How do I calculate my TDEE?

Your TDEE is calculated by first finding your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplying it by an activity factor ranging from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active).

How accurate is a TDEE calculator?

TDEE calculators give a solid estimate, usually within 5–10% of your actual number. The best way to verify it is to track your weight for 2–3 weeks while eating at your calculated TDEE. If your weight stays stable, the estimate is accurate.

Can TDEE change over time?

Yes. TDEE changes as your weight, muscle mass, age, and activity level change. Metabolic adaptation during dieting can also lower TDEE slightly over time.

What is the most accurate TDEE formula?

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is considered the most accurate for most people. If you know your body fat percentage, the Katch-McArdle formula is even more precise, especially for athletes.

TDEE Calculator — Find Out Exactly How Many Calories You Burn

Put in your numbers, get your maintenance calories, plus a ready-made target for fat loss or muscle gain. Takes about 30 seconds.

Gender

Age

yrs

Weight

Height

Activity Level

Your results

BMR: — cal · TDEE: — cal/day

Fat Loss

—

cal / day

~500 cal deficit
≈ 0.5 kg/week

Maintenance

Your TDEE

—

cal / day

Weight stays
the same

Muscle Gain

—

cal / day

~300 cal surplus
lean gains

Daily Macro Breakdown

Protein

—

Carbs

—

Fats

—

Heads up: This is a good starting estimate — not a guaranteed number. Your real TDEE might be a bit higher or lower. The best way to check: eat at your maintenance number for 2 weeks and see if your weight stays the same.

What Is TDEE and Why Does It Matter?

TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure — is just a fancy way of saying: the total number of calories your body burns in a day. That includes everything. The calories you burn sleeping, digesting food, walking to your car, and anything that counts as exercise.

Most people who struggle with their weight don't actually know this number. They guess. That's why knowing your TDEE changes things — it gives you a real target to work with instead of just hoping for the best.

Made up of

4 parts

BMR + NEAT + TEF + EAT — all adding up to your daily burn

Average range

1,600–3,200

Calories/day depending on size, age, and activity level

The four things that make up your TDEE

Your total daily burn isn't one thing — it's four things added together:

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) — about 60–70%: The calories your body burns just to keep you alive. Breathing, heartbeat, organ function. You'd burn this many calories even if you stayed in bed all day.
NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) — about 15–20%: Walking around, fidgeting, taking the stairs, washing dishes. This varies a lot between people and is one reason two people can eat the same amount and have different results.
TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) — about 10%: Digesting food actually burns calories. Protein costs the most to digest (around 25–30%), which is part of why high-protein diets tend to work well.
EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) — about 5–10%: Intentional exercise. This is usually the smallest piece of the pie, which surprises a lot of people.

How the Calculation Actually Works

The calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to find your BMR first, then multiplies it by your activity level. Here's the math behind it:

Men: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) + 5
Women: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) − 161

TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor

If you entered your body fat percentage, the calculator switches to the Katch-McArdle formula, which can be more accurate for people who are quite lean or very muscular:

Lean Mass = Weight × (1 − Body Fat%/100)
BMR = 370 + (21.6 × Lean Mass)

Activity multipliers explained

Activity Level	Multiplier	What this looks like in real life
Sedentary	× 1.2	Office job, mostly sitting, maybe a short walk here and there
Lightly active	× 1.375	Gym 1–3 times a week or walking 30+ min most days
Moderately active	× 1.55	Regular gym sessions 3–5 days, somewhat active day job
Very active	× 1.725	Hard training 6–7 days, physically demanding job
Extremely active	× 1.9	Twice-a-day training, professional athlete, construction work

Most people overestimate their activity level. If you're not sure, pick one level lower than you think — it's easier to adjust up than to wonder why you're not losing weight.

Mifflin-St Jeor vs Harris-Benedict — which is better?

Formula	Year	Best for	Accuracy
Mifflin-St Jeor	1990	Most adults	Most validated, within ~5%
Harris-Benedict (revised)	1984	General estimation	Slightly less accurate
Katch-McArdle	1996	Athletic/lean individuals	Best when body fat % is known

TDEE Calculator for Women — What's Different

The formula works the same way for women, but there are some real differences worth knowing about. On average, women have a lower TDEE than men of the same age and weight — mostly because women tend to carry less muscle mass, and muscle burns more calories at rest.

How to calculate TDEE for females

The calculator above handles this automatically — just select Female and it uses the correct version of the Mifflin-St Jeor formula (which subtracts 161 instead of adding 5 at the end). That's all the gender difference amounts to in the math — but in practice, the gap between male and female TDEE for the same body weight can be 200–400 calories per day.

