TDEE calculator
TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is everything your body burns in a day: basal metabolism, plus digesting food, plus movement. The calculator works out basal metabolism with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation and multiplies it by an activity factor.
Basal metabolism — the energy your body uses at rest — accounts for 60–70% of daily expenditure. About 10% goes on digesting food. The rest is movement: from 15% in a sedentary person to 50% in a very active one. These are the shares given in the US National Academies’ 2023 Dietary Reference Intakes for energy.
The equation covers basal metabolism only. It was derived from measurements of 498 people aged 19 to 78 (Mifflin, St Jeor et al., 1990). Everything else is estimated by a single activity factor, and that is the main source of error.
How it works
- Enter your sex, age, weight and height: the equation turns them into basal metabolism.
- Choose your activity level honestly. The factor multiplies all of basal metabolism, so overstating it inflates TDEE by hundreds of kilocalories.
- Test the result on yourself: eat at that intake for two to three weeks and see whether your weight holds.
Activity factors
The calculator uses the classic scale from 1.2 to 1.9. Official scales start higher: in the 2004 FAO/WHO/UNU report the physical activity level of a sedentary lifestyle begins at 1.40. For a genuinely inactive day, 1.2 is therefore more likely to underestimate expenditure than to overstate it.
| Factor | Who it fits |
|---|---|
| 1.2 | desk job, no exercise |
| 1.375 | light activity: 1–3 workouts a week |
| 1.55 | moderate: 3–5 workouts |
| 1.725 | high: 6–7 workouts |
| 1.9 | physical job or two workouts a day |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between TDEE and BMR?
- BMR, basal metabolic rate, is what you burn at complete rest: breathing, circulation, organ function. TDEE adds the energy spent digesting food and on all movement during the day. BMR is roughly two thirds of TDEE.
- Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?
- Yes: it is the intake at which your weight stays the same. The site’s calorie calculator uses the same equation and also shows ranges for weight loss and muscle gain.
- How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
- Mifflin–St Jeor is more accurate than older equations, but it is still an estimate based on averages. Everyday activity differs by hundreds of kilocalories between people of the same weight and job, so treat the result as a starting point and check it against your weight over two to three weeks.
Further reading
- Daily calorie intake: how it is calculated and where the formula goes wrong
- How many calories a workout burns
- Calorie calculators: which formulas are inside and why the numbers differ
More calculators: BMI calculator, Ideal weight calculator, Body fat calculator, Waist-to-height and waist-to-hip ratio calculator.
This calculator gives an estimate for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.