TDEE Calculator: Total Daily Energy Expenditure

How to Use TDEE Calculator: Total Daily Energy Expenditure

1. Step 1: Enter your details

   Add age, sex, height, and weight in Metric or US units.

2. Step 2: Pick a formula

   Use Mifflin-St Jeor by default or switch to Katch-McArdle if you know body fat %.

3. Step 3: Choose activity

   Select the activity level that matches your average week.

4. Step 4: Set a goal

   Choose Maintain, Lose, or Gain and pick a mild or moderate intensity.

5. Step 5: Review targets

   Read maintenance (TDEE), target calories, weekly change, and macros.

Key Features

• TDEE and maintenance calories
• Activity multipliers
• Deficit/surplus presets
• Macro breakdown
• Per-meal split
• Metric and US units

Understanding Results

Formula

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is estimated by multiplying a resting baseline (BMR) by an activity factor that reflects your typical movement and training. By default the tool uses the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR equation, which incorporates age, sex, height, and weight. If you know your body fat percentage you can switch to Katch-McArdle to base BMR on lean body mass. Both methods are widely used and provide useful starting points for planning.

Once BMR is calculated, it is multiplied by the activity level you select. Sedentary routines use a smaller multiplier than highly active routines. The result is your maintenance calories: the intake that tends to keep your body weight stable when averaged over time.

Reference ranges & interpretation

There is no single “normal” TDEE, because needs scale with body size, muscle mass, daily movement, and structured exercise. Instead of comparing to others, compare to your own trend. If your goal is weight loss, a modest reduction (for example, 10%–20% below TDEE) is a common, sustainable starting point. For weight gain, a small surplus (about 7%–15%) paired with strength training supports lean mass while limiting fat gain.

Use weekly averages to judge progress. Body weight can swing day to day due to hydration and glycogen. Adjust your target by 100–200 kcal only after two to four weeks if the trend is off. Align your activity label with what you consistently do, not what you hope to do. The CDC describes practical activity guidelines you can use as a reference point.

Assumptions & limitations

Equations estimate energy needs; they are not a diagnosis. Individual metabolism and daily movement vary, and needs change with weight, training volume, and sleep. This tool is intended for generally healthy adults and does not replace medical care. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or are under clinical guidance, consult a clinician or registered dietitian for individualized targets.

Complete Guide: TDEE Calculator: Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Use the TDEE calculator to estimate total daily energy expenditure, choose an activity level, and see maintenance calories with goal presets and macro guidance.

The goal of this guide is to explain what Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) really means in everyday terms, so you can make better choices without guesswork. You will learn where your number comes from, how to pick an activity level that actually matches your routine, and how to turn a maintenance estimate into practical calorie and macro targets you can follow on busy days.

What is TDEE?

TDEE is your total energy burn across a full day. It includes every calorie your body uses: baseline functions like breathing and circulation, normal daily movement such as standing and walking, structured exercise, and even the cost of digesting food. If your average intake matches your TDEE, your weight tends to stay stable over time. When your intake is meaningfully below or above your TDEE for long enough, your weight trends down or up.

Predicting TDEE exactly for a single day is hard, because humans do not move the same way from day to day. Instead, our calculator provides a best estimate using your personal data and a reasonable activity multiplier. You can then watch your weight trend and adjust gradually. This feedback loop is more reliable than aiming for a mythical perfect number.

How TDEE works (BMR × activity)

The math behind TDEE is straightforward: take an estimate of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and multiply it by an activity factor. BMR captures the energy your body would use at rest in a thermoneutral environment. The activity factor scales that baseline up to account for real life. We use well known BMR formulas and a standard activity scale used in nutrition planning. If you want to see BMR alone or compare common methods, try the BMR calculator after you finish here.

While lab measurements like indirect calorimetry can be more exact, equations are practical and surprisingly close for most people. The key is being honest about your day-to-day activity instead of picking an optimistic label. It is better to start conservatively, then adjust using your two to four week weight trend and how you feel.

Activity levels explained

Our activity levels map to common routines. Sedentary fits desk jobs with little purposeful exercise. Light suits casual movement or a couple short workouts weekly. Moderate suits three to five training days. Active fits most people who train nearly every day. Very active fits highly demanding jobs or intense sport. Extra is reserved for athletes who do multiple, long sessions daily. Start with the lowest level that honestly describes your average week, not your best week. You can always move up if your trend suggests your chosen level was too low.

If you are in doubt, pick light or moderate and reassess. The difference between labels is just a multiplier. What matters most is a repeatable routine. The CDC describes practical exercise recommendations for adults; you can align your selection with what you realistically meet most weeks.

