TDEE Calculator

How TDEE is calculated

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) represents the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period, encompassing all energy demands. It is calculated in two steps. First, your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is estimated using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which the American Dietetic Association considers the most accurate predictive formula for healthy adults. For men: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age + 5. For women: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age - 161. Your BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor that ranges from 1.2 for sedentary individuals to 1.9 for those with physically demanding jobs combined with intense exercise. These multipliers account for three additional energy components beyond BMR: the thermic effect of food (energy used to digest meals), non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT, such as walking and fidgeting), and structured exercise. Together, these components determine how many calories you need each day to maintain your current weight.

What your TDEE means

Your TDEE is the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight. Eating at your TDEE means your weight should remain stable over time. To lose weight, the National Institutes of Health recommend eating below your TDEE — a moderate deficit of 500 kcal per day typically produces about 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss per week, which is considered safe and sustainable. To gain weight, eating 300 to 500 calories above your TDEE supports lean mass gain when paired with resistance training. It is important to understand that TDEE is not a fixed number. It fluctuates based on your daily activity, sleep quality, stress, hormonal cycles, and changes in body weight. As you lose weight, your TDEE decreases because a smaller body requires less energy. This is why weight loss often slows over time — a phenomenon known as metabolic adaptation. For best results, recalculate your TDEE every four to eight weeks and compare your estimated intake against actual weight trends. Adjusting based on real-world data is more reliable than relying on any single formula.

Frequently Asked Questions