TDEE Calculator: Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of kilocalories your body burns in a 24-hour period, combining your resting metabolic rate with the energy cost of all your activities: planned exercise, non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT, such as walking, fidgeting, and daily tasks), and the thermic effect of food. TDEE is the key figure for body weight management. Eating at your TDEE maintains weight. Eating below it creates a calorie deficit for fat loss. Eating above it supports muscle gain during a bulk.

TDEE estimates from equations like Mifflin-St Jeor are population averages and carry an error margin of roughly plus or minus 10 to 15 percent for any individual. The activity level multipliers are also approximations. The most reliable approach is to track your actual calorie intake and body weight over 2 to 4 weeks, then adjust your target based on real-world results. If weight is stable while eating at your calculated TDEE, the estimate is reasonably accurate for you. If weight is changing, adjust intake accordingly.

Choose the level that honestly reflects your average week, including both structured exercise and incidental activity. Sedentary means a desk job with little deliberate exercise. Lightly active typically covers 1 to 3 days of moderate exercise per week. Moderately active covers 3 to 5 days. Very active covers intense exercise 6 to 7 days per week. Extra active applies to people with physically demanding jobs, elite athletes in heavy training, or those doing two-a-day sessions. Most people overestimate their activity level, which leads to overestimating TDEE. When in doubt, start with a lower multiplier and adjust.

A commonly recommended rate of fat loss is 0.25 to 0.5 kg per week. One kilogram of body fat contains approximately 7,700 kcal, so a 0.5 kg per week loss requires a deficit of around 550 kcal per day (3,850 kcal per week). For most people, a daily deficit of 300 to 750 kcal is sustainable without severe muscle loss or metabolic adaptation. Very large deficits can cause muscle wasting and micronutrient deficiencies. For aggressive fat loss, work with a registered dietitian who can monitor your protein intake, training, and health markers.

Yes. TDEE changes as your body weight changes (lighter bodies burn fewer calories at rest), as your fitness level changes (more muscle raises RMR), and as you age (RMR declines gradually with age, partly due to muscle loss). Prolonged calorie restriction also causes metabolic adaptation, sometimes called adaptive thermogenesis, where the body reduces TDEE below what the equations predict. This is why re-calculating TDEE periodically (every 4 to 8 weeks during a weight-loss phase) and adjusting your intake accordingly is good practice.