TDEE Calculator
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the total calories you burn per day. The calculator below finds your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and multiplies it by your activity level. It opens on the maintenance (TDEE) view; switch tabs for weight-loss, muscle-gain, or keto targets.
What Is TDEE?
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It is the most useful single number for planning any nutrition goal: eat around your TDEE to maintain your weight, below it to lose fat, or above it to build muscle. Every calorie target on this site — for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain — starts from this number.
TDEE is made up of several components: your BMR (the largest share), the energy you burn through daily movement and exercise, and the smaller amount your body spends digesting food — the thermic effect of food. This calculator captures all of these by scaling your BMR with an activity multiplier.
How This TDEE Calculator Works
The calculator estimates your TDEE in two steps. First it calculates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the energy your body uses at complete rest to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, and cells working — using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is regarded as the most accurate BMR formula for most healthy adults:
- Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) + 5
- Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) − 161
Weight is converted from pounds to kilograms (kg = lbs × 0.453592) and height from feet and inches to centimeters, so you can enter imperial units. It then multiplies your BMR by an activity multiplier that reflects how much you move during a typical week:
TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier
Because the multiplier is applied to your entire BMR, the activity level you pick has a large effect on the result. When in doubt, choose the level that matches your average week rather than your most active one — most people overestimate how active they are. Once you have your TDEE, adjust it for your goal: subtract about 500 calories per day for roughly one pound of weekly fat loss, or add 250–500 calories for a lean muscle-building surplus. From there, split those calories into protein, carbs, and fat.
Activity Multipliers
These are the standard multipliers used to convert BMR into TDEE. Pick the row that best describes your typical week:
| Activity Level | Description | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Little or no exercise, desk job | 1.2 |
| Lightly Active | Light exercise 1–2 days per week | 1.375 |
| Moderately Active | Moderate exercise 3–5 days per week | 1.55 |
| Active | Hard exercise 6–7 days per week | 1.725 |
| Very Active | Athlete or physical job plus training | 1.9 |
Worked Example
Here is how the numbers come together for a 30-year-old man weighing 170 lbs at 5'10", who is moderately active (trains 3–5 days per week):
- Convert units: 170 lbs = 77.1 kg; 5'10" = 177.8 cm
- BMR = (10 × 77.1) + (6.25 × 177.8) − (5 × 30) + 5 = 771 + 1,111 − 150 + 5 = 1,737 cal
- TDEE = 1,737 × 1.55 = 2,692 cal
His maintenance intake is about 2,692 calories per day. To lose roughly one pound of fat per week he would eat about 2,192 calories (a 500-calorie deficit); for a lean muscle-building surplus he would eat about 3,000–3,200 calories. Enter your own numbers in the calculator above to get your personalized figures.
TDEE Calculator FAQ
What is TDEE?
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your basal metabolic rate plus all activity. It is the baseline for setting calorie targets: eat at your TDEE to maintain weight, below it to lose fat, and above it to gain muscle.
How is TDEE calculated?
This calculator estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by an activity multiplier ranging from 1.2 for sedentary up to 1.9 for very active. In short, TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
A TDEE calculator gives a well-founded estimate: the Mifflin-St Jeor equation is regarded as the most accurate BMR formula for most healthy adults. Individual metabolism still varies, so use the number as a starting point and adjust it after 2 to 3 weeks of tracking your actual weight and intake.
Related Guides
Once you know your TDEE, these guides show you what to do with it:
- How to calculate TDEE and macros — the full step-by-step method and reference tables.
- How to calculate your macros — turn your calorie target into protein, carbs, and fat.
- Macros for weight loss — set a sensible deficit below your TDEE and preserve muscle.
- Macro calculator for women — female-specific targets for the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.
- Full macro calculator — get weight-loss, muscle-gain, and keto macro targets in one place.