A few things worth knowing

Hormonal cycle: TDEE fluctuates slightly throughout the menstrual cycle — it tends to be a bit higher in the luteal phase (the two weeks before your period). The difference is usually 100–200 calories, not enough to change your approach but useful to know when you're tracking.
Avoid cutting too deep: Research consistently shows that women are more susceptible to hormonal disruption from aggressive calorie restriction. A deficit of 300–500 calories is almost always enough. Going much lower for extended periods can affect thyroid function, cortisol, and reproductive hormones.
Typical TDEE range: A moderately active woman in her 30s typically falls between 1,800–2,200 calories per day. Numbers below 1,400 should be a red flag — it's very hard to hit protein and micronutrient needs that low.

Average TDEE by age and activity (women)

Age	Sedentary	Moderate	Very Active
20–30	~1,700 cal	~2,100 cal	~2,500 cal
30–40	~1,650 cal	~2,000 cal	~2,400 cal
40–50	~1,580 cal	~1,950 cal	~2,300 cal
50–60	~1,520 cal	~1,880 cal	~2,200 cal

Based on average height/weight (165cm, 65kg). Your number will vary based on your actual measurements.

What to Do With Your TDEE Number

Getting your TDEE is step one. Here's what to actually do with it depending on your goal.

For fat loss

Set your calorie target at TDEE minus 400–500 calories. This gives you roughly 0.4–0.5 kg of fat loss per week — sustainable, and unlikely to eat into your muscle mass.

Keep protein high — at least 1.6–2g per kg of bodyweight. When you're in a deficit, your body is more likely to break down muscle. Higher protein intake protects against that.

Track your weight daily, average it weekly. Day-to-day changes don't mean anything — water weight fluctuates. Weekly averages tell the real story.

If you're losing faster than 0.7kg/week over multiple weeks, you're probably eating too little. Add 100–200 calories back and see what happens.

For muscle gain

Eat 250–350 calories above your TDEE. A small surplus is enough to support muscle growth. Bigger surpluses mostly just add body fat faster.

Expect weight gain of 1–2 kg per month maximum. Muscle builds slowly — anything faster is mostly water retention and fat.

For maintenance and body recomposition

If you're happy with your weight and just want to change your body composition (less fat, more muscle), eating at exactly your TDEE while strength training can work — it's just a slower process than doing a proper bulk or cut. Works best for beginners or people returning after time off.

How to verify your TDEE is accurate

The calculator gives you a starting point — not a guarantee. Metabolisms vary. To check if your number is right: eat at your maintenance calories for 2–3 weeks while weighing yourself every morning. If your weekly average stays the same, your TDEE estimate is accurate. If you're gaining, subtract 100–150 calories. If you're losing, add them back.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TDEE? +

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It's the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period — including your resting metabolism, digestion, and all physical activity from walking to working out.

How is TDEE different from BMR? +

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is just the calories your body needs to survive at rest — it doesn't account for any movement. TDEE is BMR multiplied by your activity level, so it reflects how many calories you actually burn day-to-day. You should always use TDEE for setting calorie targets, not BMR.

How accurate is this calculator? +

Pretty good for most people — usually within 5–10% of your actual number. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation has been well-validated in research. The main source of error is activity level selection, which is subjective. Use it as a starting point, then adjust based on how your weight responds over 2–3 weeks.

How many calories should I eat to lose weight? +

Subtract 300–500 calories from your TDEE for a sustainable fat loss rate of roughly 0.3–0.5 kg per week. Larger deficits are possible but increase the risk of muscle loss, fatigue, and rebound eating. Going below 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) is generally not recommended without medical supervision.

How often should I recalculate my TDEE? +

Recalculate every time you gain or lose around 4–5 kg, or if your activity level changes significantly. As your body weight changes, so does your TDEE. This is especially important during weight loss — failing to recalculate is one of the main reasons progress stalls after the first few months.

Can my TDEE change over time? +

Yes — and it does, regularly. Your TDEE decreases as you lose weight (because a smaller body burns less). It also changes with age, with muscle mass, and during extended calorie restriction (metabolic adaptation). This is why ongoing tracking and periodic recalculation matters.

What's the most accurate TDEE formula? +

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is considered the gold standard for most people — it's the most widely validated formula for estimating BMR in healthy adults. If you know your body fat percentage, Katch-McArdle is often more accurate for leaner or more muscular individuals, because it's based on lean mass rather than total body weight.

Why use the body fat % version of the calculator? +

The standard formulas use your total body weight, which means a very muscular person and a person with the same weight but more body fat would get the same BMR estimate — even though the muscular person burns significantly more at rest. Entering your body fat percentage lets the calculator use only your lean mass, which gives a more accurate result for athletes and people outside the typical body composition range.

This calculator is for informational purposes only. It provides estimates based on population-level equations — your actual calorie needs may differ. Nothing here is medical or nutritional advice. If you have a health condition or are considering significant dietary changes, please talk to a doctor or registered dietitian first.