TDEE Calculator
Estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — your estimated BMR adjusted for your activity level — to see roughly how many calories you burn per day and what to eat to maintain, lose or gain weight.
Calorie Targets by Goal
Calculation Breakdown
TDEE Calculator — Total Daily Energy Expenditure
Our TDEE Calculator estimates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — your estimated BMR adjusted for your activity level. Enter your age, height, weight and activity level to see your estimated BMR, TDEE, and calorie targets for maintaining, losing or gaining weight.
What Is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It represents the total number of calories you burn in a day: your estimated Basal Metabolic Rate (the energy your body needs at rest just to keep your organs functioning) adjusted for your activity level to account for the additional calories burned through daily movement, exercise, and digestion. Knowing your TDEE gives you a starting point for setting calorie targets, whether your goal is to maintain your current weight, lose fat, or build muscle.
How Is TDEE Calculated?
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, one of the commonly used equations for estimating resting energy expenditure:
- Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) + 5
- Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) − 161
If you enter your body fat percentage, the calculator switches to the Katch-McArdle formula instead, which estimates BMR from lean body mass rather than total weight:
- BMR = 370 + (21.6 × lean body mass in kg)
Your estimated BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor to estimate your TDEE:
| Activity Level | Description | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Little or no exercise, desk job | 1.2 |
| Lightly active | Light exercise 1-3 days a week | 1.375 |
| Moderately active | Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week | 1.55 |
| Very active | Hard exercise 6-7 days a week | 1.725 |
| Extra active | Very hard exercise or a physical job plus training | 1.9 |
How to Use the TDEE Calculator
- Choose your units — metric (kg/cm) or imperial (lb/ft-in).
- Select your sex, since the BMR formula differs between men and women.
- Enter your age, height and weight.
- Optionally add your body fat percentage if you know it, for a lean-mass-based alternative estimate.
- Choose your activity level from the dropdown, based on how much exercise you typically do in a week.
- Your estimated BMR, TDEE, and calorie targets for maintenance, weight loss and weight gain update automatically.
Using Your TDEE to Set Calorie Targets
Once you know your TDEE, you can adjust your calorie intake based on your goal. Eating at your TDEE tends to maintain your current weight, while a consistent calorie deficit tends to lead to weight loss and a consistent surplus tends to lead to weight gain. This calculator uses a commonly cited estimate of around 7,700 kcal per kilogram of body fat (roughly 3,500 kcal per pound) to translate a daily calorie deficit or surplus into an approximate rate of weekly change. This is a simplified estimate rather than an exact prediction, and actual results vary from person to person based on factors like water retention, muscle mass, hormones and adherence.
A Note on Very Low-Calorie Diets
Very low-calorie diets are not suitable or safe for everyone and should generally only be undertaken with appropriate medical or specialist supervision. If a calorie target from this calculator is particularly low, it may be flagged in the results table when it falls below your estimated BMR. This is only a comparison with your estimated resting energy needs, not a medically recommended minimum calorie intake. Large or sustained calorie deficits can affect energy levels, nutrient intake, and long-term metabolic health, so it’s worth speaking to a GP or registered dietitian before following a particularly low target.
TDEE vs BMR vs RMR — What’s the Difference?
- BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): Calories burned at rest, in controlled lab conditions, just to keep your body’s core functions running.
- RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate): Very similar to BMR but measured in less strict, more everyday conditions — typically slightly higher than BMR.
- TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure): Your estimated BMR adjusted for your activity level, covering all the extra calories burned through daily activity, exercise, and digesting food (thermic effect of food).
Limitations of TDEE Calculators
- Formulas like Mifflin-St Jeor are population averages and may be less accurate for people with very high or very low muscle mass, certain medical conditions, or those taking medications that affect metabolism.
- Activity multipliers are broad estimates. Actual daily movement (including non-exercise activity like walking and fidgeting) varies significantly between individuals.
- TDEE isn’t fixed — it changes as your weight, activity level, age and body composition change, so it’s worth recalculating periodically.
- These figures are a starting point for planning, not a substitute for personalised advice from a healthcare professional, particularly if you have an existing health condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good TDEE for weight loss?
There’s no single “good” TDEE — it depends entirely on your individual BMR, activity level, age, height and weight. For weight loss, a common approach is eating a moderate deficit below your own TDEE, such as 250-500 kcal a day less, rather than aiming for a specific number that works for everyone.
Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?
Yes, in this context TDEE and maintenance calories refer to the same thing: the estimated number of calories you would need to eat, on average, to keep your weight roughly stable given your current estimated BMR and activity level.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
TDEE calculators provide an estimate based on population-level formulas like Mifflin-St Jeor, which are generally considered reasonably accurate for most people but can be off by several hundred calories for any given individual. They’re best used as a starting point that you adjust over a few weeks based on your actual weight trend.
Should I use Mifflin-St Jeor or Katch-McArdle?
Mifflin-St Jeor is a reliable general-purpose formula that only needs your age, height, weight and sex. Katch-McArdle is an alternative that uses lean body mass directly rather than estimating it from height, weight and sex. If you know your body fat percentage reasonably accurately, it can be a useful alternative, particularly if you are very lean or very muscular — though neither formula is guaranteed to match your exact metabolism.
Why does BMR differ between men and women?
On average, men tend to carry more lean muscle mass and less body fat than women at the same height and weight, and muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation reflects this with a different constant for men and women.
How many calories should I eat to lose 0.5kg a week?
Using the commonly cited estimate of roughly 7,700 kcal per kilogram of body fat, a deficit of around 500 kcal a day below your TDEE works out to approximately 0.45-0.5 kg a week. This is an approximation rather than a guarantee, and actual weight change depends on many other factors.
Does TDEE change as I lose or gain weight?
Yes. As your body weight changes, your estimated BMR — and therefore your TDEE — changes too, since a lighter body generally requires fewer calories at rest. It’s a good idea to recalculate your TDEE every few weeks or after a noticeable change in weight or activity level.
What activity level should I choose if I have a desk job but exercise regularly?
Choose the activity level that reflects your structured exercise, not just your job. For example, someone with a desk job who does moderate exercise 3-5 days a week would typically select “Moderately active” rather than “Sedentary,” since the multiplier is meant to capture your overall weekly activity, not just your working hours.