TDEE Calculator

Understanding Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the complete picture of how many calories your body burns every day. It combines three components: your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the thermic effect of food (energy used to digest what you eat), and physical activity (both exercise and non-exercise movement like walking and fidgeting). Of these, BMR typically accounts for 60 to 70 percent of your total expenditure.

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, considered the gold standard by the American Dietetic Association for estimating BMR. The formula factors in your weight, height, age, and biological sex to produce a resting calorie number. That number is then multiplied by an activity factor that ranges from 1.2 for sedentary individuals to 1.9 for people who train intensely every day on top of a physically demanding job.

Knowing your TDEE is essential for any nutrition plan. If you eat exactly at your TDEE, your weight stays stable. A moderate deficit of 300 to 500 calories below TDEE drives gradual fat loss while preserving muscle. A surplus of similar magnitude supports muscle gain during a bulking phase. The activity breakdown table on this page shows your estimated TDEE at all five activity levels so you can see how exercise changes your calorie needs. The macronutrient suggestion provides a balanced starting point, but you should adjust ratios based on your specific goals, food preferences, and how your body responds over time. Recalculate your TDEE whenever your weight changes by more than a few kilograms.