TDEE Calculator
Calculate the total calories your body burns each day, including your basal metabolic rate and physical activity. Use this number to set an accurate calorie target for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
About this calculator
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in 24 hours. It is calculated by first finding your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplying by an activity factor. For males: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 × kg) + (4.799 × cm) − (5.677 × age). For females: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 × kg) + (3.098 × cm) − (4.330 × age). TDEE = BMR × activityMultiplier, where activity multipliers range from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active). Weight in lbs is converted to kg by dividing by 2.205, and height in inches is converted to cm by multiplying by 2.54. TDEE is the most important number for any nutrition plan because it defines your true maintenance calorie level.
How to use
Example: a 30-year-old male, 180 lbs, 70 inches tall, lightly active (multiplier 1.375). Step 1: Convert weight: 180 / 2.205 = 81.6 kg. Step 2: Convert height: 70 × 2.54 = 177.8 cm. Step 3: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 × 81.6) + (4.799 × 177.8) − (5.677 × 30) = 88.362 + 1093.2 + 853.3 − 170.3 = 1,864.6 kcal. Step 4: TDEE = 1,864.6 × 1.375 = 2,564 kcal/day. To lose weight, subtract 300–500 kcal from this total.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between TDEE and BMR and which one should I use for dieting?
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest just to maintain basic functions like breathing and circulation. TDEE adds the calories burned through all daily activity on top of BMR. You should always use TDEE for dieting, not BMR, because eating at your BMR while living a normal life creates an unintentionally severe deficit. Most people with a sedentary lifestyle have a TDEE roughly 20% higher than their BMR.
How accurate is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for calculating daily calorie needs?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is currently considered the most accurate predictive formula for resting energy expenditure in healthy adults, with studies showing it estimates BMR within 10% for most people. Its main limitation is that it uses only weight, height, age, and sex, so it cannot account for individual differences in body composition. Muscular individuals will tend to have a higher true TDEE than the formula predicts, while those with a high body fat percentage may have a lower one. Treat your result as a strong starting estimate and adjust based on 2–3 weeks of real-world data.
Why does my TDEE change when I lose weight and how should I adjust my calories?
As you lose weight, your body becomes lighter and therefore burns fewer calories both at rest and during activity. This is one of the primary reasons weight loss slows over time. Every 10–15 lbs of weight lost typically reduces TDEE by 50–100 kcal/day. It is recommended to recalculate your TDEE every 4–6 weeks during a fat loss phase and reduce your calorie target accordingly to maintain the same relative deficit.