TDEE Calculator
Find out exactly how many calories your body burns each day — compare 3 formulas, see your BMR, body composition, and energy breakdown across all activity levels.
Most accurate for the general population (recommended).
Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week
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Everything you need to know
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — it's the total number of calories your body burns in a full day. It includes three components:
- BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) — the calories your body needs just to stay alive at complete rest (usually 60–75% of TDEE)
- Physical Activity — calories burned through exercise, walking, and daily movement (15–30%)
- TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) — energy used to digest and absorb food (~10%)
How This Calculator Works
Choose from three scientifically validated formulas:
- Mifflin-St Jeor (recommended) — the most accurate formula for the general population. Uses age, weight, height, and gender.
- Harris-Benedict — the classic formula from 1919 (revised in 1984). Tends to give slightly higher estimates.
- Katch-McArdle — uses lean body mass instead of total weight, making it more accurate if you know your body fat percentage.
Your BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor (1.2 to 1.9) to estimate your total daily calorie burn.
TDEE vs BMR — What's the Difference?
BMR is what your body burns if you stayed in bed all day doing absolutely nothing. TDEE is your BMR plus everything else — your workouts, walking to the kitchen, fidgeting, and even digesting food. TDEE is always higher than BMR.
How to Use TDEE for Your Goals
- Lose weight: Eat 500–750 calories below your TDEE per day for a safe rate of 0.5–0.7 kg (1–1.5 lbs) per week.
- Maintain weight: Eat at your TDEE — energy in equals energy out.
- Gain muscle: Eat 300–500 calories above your TDEE, combined with resistance training.
Never eat below your BMR for extended periods — that's the bare minimum your body needs to function.
Tips for Accuracy
- Be honest about your activity level — most people overestimate it.
- These are starting estimates. Track your weight and intake for 2–3 weeks, then adjust.
- Your TDEE changes as your weight, age, activity, and body composition change. Recalculate every few months.
Related Tools
Get your calorie and macro targets based on your TDEE, check your BMI, or measure your body fat percentage for a more accurate Katch-McArdle calculation.