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TDEE Calculator · Day-by-day estimator

TDEE Calculator

Find out exactly how many calories your body burns every day, so you have the information you need to make confident decisions about your nutrition and training.
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TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your resting metabolism, daily movement, exercise and the energy used to digest food. Knowing your TDEE gives you a reliable baseline for understanding your own energy needs, regardless of your health or fitness goals.
TDEE Calculator
Enter your details below to find out how many calories your body burns each day. Takes under 60 seconds.
Your weight right now, before any changes.
Used in the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.
Metabolic rate changes gradually with age.
Required for accurate BMR calculation.
Choose the level that best describes your typical week. Most people are lightly active.
Please fill in all fields before calculating.
Your TDEE at Every Activity Level
Recommended Calorie Intake by Goal

How to Use Your TDEE

Your TDEE is a useful reference number. Here is what each output from the calculator means. Your TDEE is the starting point for understanding your own energy balance. It tells you approximately how many calories your body uses across a full day at your current activity level. Think of it as your body’s baseline energy budget. Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the portion of your TDEE that your body uses just to keep you alive at rest: breathing, circulation, temperature regulation and organ function. For most people, BMR makes up 60 to 70 percent of their total TDEE. The activity multiplier accounts for everything on top of that: walking, exercise, standing, and even the energy your body uses to digest food (called the thermic effect of food). This is why two people with identical BMRs can have very different TDEE numbers depending on how active they are in their daily lives. The calculator also shows you TDEE values at different activity levels. This can be useful if your activity varies week to week, or if you are planning to change your routine and want to understand how that might affect your energy needs.

What is TDEE?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the scientific term for the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. It is made up of four components. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the largest component, accounting for roughly 60 to 70 percent of TDEE for most people. It is the energy your body uses to maintain basic biological functions while at complete rest: keeping your heart beating, your lungs breathing, your brain functioning and your body temperature stable. Physical Activity accounts for roughly 15 to 30 percent of TDEE. This includes intentional exercise like gym sessions, running or sport, as well as everyday movement like walking to work, climbing stairs and household tasks. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy burned through all movement that is not formal exercise. Fidgeting, standing, typing, cooking — all of these contribute to your daily energy expenditure in ways that are easy to underestimate. The Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) accounts for the remaining 5 to 10 percent. Your body uses energy to digest, absorb and metabolise the food you eat. Protein has the highest thermic effect of the three macronutrients, which is one of the reasons high-protein diets are often associated with improved body composition. Understanding TDEE is useful because it gives you an accurate picture of your own energy needs. Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle, improve athletic performance or simply understand your body better, knowing your TDEE helps you make more informed nutritional decisions.

How is TDEE Calculated?

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which has been validated in multiple peer-reviewed studies as the most accurate widely-available formula for estimating BMR. A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association compared several BMR equations and found Mifflin-St Jeor to be the most accurate for the majority of people. The Mifflin-St Jeor formula calculates BMR as follows: For men: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age) + 5 For women: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age) – 161 Your TDEE is then calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor that corresponds to your typical daily activity level. These multipliers range from 1.2 for sedentary individuals to 1.9 for people with very physically demanding lifestyles. The result is an estimate accurate to within 5 to 10 percent for most people. Because individual metabolism varies due to genetics, hormones and body composition, no formula can be perfectly accurate for every person. The best way to verify your TDEE is to track your food intake consistently for 2 to 3 weeks at the calculated level and observe how your weight responds.
TDEE calculator showing estimated daily calorie needs based on activity level and body stats

Activity Level Multipliers Explained

Use the table below to understand which activity level applies to you. Most people overestimate their activity level. When in doubt, choose one level lower than you think and adjust based on results.
Activity Level Multiplier Who It Applies To
Sedentary 1.2 Desk job, very little movement outside of work. No intentional exercise.
Lightly Active 1.375 1 to 3 light workouts per week. Otherwise mostly sitting.
Moderately Active 1.55 3 to 5 workouts per week. Active job or daily walking above 7,000 steps.
Very Active 1.725 6 to 7 hard training sessions per week or a physically demanding job.
Extremely Active 1.9 Hard daily training plus a physical job. Athletes in heavy training blocks.
Source: Activity multipliers based on the Harris-Benedict equation revision by Frankenfield et al. (2005), Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Use Your TDEE with These Tools

Body Recomposition Calculator

Use your TDEE to find your macro targets for losing fat and building muscle at the same time.
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Macro Calculator for Fat Loss

Turn your TDEE into a precise protein, carb and fat target for a fat loss phase.
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BMR Calculator

Calculate just your Basal Metabolic Rate without the activity multiplier.
Open Calculator

Walking Weight Loss Calculator

See how walking affects your TDEE and what it means for your weekly energy balance.
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TDEE Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions

What does TDEE stand for?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period, including your resting metabolism, all physical activity and the energy used to digest food.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest to maintain basic biological functions. TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor that accounts for your daily movement and exercise. TDEE is always higher than BMR. For most people, TDEE is 20 to 60 percent higher than their BMR.
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research shows is the most accurate widely-available formula for estimating daily calorie needs. Studies suggest it is accurate to within 5 to 10 percent for most people. Individual metabolism varies due to genetics, hormones and body composition, so treat the result as a well-researched starting point rather than an exact figure.
The most reliable way to verify your TDEE is to eat at the calculated level consistently for 2 to 3 weeks and observe how your weight responds. If your weight stays stable, your TDEE estimate is reasonably accurate. If you are gaining, your actual TDEE is likely lower than calculated. If you are losing, it is likely higher.
Yes. Your TDEE changes as your weight, age and activity level change. Losing or gaining significant amounts of weight changes your BMR because there is more or less tissue for your body to maintain. Becoming more or less active changes the activity multiplier component. It is worth recalculating your TDEE every 2 to 3 months or any time your circumstances change significantly.
Different calculators use different underlying formulas. The most commonly used are the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the Harris-Benedict equation and the Katch-McArdle formula. Each produces slightly different results. This calculator uses Mifflin-St Jeor because peer-reviewed research supports it as the most accurate of the standard equations for the general population.
Absolutely. Your TDEE simply tells you how much energy your body uses. You do not need a specific goal to find it useful. Many people calculate their TDEE just to better understand their own physiology, to fuel their training appropriately, or to make sure they are eating enough to support their health and energy levels.
BMI (Body Mass Index) is a ratio of weight to height used as a rough screening tool for weight categories. TDEE is an estimate of daily calorie expenditure. They measure completely different things. TDEE is generally considered more practically useful for nutrition planning because it is directly related to energy rather than a weight-height ratio.
DISCLAIMER
This calculator provides an estimate of your Total Daily Energy Expenditure based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and standard activity multipliers. Results are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical or nutritional advice. Individual calorie needs vary based on factors including health status, medications, and body composition. If you have questions about your nutritional needs, please consult a registered dietitian or qualified healthcare professional.