Description in the calculator	TDEE when BMR is 1,370 kcal
Sedentary	1.2	Little or no exercise	1,644 kcal
Light	1.375	Exercise 1–3 days per week	1,884 kcal
Moderate	1.55	Exercise 4–5 days per week	2,124 kcal
Very active	1.725	Hard exercise 6–7 days per week	2,363 kcal
Extra active	1.9	Physical job plus training	2,603 kcal

You can also enter workout calories under Advanced options (Exercise burn). The calculator adds them to your TDEE before it applies your goal, so do not also choose a higher activity level for the same workouts.

Worked example: from BMR to daily targets

A 30-year-old woman is 165 cm tall, weighs 65 kg and exercises 4–5 days per week (Moderate). The calculator uses the default Mifflin-St Jeor equation:

Step 1, BMR: (10 × 65) + (6.25 × 165) − (5 × 30) − 161 = 1,370.25, rounded to 1,370 kcal.
Step 2, TDEE: 1,370 × 1.55 = 2,123.5, rounded to 2,124 kcal per day. This is her maintenance level.
Step 3, goal target: the calculator adds or subtracts a fixed amount from TDEE, as shown in the table.

Daily targets for this example (TDEE 2,124 kcal)
Goal	Change from TDEE	Daily target	Estimated weekly change
Maintain	0 kcal	2,124 kcal	No change
Mild loss	−250 kcal	1,874 kcal	About −0.5 lb (−0.23 kg)
Loss	−500 kcal	1,624 kcal	About −1 lb (−0.45 kg)
Gain	+300 kcal	2,424 kcal	About +0.6 lb (+0.27 kg)

The weekly estimates use the simple rule that about 3,500 kcal equals 1 lb of body weight. Real change usually becomes slower over time. The calorie deficit guide explains why.

Why TDEE is only an estimate, and how to adjust it

Equations are based on group averages. In a large review, Mifflin-St Jeor was the most reliable equation, but it still missed the measured value by more than 10% for some people. Muscle mass, genes, health and daily movement all affect your real needs. Your true maintenance can easily be about 10% higher or lower than the estimate. For the example above, that is roughly 1,910 to 2,340 kcal per day.

To find your real number, eat your target calories every day for 2–3 weeks. Weigh yourself each morning under the same conditions and compare weekly averages, not single days:

Your weight changes at about the expected rate: the estimate is close, so keep going.
You gain weight, or lose more slowly than expected: your TDEE is probably lower. Eat 100–150 kcal less per day.
You lose weight faster than expected: your TDEE is probably higher. Eat 100–150 kcal more per day.

The first week of a new diet often shows extra water loss, so judge the trend over at least two weeks. Recalculate when your weight or activity level changes. Learn more in What is TDEE?

Frequently asked questions

What is TDEE?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total calories you burn per day including BMR, activity, and exercise. It is your maintenance calorie level.

How do I calculate TDEE?

Multiply your BMR by an activity factor (1.2 sedentary up to 1.9 very active). Our free calculator does this instantly using Mifflin-St Jeor.

Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?

Yes. Eating at your TDEE should keep weight stable on average. Eat below TDEE for fat loss and above for gain.

Does my TDEE change from day to day?

Yes. You burn more on active days and less on rest days. The calculator gives an average for a normal week, so compare your food intake and weight as weekly averages.

Should I eat back the calories I burn in workouts?

Not if your activity level already includes those workouts. If you chose a lower level and want to count a specific session, enter it as Exercise burn in Advanced options. Fitness tracker numbers can be inaccurate, so use a careful estimate.

Does TDEE go down with age?

Usually a little. In the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, BMR goes down by 5 kcal per day for each year of age. Many people also lose muscle and move less as they get older. Strength training and daily walking can help keep your energy use higher.

Can I use this calculator during pregnancy or with a medical condition?

The equations are made for healthy adults. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, thyroid problems, diabetes and some medicines change energy needs. Please ask a doctor or registered dietitian for advice in these cases.

How TDEE is calculated

TDEE vs calorie deficit

Why our calculator is different