TDEE Calculator

Overview

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total calories your body burns in 24 hours, including basal metabolism, daily activity, exercise, and the thermic effect of food (the energy used digesting what you eat). It's the central number for anyone managing weight, building muscle, or fueling endurance training. Eat at TDEE → weight stable. Eat below → lose. Eat above → gain. Most calorie-tracking apps use a TDEE estimate as the baseline target.

How to Use (Step by Step)

1. 1

   Fill in body stats

   Age, sex, height, weight. These compute your BMR — the calories your body burns at complete rest, which is the foundation of any calorie target.

2. 2

   Pick activity multiplier

   1.2 = sedentary, 1.55 = moderate exercise 3–5 days/week, 1.725 = hard daily training, 1.9 = manual labor or endurance training. Honesty matters here.

3. 3

   Use the result to plan

   TDEE is your maintenance number. Subtract 300–500 for fat loss, add 200–500 for lean gain. Adjust after 2–3 weeks based on actual results.

How It Works

TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier. BMR (basal metabolic rate) uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula based on age, sex, height, and weight. Activity multipliers range from 1.2 (sedentary desk job, no exercise) to 1.9 (heavy physical labor + daily intense training). Most office workers who exercise 3–5 times a week land around 1.55. The estimate is approximate (±10%) — adjust over 2–4 weeks by tracking actual weight change against intake.

When to Use This

Calculate TDEE when starting any nutrition program, after major weight changes (every 5 kg), or when changing exercise habits significantly. Athletes recalculate during training cycles — heavy training weeks need 300–500 more calories than recovery weeks. Anyone using macro tracking (specific protein/carb/fat targets) needs TDEE as the starting point.

Frequently Asked Questions