TDEE Calculator
Enter your weight, height, age, sex, and activity level to find your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), the calories you burn in an average day including activity. This is the number most people actually want when they search for a calorie calculator.
How to calculate tdee
Total daily energy expenditure starts from your basal metabolic rate (BMR, calculated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation) and scales it up for how active you are day to day. Sedentary (little or no exercise) uses a multiplier of 1.2, light exercise 1 to 3 days a week uses 1.375, moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week uses 1.55, very active (6 to 7 days a week) uses 1.725, and extremely active (physical job plus daily training) uses 1.9. Multiplying BMR by the matching factor gives the calories you burn in a typical day, the number most people use as their maintenance baseline.
TDEE = BMR x activity multiplier (1.2 to 1.9, by activity level)
Worked example
A 30-year-old man weighs 180 lb (81.65 kg), is 70 in (177.8 cm) tall, and exercises moderately 3 to 5 days a week (activity level 3).
- BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor): 10 x 81.65 + 6.25 x 177.8 - 5 x 30 + 5 = 1,782.7
- Activity multiplier for moderate exercise: 1.55
- TDEE = 1,782.7 x 1.55 = 2,763.2
Result: A TDEE of about 2,763 calories per day, with a BMR of about 1,783.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
Total daily energy expenditure is the total calories you burn in a day, combining your basal metabolic rate with the energy used for daily activity, exercise, and digestion. It is the most useful number for deciding how much to eat, since eating at your TDEE maintains weight, eating below it creates a deficit, and eating above it creates a surplus.
How do I choose my activity level?
Be honest rather than aspirational. Sedentary means a desk job with little deliberate exercise. Light exercise is 1 to 3 light workouts a week. Moderate exercise is 3 to 5 sessions a week (the most common choice). Very active is 6 to 7 days a week or a physically demanding job. Extremely active combines both a physical job and daily hard training, a rare category for most people.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A common starting point is a 500-calorie daily deficit below TDEE, which targets roughly 1 lb of fat loss per week, since one pound of fat is about 3,500 calories. Very large deficits are harder to sustain and can affect muscle mass and energy levels, so most guidance favors a moderate, sustainable gap over an aggressive one.
Why is my TDEE different from what my fitness tracker shows?
Wearables estimate active calories from heart rate and motion sensors, while this calculator uses a formula based on your stats and a fixed activity multiplier. Both are estimates and typically agree within 10 to 15%. Track your weight trend over a few weeks and adjust your intake based on real results rather than trusting either number exactly.
Does TDEE change over time?
Yes. TDEE shifts as your weight, age, and activity level change. Losing weight lowers BMR (a smaller body needs fewer calories at rest), so TDEE should be recalculated every several weeks during an active diet or training phase rather than treated as a fixed number.