TDEE Calculator

Estimate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and maintenance calories from age, sex, height, weight, and activity level, with daily targets to lose or gain weight.

Updated

TDEE: 2,583 Calories/day

Your estimated total daily energy expenditure, which is the intake that keeps your weight steady.

BMI score
23.7 kg/m²
Normal
Healthy BMI range
18.5 – 25 kg/m²

Daily energy intake by goal

  • Extreme weight loss (2 lb/week)1,583 Calories/day · 61%
  • Weight loss (1 lb/week)2,083 Calories/day · 81%
  • Mild weight loss (0.5 lb/week)2,333 Calories/day · 90%
  • Maintain weight (TDEE)2,583 Calories/day · 100%
  • Mild weight gain (0.5 lb/week)2,833 Calories/day · 110%
  • Weight gain (1 lb/week)3,083 Calories/day · 119%
  • Fast weight gain (2 lb/week)3,583 Calories/day · 139%

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What is TDEE?

TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure: the total energy your body uses in a day. Eating about that much keeps your weight steady, which is why a TDEE calculator is also used as a maintenance calorie calculator. It combines the energy you burn at rest with the energy you burn through work, exercise, and everyday movement.

How this TDEE calculator works

The calculator first estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the energy you would use at complete rest, then multiplies it by an activity factor.

TDEE = BMR × activity factor

By default BMR comes from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, with weight in kilograms, height in centimeters, and age in years:

Men: BMR = 10 × weight + 6.25 × height − 5 × age + 5
Women: BMR = 10 × weight + 6.25 × height − 5 × age − 161

If you know your body fat percentage, you can switch to the Katch-McArdle formula, which works from lean body mass and can be more accurate for lean people:

BMR = 370 + 21.6 × (1 − body fat % ÷ 100) × weight

Activity levelFactor
Basal metabolic rate only1.0
Sedentary: little or no exercise1.2
Light: exercise 1-3 times a week1.375
Moderate: exercise 4-5 times a week1.465
Active: daily exercise or intense exercise 3-4 times a week1.55
Very active: intense exercise 6-7 times a week1.725
Extra active: very intense daily exercise or a physical job1.9

For a 28-year-old man who is 5 ft 11 in and 170 lb with moderate activity, BMR is about 1,763 Calories and TDEE is 1,763 × 1.465 ≈ 2,583 Calories per day.

What the result includes

  • Your TDEE in Calories or kilojoules per day (1 Calorie = 4.1868 kJ).
  • Your BMI score and category, next to the healthy BMI range of 18.5 to 25 kg/m².
  • Daily intake to lose weight: TDEE minus 250, 500, or 1,000 Calories, for roughly 0.5, 1, or 2 lb (0.25, 0.5, or 1 kg) a week.
  • Daily intake to gain weight: TDEE plus the same amounts.

Weight-loss targets are left out when your BMI is 18.5 or lower, and any target under 1,500 Calories a day for men or 1,200 for women is replaced by a note to talk to a doctor. Weight-gain targets are left out when your BMI is 35 or higher.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use a TDEE calculator to lose weight?

Eat less than your TDEE. A deficit of about 500 Calories a day is commonly used for a loss of about 1 lb a week. Recalculate as your weight drops, because a lighter body has a lower TDEE.

Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?

Yes. Maintenance calories are the intake that matches your total daily energy expenditure, so your weight stays about the same.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is the energy you use at complete rest. TDEE adds everything on top of that, such as walking, working, and exercise, so it is always higher. Choosing the basal metabolic rate activity level shows your BMR alone.

Which activity level should I choose?

Count a session of 15 to 30 minutes with a raised heart rate as exercise, 45 to 120 minutes as intense exercise, and two hours or more as very intense exercise. If you are between two levels, start with the lower one and adjust after a few weeks of tracking your weight.

Limitations

TDEE is an estimate. The equations describe population averages for adults aged 18 to 80, and the activity factors are broad categories, so your real energy use can differ. The weekly weight-change figures are rules of thumb. This calculator is not medical advice; check with a doctor or registered dietitian before making large changes to how much you eat.

What's changed
  • Launched.

References