TDEE Calculator
Find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the calories you burn each day — from your BMR and activity level, plus calorie targets to lose, maintain or gain weight.
Your Details
TDEE — Maintenance Calories
2,649 kcal
BMR 1,709 kcal × 1.55 activity
2,149
Lose (−500)
2,649
Maintain
2,949
Gain (+300)
How It Works
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day — the number you eat at to maintain your weight. It starts from your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), the energy your body uses at complete rest to keep organs running, calculated here with the accurate Mifflin-St Jeor equation from your gender, age, height and weight. Your BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor that reflects how much you move: 1.2 for sedentary, up to 1.9 for very active or physically demanding lifestyles. The result is your maintenance calories. To lose weight, eat in a moderate deficit (commonly 250-500 kcal below TDEE for ~0.25-0.5 kg/week); to gain muscle, eat in a small surplus (~250-500 kcal above). This calculator shows your BMR, TDEE, and ready-made targets for weight loss, maintenance and gain, giving you the daily calorie number every nutrition plan builds on.
Formula
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor): men = 10w + 6.25h − 5a + 5; women = 10w + 6.25h − 5a − 161. TDEE = BMR × activity factor (1.2–1.9).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TDEE?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total calories you burn in a day, including your resting metabolism plus all movement and digestion. Eating at your TDEE maintains your current weight.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest just to stay alive. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor to include daily movement and exercise — so TDEE is always higher than BMR.
How do I use TDEE to lose weight?
Eat below your TDEE. A deficit of ~500 kcal/day yields roughly 0.5 kg loss per week; ~250 kcal/day is a gentler ~0.25 kg/week. This calculator shows both targets. Avoid very aggressive deficits.
Which activity level should I pick?
Be honest and slightly conservative: Sedentary (desk job, no exercise), Lightly active (1-3 workouts/week), Moderately active (3-5), Very active (6-7), Extra active (intense daily training or a physical job). Most office workers who exercise a few times a week are "Light" to "Moderate".
How accurate is the TDEE estimate?
The Mifflin-St Jeor BMR is one of the most accurate formulas for the general population, but activity multipliers are approximations. Use TDEE as a well-informed starting point and adjust based on your real-world weight change over 2-4 weeks.