TDEE Calculator
Enter your sex, age, height, weight and activity level to see how many calories you burn per day and what to eat to lose, hold or gain weight.
Free, no sign-upRuns in your browserHow we calculate
Enables the Katch-McArdle formula.
- BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor)
- 1,783 kcal
- Per week
- 17,159 kcal
| Goal | Calories per day | Change per week |
|---|---|---|
| Lose 1 lb a week | 1,951 | -1 lb |
| Lose 0.5 lb a week | 2,201 | -0.5 lb |
| Maintain weight | 2,451 | 0 lb |
| Gain 0.5 lb a week | 2,701 | +0.5 lb |
| Gain 1 lb a week | 2,951 | +1 lb |
| Activity level | Factor | TDEE (kcal/day) |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary – Desk job, little or no exercise | × 1.2 | 2,139 |
| Lightly active – Light exercise 1–3 days a week | × 1.375 | 2,451 |
| Moderately active – Moderate exercise 3–5 days a week | × 1.55 | 2,763 |
| Active – Hard exercise 6–7 days a week | × 1.725 | 3,075 |
| Very active – Hard daily exercise plus a physical job | × 1.9 | 3,387 |
How this was calculated
- BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) = 1,783 kcal/day for 81.6 kg, 177.8 cm, 30 years.
- Activity factor for "Lightly active" = 1.375.
- TDEE = 1,783 × 1.375 = 2,451 kcal/day.
- A 500 kcal daily deficit over 7 days is 3,500 kcal, about 1 lb (0.45 kg) of body weight per week.
An estimate from a population formula, not medical or nutrition advice. Targets are never shown below 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men); talk to a doctor or dietitian before a large deficit.
How this TDEE calculator works
Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the number of calories you burn in a day, counting everything: the energy to keep your body running at rest, to digest food, and to move. This TDEE calculator first estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by an activity factor from 1.2 for a desk job with no exercise up to 1.9 for hard daily training plus a physical job. The result is your maintenance level: eat about this much and your weight should hold steady.
Worked example
A 30-year-old man who is 180 cm and 80 kg has a BMR of 10 × 80 + 6.25 × 180 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 1,780 kcal. If he exercises three to five days a week (× 1.55), his TDEE is 2,759 kcal per day. A 35-year-old woman who is 165 cm and 65 kg has a BMR of 1,345 kcal, and with light exercise one to three days a week (× 1.375) her TDEE is about 1,850 kcal. The table under the result shows the TDEE at all five activity levels so you can see what a change in routine is worth.
Turning TDEE into a goal
A pound of body weight is commonly taken as about 3,500 kcal, so a daily deficit of 500 kcal adds up to roughly a pound lost per week, and a 250 kcal deficit to half a pound. The same numbers in surplus describe gaining. In the example above, the man would aim for about 2,259 kcal a day to lose a pound a week. The rule overstates long-run change, because metabolism adapts as you lose weight, so treat the weekly figures as a starting estimate and adjust after two to three weeks of tracking.
The calculator never shows a goal below 1,500 kcal for men or 1,200 kcal for women. Smaller deficits are easier to sustain, and a very large one is best done with a doctor or dietitian.
Common mistakes
- Choosing too high an activity level. Three gym sessions a week on top of a desk job is "lightly active", not "very active". Overestimating activity is the most common reason a calorie target stops working.
- Treating TDEE as exact. The formulas are regressions, and real expenditure can differ by 10% or more between people of the same size. Use the number as a starting point and let the scale confirm it.
- Not updating it. TDEE falls as you lose weight and rises as you gain, so recalculate every 5 to 10 pounds.
For the resting figure alone, with three formulas compared, see the BMR calculator; to split your calories into protein, carbs and fat, use the macro calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
Total daily energy expenditure is the number of calories you burn in a day, including your resting metabolism, digesting food and all movement. It is also called your maintenance calories.
How is TDEE calculated?
Estimate BMR, then multiply by an activity factor: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 lightly active, 1.55 moderately active, 1.725 active, 1.9 very active. A BMR of 1,780 kcal at × 1.55 gives a TDEE of 2,759 kcal.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Eat 250 to 500 kcal below your TDEE for about 0.5 to 1 lb of loss per week. For a TDEE of 2,759 kcal, a 500 kcal deficit is 2,259 kcal a day.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what you burn at complete rest. TDEE is BMR multiplied by your activity level, so it is always higher; for most people it is 1.2 to 1.9 times their BMR.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
It is an estimate that can be 10% or more off for an individual. Track your weight for two to three weeks at the calculated intake and adjust by 100 to 200 kcal if it moves the wrong way.