BMR formulas used

By default the calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a widely cited modern method that relies on age, sex, height, and weight. If you know your body fat percentage, you can switch to Katch-McArdle, which estimates resting needs from lean body mass. Both methods are reasonable; choose the one that matches the information you have. If you prefer to compare methods in detail, the BMR calculator offers side-by-side options.

Remember that equations still produce estimates. Two people of the same size can have different energy needs due to differences in muscle mass, non-exercise movement, sleep, and hormones. That is why your weight trend is the final judge. Use the number to start, not to stop thinking.

Using the tdee calculator

Enter age, sex, height, and weight. Pick Metric or US units. Choose your activity level. If you know body fat %, enter it and select Katch-McArdle to base BMR on lean mass. Your maintenance calories appear instantly. To turn maintenance into a plan, choose a goal: Maintain, Lose, or Gain. For loss, moderate deficits are most sustainable; for gain, modest surpluses help build muscle with less fat. The tool shows your target calories, a weekly change estimate, and a simple macro split you can adjust.

Want a quick second opinion on calorie planning? Cross-check with the calorie calculator or plan a safe reduction using the calorie deficit calculator. Small differences between tools are normal; what matters is your adherence and weekly averages.

Setting maintenance, loss, or gain

Maintenance is simple: eat around your TDEE and watch your trend. For weight loss, common starting points are 10% to 20% below TDEE. For many adults this lands near 300 to 500 kcal below maintenance. That gap is large enough to see progress but small enough to keep energy, training quality, and social life intact. For weight gain, especially if you lift weights, a 7% to 15% surplus is typical. Schedule regular strength training, aim for adequate protein, and monitor waist measurements along with scale weight.

If you like to think in meals, the tool also shows per-meal macros. That keeps portions realistic on busy days. You can also plug your protein target into the protein calculator for another look, or design a more detailed split in the macro calculator. Use these as helpers, not strict rules.

Macro planning made simple

Protein is the anchor. A practical daily range for active adults is about 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight (roughly 0.7 to 1.0 g per pound). Higher protein helps preserve muscle during weight loss and supports growth during surplus phases. Fats carry essential nutrients and support hormones; a common range is 20% to 35% of calories. The rest goes to carbs, which fuel training and recovery. Our calculator defaults to 1.8 g/kg protein and 25% of calories from fat, but you can dial those numbers in to match your preferences and how you perform.

If you are cutting and feel low energy, try raising carbs slightly at the expense of fats. If you prefer higher-fat meals and steady energy, flip that balance. There is no single macro split that wins for everyone. Make small changes, stick with them for two weeks, then evaluate. For more planning options while losing fat, the weight loss calorie calculator can provide alternative targets and pacing.

Example walk-throughs

Example 1: A 35-year-old woman, 165 cm and 68 kg, works an office job and lifts three days a week. She chooses Moderate activity. Her estimated BMR with Mifflin-St Jeor is about 1420 kcal. Multiplying by 1.55 gives a TDEE around 2200 kcal. She chooses a 15% deficit for a target near 1870 kcal. With 1.8 g/kg protein (about 122 g), 25% fats (about 52 g), the rest is carbs (about 230 g). Split over three meals, that is roughly 41 g protein, 17 g fat, and 77 g carbs per meal.

Example 2: A 28-year-old man, 178 cm and 80 kg, plays recreational soccer and lifts four days a week. He picks Active. His BMR is around 1760 kcal and TDEE about 3030 kcal. He wants to gain lean mass without much fat, so he selects a mild 7% surplus for a target near 3240 kcal. With 1.8 g/kg protein (about 144 g) and 25% fats (about 90 g), he has plenty of room for carbs (about 420 g) to support training.

These are still estimates. If your average weekly body weight does not move as expected over two to four weeks, adjust by 100 to 200 kcal and reassess. Consistency beats precision. Keep hydration and sleep in mind, too. If you want a simple intake check-in separate from activity, the daily calorie calculator is a quick companion tool.

Troubleshooting and practical tips

• Pick the lowest honest activity level: it is easier to increase targets than to chase a stall.
• Use averages, not single days: weigh at the same time of day, most days, and compare week to week.
• Avoid extreme swings: very large deficits or surpluses are hard to follow and recover from.
• Prioritize protein: hit protein first, then split fats and carbs according to preference and performance.
• Plan around life: per-meal macros help you stay consistent when meals vary.

None of this is medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or are under clinical care, talk with your clinician or a registered dietitian before changing your diet. Our tools are for information and planning support only.

References

• Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. A predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. PubMed
• Katch V, McArdle W. Nutrition, Weight Control, and Exercise. (Katch-McArdle BMR from lean body mass is widely cited.)
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical Activity Basics. CDC

Keep exploring: estimate your protein with the protein calculator, design your macro split in the macro calculator, plan a safe reduction with the calorie deficit calculator, or compare methods in the BMR calculator and the calorie calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions