TDEE Calculator

What Is TDEE?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a full day. It has four components: your basal metabolic rate (BMR, the energy of simply being alive, roughly 60–70% of the total), the thermic effect of food (digestion, ~10%), exercise activity, and NEAT — non-exercise activity like walking, fidgeting, and chores, which varies enormously between people. Your TDEE is the single most useful number in nutrition: eat near it to maintain weight, below it to lose, above it to gain. For a full walkthrough with a worked example, read our guide: How to Calculate TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

How TDEE Is Calculated

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate your BMR, then multiplies it by an activity factor:

• Men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
• Women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161

Example: a 30-year-old woman weighing 150 lbs (68 kg) at 5'5" (165 cm) has a BMR of about 1,410 calories. Lightly active, her TDEE is roughly 1,410 × 1.375 ≈ 1,940 calories per day.

How to Use Your TDEE

• To maintain weight: eat around your TDEE. Our maintenance calorie calculator is built for exactly this.
• To lose weight: subtract 300–500 calories for steady fat loss of 0.5–1 lb per week. Get your exact target with the calorie deficit calculator.
• To gain weight: add 250–500 calories, prioritizing protein and strength training so the gains are mostly muscle.

Related Calculators

• BMR Calculator — calories burned at complete rest
• Maintenance Calorie Calculator — the intake that holds weight steady
• Calorie Deficit Calculator — daily target for fat loss
• How to Calculate TDEE — our in-depth guide with a worked example
• Body & Nutrition Calculators — browse the full collection

Related Guides

• TDEE Explained: How to Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — What Total Daily Energy Expenditure means, how each component is calculated, and how to use it as the anchor for every calorie goal.
• BMR vs TDEE: What's the Difference and Which Number Should You Use? — The difference between the two numbers everyone confuses, how each is calculated, and which one to use for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
• Maintenance Calories Explained: How to Find and Use Yours — How to find your true maintenance calories, verify the estimate against your weight trend, and use it as the base for any goal.
• How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau — 9 proven strategies, from recalculating your TDEE to diet breaks that restart fat loss.
• Why You're Not Losing Weight in a Calorie Deficit — 7 reasons the scale stalls, from tracking errors to water retention, plus the fix sequence.
• Maintenance Calories Explained: What They Are and How to Use Them — What maintenance calories are, why the number drifts, and how to use it as the baseline for cutting or bulking.
• Reverse Dieting: How to Eat More Without Regaining Weight — The week-by-week protocol for adding calories back after a cut, who it suits, and how to set your ceiling.
• Calories Burned Walking: Chart by Weight, Distance, and Pace — How many calories you burn walking a mile, with a chart by weight, distance, and pace.
• How to Calculate BMR by Hand (Mifflin-St Jeor, Step by Step) — The Mifflin-St Jeor equation with two worked examples in pounds/inches and kg/cm.
• How Many Calories Should You Eat to Lose 2 Pounds a Week? — The 1,000-calorie daily deficit math, who can safely sustain it, and how to get your exact target.
• 1,200 vs 1,500 Calorie Diet: Which Is Right for You? — See the real difference in weekly weight loss, who each level suits, and how to pick your target from your own numbers.
• Diet Breaks: How (and When) to Take One Without Regaining Weight — A diet break is 1–2 weeks at maintenance during a long cut. Learn when to take one, how to set it up, and why it does not undo your progress.
• How Much Water Should You Drink During Exercise? — A simple pre, during, and post-workout hydration protocol by session length, heat, and body size.
• The Fat-Burning Heart Rate Zone: Does It Actually Work? — Learn what the fat-burning heart rate zone really is, how to calculate it, and why total calories matter more than the percentage of fat burned.
• Gaining Too Much Weight While Pregnant? What to Do — Worried about gaining too much weight while pregnant? Learn healthy gain ranges, trimester calorie needs, and safe steps to take — without dieting.
• Safe Exercises During Pregnancy (Trimester by Trimester) — The ACOG 150-minute weekly guideline, exercises to avoid, and warning signs to stop.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)