How to use the TDEE calculator
- Choose metric or US units, then enter your sex, age, height and weight.
- Pick the activity level that matches a normal week, including your job – not your best week.
- Leave the formula on Mifflin-St Jeor unless you know your body fat percentage; then Katch-McArdle can be closer.
- Press Calculate for your maintenance calories, your BMR and what you would burn at every activity level.
What TDEE means
Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is all the energy you use in 24 hours. Eat that many calories and your weight stays about the same, which is why it is also called maintenance calories. It has four parts:
- Basal metabolic rate (BMR) – keeping you alive at rest: breathing, circulation, brain, organs. Usually 60–70% of the total.
- Thermic effect of food – digesting what you eat, about 10%.
- Exercise – planned workouts and sport.
- Everyday movement (NEAT) – walking, standing, chores, fidgeting. It varies more between people than exercise does.
The calculator estimates BMR from a formula, then multiplies it by an activity factor that covers the other three parts:
\text{TDEE} = \text{BMR} \times \text{activity factor}Activity levels
| Level | A typical week | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Little or no exercise, desk job | 1.2 |
| Light | Exercise 1–3 times a week | 1.375 |
| Moderate | Exercise 4–5 times a week | 1.465 |
| Active | Daily exercise, or intense exercise 3–4 times a week | 1.55 |
| Very active | Intense exercise 6–7 times a week | 1.725 |
| Extra active | Very intense exercise every day, or a physical job | 1.9 |
Exercise means 15–30 minutes with a raised heart rate, intense exercise 45–120 minutes, and very intense 2 hours or more. Most people with an office job who exercise a few times a week fit Light or Moderate. Choosing a level too high is the most common reason a TDEE estimate is too generous.
BMR formulas
Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) – the default. In a review of the main equations (Frankenfield and others, 2005) it predicted measured resting energy use within 10% for more people than any other:
\begin{aligned} \text{Men: } & 10W + 6.25H - 5A + 5 \\ \text{Women: } & 10W + 6.25H - 5A - 161 \end{aligned}Revised Harris-Benedict (Roza and Shizgal, 1984):
\begin{aligned} \text{Men: } & 13.397W + 4.799H - 5.677A + 88.362 \\ \text{Women: } & 9.247W + 3.098H - 4.330A + 447.593 \end{aligned}Katch-McArdle – uses lean body mass, so it needs your body fat percentage F:
\text{BMR} = 370 + 21.6 \times W \times (1 - F/100)Here W is weight in kg, H height in cm and A age in years.
- BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor):
10 \times 70 + 6.25 \times 175 - 5 \times 30 + 5 = 1{,}649kcal - TDEE:
1{,}649 \times 1.465 = 2{,}416kcal a day
- BMR:
10 \times 60 + 6.25 \times 163 - 5 \times 30 - 161 = 1{,}308kcal - TDEE:
1{,}308 \times 1.375 = 1{,}799kcal a day
Maintenance calories by weight
Mifflin-St Jeor TDEE for a 35-year-old at moderate activity (×1.465, exercise 4–5 times a week). Heights: men 178 cm (5 ft 10 in), women 165 cm (5 ft 5 in).
| Weight | Men (kcal) | Women (kcal) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 2,113 | 1,751 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 2,260 | 1,898 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 2,406 | 2,044 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 2,553 | 2,191 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 2,699 | 2,337 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 2,846 | 2,484 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 2,992 | 2,630 |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 3,139 | 2,777 |
Using your TDEE
- To keep your weight: eat close to your TDEE.
- To lose weight: eat less than your TDEE. A deficit of about 500 kcal a day loses roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week, because a kilogram of body fat stores about 7,700 kcal. The calorie calculator sets daily targets for each rate of loss or gain.
- To gain muscle: eat a little above it (about 250–500 kcal) and train with weights.
How accurate is it?
Any formula is an estimate. For most adults Mifflin-St Jeor lands within about 10% of a measured value, but some people burn noticeably more or less. Treat the number as a starting point:
- Eat close to the estimate for 2–3 weeks and weigh yourself at the same time each morning.
- If the weekly average stays flat, that intake is your real maintenance.
- If it rises or falls, adjust by 100–200 kcal a day and check again.
The formulas are for healthy adults. They are less reliable for teenagers, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for very muscular people and for some medical conditions – a doctor or registered dietitian can give you a measured figure.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good TDEE?
There is no good or bad TDEE – it depends on your size, age, sex and activity. Most adults fall between about 1,600 and 3,000 kcal a day; larger and more active people burn more.
Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?
Yes. TDEE is the energy you use in a day, so eating that amount keeps your weight about the same.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the energy you would use lying at rest all day. TDEE adds digestion, exercise and everyday movement, so it is usually 1.2 to 1.9 times your BMR.
Should I eat my TDEE on rest days?
The activity factor already averages your week, so you can eat about the same every day. Some people prefer eating a little more on training days and less on rest days – the weekly total is what matters.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Eat below your TDEE. About 500 kcal less a day loses roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week. Most women should not go below about 1,200 kcal and most men below about 1,500 kcal without medical supervision.