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Free TDEE Calculator

Estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) based on the amount of calories you burn at rest (BMR) and activity level.

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Understanding TDEE

What TDEE Means

TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure. It is an estimate of how many calories your body uses in a full day, including basic body functions, daily movement, exercise, digestion and other activities. Your TDEE calculator can help you understand roughly how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, lose weight, or gain weight. Because exercise, activity, energy expenditure, body weight, and lifestyle can change, TDEE should be treated as an estimate rather than an exact number.

BMR Is the Starting Point

Most TDEE calculations begin with BMR, or basal metabolic rate. BMR is the energy your body uses at rest to support essential functions such as breathing, circulation, body temperature, brain activity, and organ function. Since BMR usually makes up the largest part of daily calorie expenditure, details such as age, sex, height, and weight can have a major effect on your TDEE estimate.

Effects of Activity Level On Your TDEE

After estimating BMR, a TDEE calculator adjusts the result based on your activity level. The TDEE calculator includes exercise but also everyday movement, such as walking, standing, commuting, doing housework, or having a physically active job. Use the table below as a general guide when choosing your activity level.

Activity LevelDescription
SedentaryLittle or no regular exercise; with most of the days spent sitting, such as desk work, studying or driving.
Lightly ActiveExercise 1–3 times per week, with light workouts or strolls.
Moderately ActiveExercise 4–5 times per week,like regular gym sessions or fitness classes.
ActiveDaily exercise or intense exercise 3–4 times per week alongside an active routine.
Very ActiveIntense exercise 6–7 times per week including competitive sports and endurance workouts.
Extra ActiveVery intense daily exercise, manual labor, or a physically demanding job

If you are between two levels, choose the one that best reflects your average week and adjust later based on your real-world progress.

Digestion Consumes Energy

Your body uses energy to digest, absorb, and process food. This is called the thermic effect of food, or TEF. TEF is usually smaller than BMR and activity, but it still contributes to total daily energy use. Out of the three macronutrients, protein generally requires more energy to process than carbohydrates or fat, which is why food choices can slightly affect total energy expenditure.

How TDEE Is Estimated

TDEE is usually estimated by first calculating your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR, and then adjusting it based on your activity level.

A common TDEE formula is: TDEE = BMR × activity factor

BMR can be estimated using 3 widely recognised equations based on factors such as weight, height, age, sex, and sometimes body fat percentage. Our BMR calculator lets you choose from three formulas:

  1. Mifflin-St Jeor: Often used as a standard equation for the general adult population.
    • Men: BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A + 5
    • Women: BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A - 161
  2. Revised Harris-Benedict: An updated version of the classic Harris-Benedict equation.
    • Men: BMR = 13.397W + 4.799H - 5.677A + 88.362
    • Women: BMR = 9.247W + 3.098H - 4.330A + 447.593
  3. Katch-McArdle: Often used when lean body mass or body fat percentage is available.
    • Formula: BMR = 370 + 21.6 × (1 - F) × W

Where W = weight in kg, H = height in cm, A = age, and F = body fat as a decimal, such as 0.20 for 20% body fat.

After BMR is estimated, it is multiplied by an activity factor based on your usual activity level. The result is your estimated total daily energy expenditure, TDEE, or the number of calories your body may burn in a day.

Use your TDEE estimate as a starting point, then adjust based on your weight trend, energy level, and real-world results.

FAQ

A TDEE calculator provides a useful estimate, but it cannot measure your exact daily energy expenditure. Accuracy depends on the equation used, the information you enter, your true activity level, and how consistent your daily routine is. A practical approach is to use the TDEE estimate as a starting point, follow it for 2–4 weeks, and compare it with your average body weight trend.

Use TDEE for calorie intake planning. BMR only estimates the energy your body uses at rest, while TDEE includes activity, exercise, and normal daily movement. For weight loss, a calorie target is usually created by eating below estimated TDEE, rather than using BMR as your main daily calorie goal.

Different TDEE calculators may use different BMR equations (Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict, and Katch-McArdle), activity multipliers, body fat assumptions, and rounding methods. They may also define activity levels differently. A difference of a few hundred kcal can happen, especially when activity level is hard to estimate. This is why tracking real-world progress like weight loss or weight gain is important.

Recalculate your TDEE when your body weight changes drastically meaningfully, your training routine changes, your job or step count changes, or your progress stalls for several weeks. During active fat loss or muscle gain, your maintenance calorie needs may shift over time, so updating your TDEE estimate can help keep your calorie target realistic.

You may be able to increase total daily energy expenditure by increasing daily movement, structured exercise, and resistance training. Walking, standing more often, and staying active throughout the day can raise energy use. Strength training may also help preserve or build lean mass, although changes in TDEE are usually gradual and vary by person.
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