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TDEE Calculator

Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Get calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, and gain.

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Your Details

Your Results

BMR

1,737

cal/day

TDEE

2,389

cal/day

Weight Loss

1,889

-500 cal/day

Maintenance

2,389

Current TDEE

Weight Gain

2,889

+500 cal/day
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How to Use TDEE Calculator

  1. 1

    Enter your details

    Select gender, enter age, weight, and height.

  2. 2

    Choose activity level

    Select how active you are on a typical day.

  3. 3

    View BMR and TDEE

    See your Basal Metabolic Rate and Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

  4. 4

    See calorie targets

    Get calorie goals for weight loss, maintenance, or gain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories you burn per day, including your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and physical activity. It's the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is considered the most accurate BMR formula. For males: BMR = 10 * weight(kg) + 6.25 * height(cm) - 5 * age + 5. For females: BMR = 10 * weight(kg) + 6.25 * height(cm) - 5 * age - 161.

For safe weight loss, eat 500 calories below your TDEE to lose about 1 pound per week. Never eat below 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) without medical supervision.

Recalculate every 10-15 pounds of weight change, or whenever your activity level changes significantly. As you lose weight, your TDEE decreases.

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How TDEE Is Calculated

TDEE has two components: your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories your body burns at complete rest — multiplied by an activity factor. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation (1990) is the most accurate BMR formula for most people, outperforming the older Harris-Benedict equation (1919) by about 5%. Your BMR accounts for 60-75% of total daily calories, physical activity for 15-30%, and the thermic effect of food (digesting meals) for about 10%.

Activity Multipliers and Common Mistakes

The biggest source of error in TDEE calculation is overestimating activity level. "Moderately active" (1.55x multiplier) means 3-5 days of structured exercise per week plus a non-sedentary lifestyle. An office worker who exercises 3 times a week is "lightly active" (1.375x), not moderately active. The difference between these two levels can be 300+ calories — enough to stall weight loss completely if you eat based on the wrong estimate.

Adaptive Thermogenesis

Your TDEE is not fixed — it adapts to your caloric intake. During prolonged dieting, your body reduces non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): you fidget less, stand less, and move less unconsciously. This can reduce TDEE by 5-15% beyond what weight loss alone predicts. Conversely, in a calorie surplus, NEAT increases. This adaptive response is why TDEE should be recalculated regularly and treated as an estimate to be refined through real-world tracking of weight trends.