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TDEE Calculator

Find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the calories you burn per day. The starting point for cutting, bulking, or maintaining.

Your TDEE

2,658cal/day

Calories you burn per day at your current activity level

BMR

1,715cal/day

Calories you burn at complete rest (Mifflin-St Jeor)

To cut (lose ~1 lb/wk)

2,158 cal/day

To bulk (lean gain)

2,958 cal/day

How TDEE is calculated

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in 24 hours. It has three components:

  • Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — about 60–70% of TDEE. The energy your body uses just to keep you alive: breathing, heart, brain, organs.
  • Activity — workouts, walks, daily movement, fidgeting (NEAT).
  • Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) — energy used digesting and absorbing the food you eat (~10% of intake).

This calculator estimates BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate predictive formula for the general population:

BMR (male)   = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
BMR (female) = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier

Using TDEE for your goal

  • Lose fat: eat 300–500 calories below your TDEE.
  • Maintain: eat at your TDEE.
  • Build muscle (lean bulk): eat 200–400 calories above your TDEE.

Track your bodyweight for 2–3 weeks at your calculated TDEE. If you're not seeing the change you want, adjust by ~100–200 calories and reassess.

TDEE FAQs

What is TDEE?+

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your resting metabolism (BMR), physical activity, and the energy used to digest food. Knowing your TDEE is the starting point for any nutrition plan — eat below it to lose weight, above it to gain.

How is TDEE calculated?+

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula to estimate your BMR, then multiplies by an activity factor (1.2 for sedentary up to 1.9 for very active athletes). The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is widely considered the most accurate predictive BMR formula for the general population.

How accurate is a TDEE calculator?+

A TDEE estimate is a starting point, not a precise number. Real expenditure varies based on muscle mass, NEAT (fidgeting, posture), sleep, stress, and metabolic adaptation. Use the number as a baseline, track your weight for 2–3 weeks, then adjust by ~100–200 calories.

What activity level should I pick?+

Be honest. Most people overestimate. If you sit at a desk and work out 3–4 times a week, "Lightly active" or "Moderately active" is usually right — not "Very active". Athletes training twice a day pick "Athlete".

Should I use my TDEE to lose weight?+

Yes. A safe deficit is 300–500 calories below TDEE, which yields roughly 0.5–1 lb of weight loss per week. Aggressive deficits (>1000 cal/day) can work short-term but make adherence and muscle preservation harder.

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