TDEE Calculator
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the actual number of calories you burn every day including all activity.
How to use this calculator
Adjust the sliders for your height, weight, and age, then choose your gender and activity level. Be honest about activity — most people overestimate. Your TDEE and calorie targets update instantly. Optionally enter your body fat percentage (tap the ? button) to use the more precise Katch-McArdle formula.
Understanding your TDEE
TDEE is your true daily calorie burn — your BMR (what you burn at rest) multiplied by how active you are. This is your maintenance number: eat at this level and your weight stays stable. Eat below it to lose fat, above it to gain muscle. A 500 cal/day deficit leads to roughly 1 lb of fat loss per week. A 250 cal/day surplus is typically ideal for muscle gain with minimal fat.
Frequently asked questions
TDEE activity multipliers explained
Your TDEE is calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor. The multiplier you choose has the biggest impact on your result — the difference between sedentary and very active is 400–700+ calories per day. Most people who "work out a few times a week" fall into Lightly Active, not Moderately Active.
| Activity level | Description | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job, no intentional exercise | × 1.2 |
| Lightly active | 1–2 workouts or walks per week | × 1.375 |
| Moderately active | 3–4 moderate workouts per week | × 1.55 |
| Very active | 5–6 intense workouts or active job | × 1.725 |
| Extremely active | Physical labor job + training, or 2× daily workouts | × 1.9 |
What makes up your TDEE?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the sum of four components. Most people focus on exercise, but it actually represents a smaller fraction of total burn than most expect.
| Component | Abbreviation | Typical % of TDEE | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basal Metabolic Rate | BMR | 60–70% | Energy to keep you alive at rest — breathing, circulation, cell repair |
| Thermic Effect of Food | TEF | 8–15% | Energy used to digest and absorb food — protein burns more than fat |
| Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis | NEAT | 15–30% | Fidgeting, posture, daily movement — highly variable between individuals |
| Exercise Activity Thermogenesis | EAT | 5–15% | Deliberate workouts — often overestimated by trackers |
How to use TDEE for your goals
Your TDEE is your maintenance calorie level — eating at this number, your weight stays stable. To lose fat, eat below it. To gain muscle, eat above it. The key is starting at an accurate TDEE estimate and adjusting based on real results.
- ·Fat loss: subtract 300–500 calories from TDEE (aim for 0.5–1 lb/week loss)
- ·Aggressive cut: subtract 500–750 calories (faster loss, harder to sustain, more muscle at risk)
- ·Lean bulk: add 150–250 calories (slow, clean muscle gain with minimal fat)
- ·Standard bulk: add 300–500 calories (faster muscle gain, some fat accumulation)
- ·After 2–3 weeks, adjust by 100–200 cal if not seeing expected results — the body adapts
- ·Recalculate TDEE every 5–10 lbs of weight change, since BMR shifts with body weight
TDEE vs BMR vs calorie calculator — what's the difference?
These three terms are related but distinct. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories you burn at complete rest — "coma calories." TDEE is BMR adjusted for your activity level — your actual daily burn. A calorie calculator tells you how much to eat based on your TDEE and your goal. TDEE = what you burn. Target calories = what you should eat.