TDEE calculator.
Find your total daily energy expenditure, the calories you burn in a day. Enter your details and activity level and the calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
About you
LiveTDEE is your BMR times an activity factor, from 1.2 sedentary to 1.9 extra active. Eat at TDEE to maintain, below it to lose, above it to gain.
TDEE (maintenance)
2,549
calories a day to maintain
An estimate using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Not medical advice. Calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is stored.
How it works
BMR times your activity
Your TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure, is everything you burn in a day. It starts with your basal metabolic rate, the energy your body uses at rest, then multiplies by an activity factor for movement and exercise.
The calculator finds your BMR from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation using your sex, age, height and weight, then applies a factor from 1.2 for sedentary up to 1.9 for extra active. A 30 year old man, 67 inches and 160 lb, moderately active, has a TDEE of about 2,549.
Reference
Activity multipliers.
The factor applied to your BMR to estimate TDEE, by how active you are.
| Activity level | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Sedentary | x1.2 |
| Lightly active | x1.375 |
| Moderately active | x1.55 |
| Very active | x1.725 |
| Extra active | x1.9 |
The full guide
The complete guide to TDEE.
What TDEE is, how it is worked out, and how to use it to maintain, lose or gain.
What is TDEE?
TDEE is the total number of calories you burn in a day, including resting metabolism, digestion, daily movement and exercise. It is the single most useful number for managing weight, because eating at your TDEE keeps weight stable.
It is built from your BMR, your at-rest burn, scaled up by how active you are.
How TDEE is calculated
First the calculator finds your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, widely seen as the most accurate everyday formula. Then it multiplies by an activity factor: 1.2 if sedentary, up to 1.9 if you train hard daily or have a physical job.
Be honest about activity, since most people overestimate it. When unsure, pick the lower factor.
Using TDEE for your goal
To maintain, eat around your TDEE. To lose weight, eat below it, often by about 500 a day for roughly a pound a week. To gain, eat above it. The calculator shows the target for losing a pound a week as a starting point.
Recalculate as your weight changes, since a smaller body burns fewer calories.
How accurate is it?
The Mifflin-St Jeor estimate lands within about 10% of measured rates for most people, which is good enough to start. Real burn varies with muscle mass, genetics and day-to-day activity.
Treat the number as a starting point, then adjust based on how your weight actually responds over a few weeks.
The formula
Rest plus
movement.
TDEE is your BMR times an activity factor. BMR comes from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
Plan a deficit ›# TDEE
BMR = 10·kg + 6.25·cm − 5·age + s
s = +5 (male), −161 (female)
TDEE = BMR × activity
# worked example
1644 × 1.55 = 2549Questions
TDEE questions.
What is TDEE?
+
Total daily energy expenditure: the calories you burn in a day from resting metabolism, digestion, movement and exercise. Eat at your TDEE to maintain weight, below to lose, above to gain.
How is TDEE calculated?
+
It is your BMR times an activity factor. The calculator finds BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies by 1.2 to 1.9 depending on how active you are.
What activity multiplier should I use?
+
Sedentary is 1.2, lightly active 1.375, moderately active 1.55, very active 1.725 and extra active 1.9. Most people overestimate, so choose the lower option when unsure.
How accurate is the TDEE estimate?
+
The Mifflin-St Jeor formula is usually within about 10% of measured values. Use it as a starting point and adjust based on how your weight responds over a few weeks.
Is this TDEE calculator free?
+
Yes. It is completely free with no sign-up, and every calculation runs locally in your browser, so nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
About the developer
Jean Borg
Jean builds and maintains every calculator on freecalculators.pro from Malta, with a focus on tools that are fast, free and show their working. The TDEE calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and is for general information, not medical advice.