What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure - the total number of calories your body burns each day, including resting metabolism and physical activity.
TDEE Calculator – Total Daily Energy Expenditure by Activity Level
Free TDEE calculator to find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, BMR, and daily calorie needs for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
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Health & Wellness Disclaimer
Calculations and estimates provided by this tool are for informational and educational purposes only. They are not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified physician or healthcare professional regarding any health condition or medical decision.
About this tool
TDEE is a widely used reference point in nutrition and training plans because it reflects your real-world energy balance - resting metabolism plus physical activity - rather than just body size. This calculator computes basal metabolic rate (BMR) using the clinically validated Mifflin-St Jeor equation (Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. 'A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals,' The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1990; 51(2): 241–247).
That baseline is then scaled using standardized Physical Activity Level (PAL) multipliers derived from the joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation on Human Energy Requirements (2004). Like any predictive formula, these figures provide evidence-based starting estimates rather than direct laboratory measurements; individual metabolism varies, and targets should be adjusted based on real-world progress.
TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure - is an estimate of the calories your body burns in a typical day, combining your resting metabolic rate with your activity level. This calculator computes it from your stats using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then shows calorie targets for weight loss and muscle gain - a formula-based estimate to use as a starting point, not a measured or medical value.
How to Use TDEE Calculator
Enter Your Stats
Add your gender, age, height, and weight.
Select Activity Level
Choose how active you are on a daily basis.
Calculate TDEE
The tool computes your BMR and TDEE instantly.
Get Calorie Goals
Review calories for weight loss, maintenance, and muscle gain.
Common Workflows
Get Your BMR and TDEE
Enter your gender, age, height, weight, and activity level to see BMR (Base Metabolic Rate) and TDEE (Maintenance) calculated instantly.
Choose a Conservative Activity Level
If you're between two activity levels, pick the lower one first - overestimating activity is the most common source of error in a TDEE estimate.
Get a Weight-Loss Calorie Target
Read the Weight Loss (-500 kcal) figure for a standard deficit that targets roughly 0.5 kg of loss per week.
Get a Muscle-Gain Calorie Target
Read the Muscle Gain (+300 kcal) figure for a modest surplus aimed at lean gain rather than a large bulk.
See the Impact of a Different Activity Level
Change the Activity Level dropdown and reread the result to see how much the estimate shifts between levels.
Best For
- Calculates BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by your selected activity level to estimate TDEE.
- Shows the TDEE for whichever Activity Level is currently selected - switch the dropdown to see how a different level changes the number.
- Gives calorie targets for weight loss (TDEE minus 500) and muscle gain (TDEE plus 300) alongside your maintenance TDEE.
Examples
Calculate BMR, TDEE, and calorie targets
Input
Gender Male, Age 25, Height 175 cm, Weight 70 kg, Activity Moderately Active (1.55x)Result
BMR 1,674 kcal/day, TDEE (Maintenance) 2,594 kcal/day, Weight Loss (-500 kcal) 2,094 kcal/day, Muscle Gain (+300 kcal) 2,894 kcal/dayBMR is calculated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation from gender, age, height, and weight; TDEE multiplies BMR by the 1.55 activity multiplier; the two goal targets are simple, fixed adjustments to TDEE.
Use Cases
Setting maintenance calories before a diet phase
Get a BMR-and-activity-based TDEE estimate to use as your starting maintenance calorie level.
Estimating a calorie deficit for gradual weight loss
Use the Weight Loss (-500 kcal) figure as a standard, moderate deficit target.
Checking how a change in activity level shifts your estimate
Switch the Activity Level dropdown to see how much TDEE moves between two levels you're deciding between.
Common Mistakes
Problem
Expecting all five activity levels to display at once
Solution
Only the currently selected Activity Level's TDEE is shown - change the dropdown to see a different level's number.
Problem
Overestimating your activity level
Solution
Picking a higher activity level than you actually sustain is the most common way this estimate ends up too high - when unsure, choose the lower of two levels you're considering.
Problem
Treating the result as an exact, measured number
Solution
Mifflin-St Jeor is a formula-based estimate - your actual maintenance calories can differ from the calculated TDEE, especially over time as your weight and activity change.
Problem
Using a TDEE calculated for one body composition to judge a very different one
Solution
The formula doesn't account for body-fat percentage - it can be less accurate for people with unusually high or low muscle mass relative to their height and weight.
Tips & Best Practices
Choose the lower activity level when you're unsure
Most desk workers who exercise a few times a week land between Lightly Active and Moderately Active - the lower option is the safer starting point to avoid an inflated estimate.
Treat the result as a starting point, then adjust from real tracking
Use the calculated TDEE as your first estimate, track your actual weight change over a few weeks at that calorie level, and adjust up or down based on what actually happens.
Recalculate as your weight changes
BMR depends on your current weight, so TDEE shifts as you lose or gain - recalculate periodically rather than relying on a single result long-term.
Don't eat below your BMR
Weight Loss (-500 kcal) is a moderate deficit from TDEE - eating consistently below your BMR (the Base Metabolic Rate figure) is generally considered too aggressive for sustained use and isn't a target this calculator produces.
Limitations
Shows one activity level at a time, not a side-by-side comparison
TDEE (Maintenance) reflects whichever Activity Level is currently selected. The five activity categories (1.2 to 1.9) reflect generalized Physical Activity Level (PAL) ratios from the FAO/WHO/UNU (2004) report; to compare different activity scenarios, switch the dropdown and reread the result.
No Katch-McArdle or body-fat-based formula
Only the Mifflin-St Jeor equation is used, based on gender, age, height, and weight - there's no body-fat percentage input or lean-mass-based calculation for users who know their body composition.
No macro breakdown
The calculator outputs calorie targets only - it doesn't split any target into protein, carbohydrate, or fat grams.
Fixed deficit and surplus amounts
Weight Loss is always TDEE minus a flat 500 kcal, and Muscle Gain is always TDEE plus a flat 300 kcal - there's no way to enter a custom deficit or surplus size.
No input validation or error messages
Entering an empty or non-numeric value in a stat field can produce a nonsensical result instead of a clear error message.
Formula-based estimate, not a measured value
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation was validated on 498 healthy adult men and women (Mifflin et al., 1990). While shown to estimate resting energy expenditure within ±10% for the majority of non-obese and obese adults, predictive accuracy decreases in populations outside the study cohort, including adolescents, pregnant or lactating individuals, and older adults or highly muscular athletes.
Comparisons
How Activity Level Changes the Same BMR
BMR stays fixed for your stats - only the activity multiplier changes TDEE and the calorie targets built from it.
| Sedentary (1.2x) | Moderately Active (1.55x) | |
|---|---|---|
| BMR (same stats) | 1,674 kcal/day | 1,674 kcal/day |
| TDEE (Maintenance) | 2,009 kcal/day | 2,594 kcal/day |
| Weight Loss (-500) | 1,509 kcal/day | 2,094 kcal/day |
Which should you use?
For the same 25-year-old, 175 cm, 70 kg profile, moving from Sedentary to Moderately Active adds 585 kcal/day to the estimate - a reminder that the Activity Level choice matters as much as the stats you enter.
FAQs
This is an estimate, not a measured or medical value - actual calorie needs vary by individual and change as your weight and activity change. The most common question is which activity multiplier to pick: most desk workers who exercise a few times a week land between Lightly Active and Moderately Active, and choosing the lower option is the safer starting point to avoid overestimating.
How is TDEE calculated?
TDEE is calculated by multiplying Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) by an activity multiplier. BMR is estimated using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (Mifflin et al., 1990, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition), and physical activity levels (PAL) are scaled using standardized multipliers based on FAO/WHO/UNU human energy requirements guidelines (2004).
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A standard dietary rule of thumb is a 500 kcal daily deficit below TDEE, mathematically targeting roughly 3,500 kcal per week (~0.45 kg or 1 lb of body mass). Real-world weight change varies by individual due to metabolic adaptation and body composition, so a 300 to 500 kcal deficit serves as a practical starting guideline rather than a medical prescription.
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