TDEE Calculator
Your total daily energy expenditure — the calories you actually burn — with a two-step activity method that most calculators get wrong.
About you
Add it to switch to the lean-mass Katch-McArdle formula.
Activity
Goal & nutrition
Your TDEE
Calories to maintain your weight
BMR (at rest)
Mifflin-St Jeor
TDEE (maintenance)
Burned per day
Adjustment
vs maintenance
Weekly change
stable
Maintenance at each activity level
Most people sit between two of these. If the scale isn't moving, you're likely closer to the lower number.
How it works
Your TDEE is your resting metabolism scaled up by everything you do. The classic method uses one activity multiplier, but that lumps your job and your workouts together — the main reason people overestimate. The Detailed mode here separates daily-life burn (NEAT) from deliberate exercise (computed from your sessions, duration, and intensity), which lands much closer to reality for desk workers who train.
TDEE from BMR
TDEE = BMR × activity factor
- BMR
- resting calories (Mifflin-St Jeor)
- 1.2
- sedentary (little/no exercise)
- 1.375 – 1.55
- light to moderate exercise 3–5×/week
- 1.725 – 1.9
- hard daily training / physical job
Worked example
- BMR = 1,780 cal/day
- Moderately active (exercise 3–5×/week) → 1.55
- TDEE = 1,780 × 1.55
TDEE ≈ 2,759 calories/day to maintain your current weight.
Good to know
- When in doubt, pick the lower activity factor — most people round up and stall.
- A big chunk of daily burn is NEAT (fidgeting, walking, standing), which is why staying active outside the gym matters as much as the gym itself.
- Detailed mode prevents double-counting: if your workouts are already in your TDEE, do not also “eat back” exercise calories.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is TDEE?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure is every calorie you burn in a day: your resting metabolism (BMR) plus movement, deliberate exercise, and the energy used to digest food. It is your true maintenance level — eat at TDEE to hold weight, below to lose, above to gain.
How is TDEE calculated?
TDEE = BMR × an activity factor. The simple method multiplies your BMR by a single number from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active). Our Detailed mode is more accurate: it applies a smaller factor for your daily lifestyle, then adds your actual workout calories on top.
Why does my TDEE seem too high?
The single biggest error is overestimating activity — a desk worker who lifts three times a week is not “moderately active” all day. Use Detailed mode to separate your job from your training, or pick the lower simple level and adjust based on real results.
How accurate is a TDEE estimate?
Predictive equations are typically within about 10% for most people. Use the number as a starting point, hold it for 2–3 weeks, and nudge it based on what the scale actually does.
Does TDEE change as I lose weight?
Yes. A smaller body burns fewer calories, so your TDEE falls as you lose. That is why a fixed calorie intake produces slowing weight loss — recalculate every 10 lb or so. Our calorie Timeline models this automatically.