What TDEE means
Total daily energy expenditure is the number of calories your body uses in a full day. It is made up of four parts. Basal metabolic rate (BMR), the energy needed to keep your organs working at rest, is usually 60 to 70% of the total. The thermic effect of food, the energy used to digest what you eat, adds about 10%. Exercise activity covers planned workouts, and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) covers everything else: walking, standing, fidgeting, doing chores.
Because NEAT and exercise vary so much between people, two people with the same BMR can have very different TDEEs. A delivery worker on their feet all day can burn 800 kcal more than an office worker of the same size.
The formula behind this TDEE calculator
This tool estimates BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and multiplies it by an activity factor. The factors come from long-standing research on energy expenditure: 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 for lightly active, 1.55 for moderately active, 1.725 for very active and 1.9 for extra active. For example, a 30-year-old woman who is 165 cm and 60 kg has a BMR of 10 × 60 + 6.25 × 165 − 5 × 30 − 161 = 1,320 kcal. If she is lightly active her TDEE is about 1,320 × 1.375 = 1,815 kcal a day.
Underneath your result you will find a table showing your TDEE at every activity level. This makes it easy to see how much difference a more active routine would make, and to plan different intakes for training days and rest days.
How accurate is a TDEE estimate?
Equations are averages. Studies comparing Mifflin-St Jeor with lab measurements find it is within 10% for most healthy adults, but some people sit further from the average because of genetics, muscle mass or hormones. The activity multiplier adds more uncertainty. The most reliable way to find your real TDEE is to treat the calculator as a first guess: eat at that level for two to three weeks, weigh yourself several times a week, and look at the trend. If your weight is stable you have found your TDEE. If it is drifting, adjust by about 100 to 200 kcal and repeat.
Using TDEE for your goals
Once you know your TDEE you can set a target. Eating 10 to 20% below it is a common, sustainable range for fat loss. Eating 5 to 10% above it, together with resistance training, supports muscle gain with limited fat gain. Athletes often eat at TDEE during heavy training blocks to maintain performance. The calorie calculator on this site turns your TDEE into ready-made loss and gain targets, and the BMR calculator lets you compare resting estimates from three different formulas.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the energy you burn at complete rest. TDEE is BMR plus the energy used for digestion, daily movement and exercise, so it is always higher.
Which activity level should I choose?
Pick the level that matches your typical week, including your job. Most office workers who exercise a few times a week fall between lightly and moderately active.
Does TDEE change as I lose weight?
Yes. A smaller body burns less energy, so your TDEE falls as you lose weight. Recalculate after every 4 to 5 kg (about 10 lb) of change.
Should I eat back exercise calories?
If you chose an activity level that already includes your workouts, do not add exercise calories on top, or you will double count them.