TDEE Calculator

What Is TDEE?

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. It accounts for every energy-consuming process — from the basic cellular functions that keep you alive at rest, to the calories burned during exercise, digestion, and even fidgeting throughout the day. Knowing your TDEE is the single most important piece of the nutrition puzzle because it tells you exactly how much fuel your body needs to maintain its current weight.

TDEE is built on top of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which represents the minimum number of calories your body requires to sustain vital functions like breathing, blood circulation, and cell production while completely at rest. BMR typically accounts for 60–75% of your TDEE. The remaining calories are burned through physical activity (15–30%) and the thermic effect of food — the energy used to digest, absorb, and process nutrients (roughly 10%).

The key difference between BMR and TDEE is activity. BMR is your calorie burn if you stayed in bed all day and did absolutely nothing. TDEE takes your BMR and multiplies it by an activity factor that reflects how much you move during a typical day. A sedentary office worker and a construction labourer may share the same BMR, but their TDEEs could differ by over 1,000 calories.

Understanding your TDEE empowers you to make informed dietary decisions. If you eat fewer calories than your TDEE, you will lose weight over time. If you eat more, you will gain weight. And if you match your TDEE exactly, your weight will remain stable. This simple energy balance principle is the foundation of every successful nutrition plan, whether the goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or weight maintenance.

How TDEE Is Calculated

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which was published in 1990 and is widely regarded as the most accurate predictive formula for estimating BMR in healthy individuals. The American Dietetic Association recommends it as the preferred equation for clinical use over older alternatives like the Harris-Benedict formula.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation calculates BMR using four variables: weight in kilograms, height in centimetres, age in years, and sex. For males, the formula is BMR = (10 × weight) + (6.25 × height) − (5 × age) + 5. For females, the constant changes to −161 instead of +5, reflecting differences in average body composition between the sexes.

Once BMR is established, it is multiplied by an activity factor to estimate your TDEE. This activity factor ranges from 1.2 for sedentary individuals to 1.9 for elite athletes who train multiple times per day. The multiplier accounts for the additional calories burned through structured exercise, non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), and the thermic effect of food.

It is important to remember that any TDEE estimate is exactly that — an estimate. Individual metabolic rates can vary by 5–15% from predicted values due to genetics, hormonal factors, muscle mass, and metabolic adaptation. Use your calculated TDEE as a starting point and adjust based on real-world results over 2–4 weeks.

Activity Level Multipliers

Choosing the right activity level is crucial for an accurate TDEE estimate. Most people overestimate their activity level, so when in doubt, select one tier lower than you think. The table below describes each level in detail, along with its corresponding multiplier value.

These multipliers were originally derived from research by Katch, McArdle, and others who studied the energy expenditure of subjects across different activity levels using doubly labelled water — the gold standard for measuring total energy expenditure. While not perfect for every individual, they provide a reliable starting point.

Keep in mind that your activity level may change with the seasons, work schedule, or training phases. Reassess your activity multiplier periodically — especially if your weight is not responding as expected to your current calorie intake.

Frequently Asked Questions