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TDEE Calculator

Calculate Total Daily Energy Expenditure using Mifflin-St Jeor BMR and activity multiplier. Shows calorie targets for weight goals.

Your Details

Unit System

Age

Gender

Weight (lbs)

Height (inches)

Tip: 5'10" = 70 inches (feet x 12 + inches)

Activity Level

Understanding TDEE and Basal Metabolic Rate

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. It accounts for everything from basic organ function and breathing to walking, exercising, and even digesting food. Knowing your TDEE is the foundation of any evidence-based approach to weight management, whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or simply maintaining your current weight.

What Is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?

BMR represents the number of calories your body needs to perform its most basic life-sustaining functions — circulating blood, breathing, cell production, and maintaining body temperature. It is the energy your body would burn if you stayed completely at rest for an entire day. BMR typically accounts for 60-75% of your total daily calorie expenditure, making it the single largest component of TDEE.

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research has shown to be the most accurate predictive equation for estimating BMR in most adults. Published in 1990, it has consistently outperformed older formulas like the Harris-Benedict equation in validation studies. The Mifflin-St Jeor formula calculates BMR using your weight, height, age, and biological sex.

How Activity Level Affects Your Calorie Needs

TDEE is calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor that reflects your overall daily movement and exercise habits. The activity multipliers used in this calculator range from 1.2 for sedentary individuals to 1.9 for very active people:

Sedentary (1.2x): Minimal movement throughout the day. Typical for office workers who do not exercise regularly. Most daily activity consists of sitting, standing, and light walking.
Lightly Active (1.375x): Light exercise or sports 1-3 days per week. This might include casual walking, yoga, or light gym sessions a few times per week.
Moderately Active (1.55x): Moderate exercise 3-5 days per week. This is the category for most regular gym-goers who train with moderate intensity several days per week.
Active (1.725x): Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days per week. Athletes in training, manual laborers, or people who exercise intensely almost every day fall into this category.
Very Active (1.9x): Very hard daily exercise plus a physically demanding job. This level is reserved for professional athletes, military personnel in training, or individuals with extremely active lifestyles.

Using TDEE for Weight Management

The fundamental principle of weight management is energy balance. To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your TDEE (a caloric deficit). To gain weight, you need to consume more (a caloric surplus). A deficit of roughly 500 calories per day corresponds to about one pound of fat loss per week, while a 250 calorie deficit produces a more gradual loss of about half a pound per week.

For muscle gain, a moderate surplus of 250-500 calories above TDEE is generally recommended, combined with resistance training and adequate protein intake. Larger surpluses tend to result in excessive fat gain without additional muscle-building benefits.

Limitations and Considerations

While the Mifflin-St Jeor equation is considered the gold standard for BMR estimation, it is still an estimate. Individual metabolic rates can vary by 10-15% due to factors such as genetics, body composition (muscle-to-fat ratio), hormonal status, and metabolic adaptation. People with significantly more muscle mass than average may find their actual TDEE is higher than calculated, while those with less lean mass may find it lower. For the most accurate results, use this calculator as a starting point and adjust your intake based on real-world results over 2-4 weeks.

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How to Use the TDEE Calculator

1
Enter your personal details
Input your age, gender, height, and current body weight. These values are used to calculate your basal metabolic rate.
2
Select your activity level
Choose the activity level that best matches your lifestyle, from sedentary to very active, including exercise frequency.
3
View your daily calorie needs
Review your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) along with suggested calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, and muscle gain.

Sources & Verification

Formulas based on peer-reviewed research cited by CDC and NIH

NIH Body Weight Planner

Published by ConvertCrunch Editorial Team | Our Methodology

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TDEE and why does it matter?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including all activity. It combines your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) -- calories burned at complete rest -- with energy used for daily movement, exercise, and digesting food. Knowing your TDEE is essential for managing weight: eating below TDEE causes weight loss, eating above causes weight gain, and eating at TDEE maintains current weight. It is the foundation of any evidence-based nutrition plan.

How is TDEE calculated?

TDEE is calculated by first determining your BMR using a validated formula (this calculator uses Mifflin-St Jeor, which is considered the most accurate for most people), then multiplying by an activity factor. The activity multipliers are: sedentary (1.2), lightly active (1.375), moderately active (1.55), very active (1.725), and extremely active (1.9). For example, a moderately active person with a BMR of 1,600 calories has a TDEE of approximately 2,480 calories per day.

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

A safe and sustainable calorie deficit is 500 to 750 calories below your TDEE, which produces approximately 1 to 1.5 pounds of weight loss per week. For example, if your TDEE is 2,400 calories, aim for 1,650 to 1,900 calories daily. Deficits larger than 1,000 calories per day are generally not recommended as they increase muscle loss, metabolic adaptation, nutrient deficiencies, and the likelihood of binge eating. Protein intake of 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of body weight helps preserve muscle during a deficit.

How accurate is the TDEE estimate?

TDEE calculators provide a reasonable starting estimate, typically within 10-15% of your actual expenditure. Individual variation exists due to genetics, non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), metabolic adaptation, and body composition differences. Use the calculated TDEE as a starting point, then track your weight and calorie intake for 2-3 weeks. If your weight remains stable, the estimate is accurate. If you gain or lose weight, adjust your intake by 100-200 calories and re-evaluate. This iterative approach converges on your true TDEE.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body needs to perform basic life-sustaining functions like breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining body temperature while completely at rest. TDEE includes BMR plus all additional calories burned through daily activities (walking, cooking, fidgeting), structured exercise, and the thermic effect of food (energy used to digest meals). BMR typically accounts for 60-75% of TDEE. You should never eat below your BMR for extended periods, as it is the minimum energy your body requires to function.

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Understanding TDEE and Basal Metabolic Rate

What Is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?

How Activity Level Affects Your Calorie Needs

Sedentary (1.2x): Minimal movement throughout the day. Typical for office workers who do not exercise regularly. Most daily activity consists of sitting, standing, and light walking.
Lightly Active (1.375x): Light exercise or sports 1-3 days per week. This might include casual walking, yoga, or light gym sessions a few times per week.
Moderately Active (1.55x): Moderate exercise 3-5 days per week. This is the category for most regular gym-goers who train with moderate intensity several days per week.
Active (1.725x): Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days per week. Athletes in training, manual laborers, or people who exercise intensely almost every day fall into this category.
Very Active (1.9x): Very hard daily exercise plus a physically demanding job. This level is reserved for professional athletes, military personnel in training, or individuals with extremely active lifestyles.