TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a day, accounting for your basal metabolic rate (BMR) plus all physical activity. It's the single most important number for anyone managing their weight or body composition.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep your organs functioning. TDEE multiplies BMR by an activity factor to account for the calories burned through movement and exercise throughout the day. TDEE is almost always higher than BMR.

How accurate is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation?

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is widely considered the most accurate BMR formula for most people. A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found it predicted resting metabolic rate within 10% for roughly 82% of participants. It performs better than the older Harris-Benedict equation for modern adults.

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

A deficit of 500 calories per day below your TDEE is a commonly recommended starting point, producing roughly 1 lb (0.45 kg) of fat loss per week. This calculator shows that target automatically. Avoid dropping below 1200 calories (women) or 1500 calories (men) per day without medical supervision.

How often should I recalculate my TDEE?

Recalculate every 4–8 weeks, or whenever your weight changes by 5+ lbs, your activity level shifts significantly, or your progress stalls. As you lose or gain weight, your BMR changes, so your calorie targets need to be updated to stay accurate.

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Calculators & Converters

Free TDEE Calculator

Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure and find your exact calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain — using the gold-standard Mifflin-St Jeor equation.

Imperial

Metric

Age (years)

Gender

Weight (lbs)

Height — Feet

Height — Inches

Height (cm)

Activity Level

How to Use This Calculator

Choose Imperial (lbs, ft/in) or Metric (kg, cm) using the toggle at the top.
Enter your age, select your gender, and input your weight and height.
Select your activity level — be honest. Most people overestimate their activity and should start at Sedentary or Lightly Active.
Click "Calculate My TDEE" to see your BMR, TDEE, and calorie targets for losing, maintaining, or gaining weight.

Activity Level Guide

Choosing the right activity level is crucial — it directly affects your TDEE by hundreds of calories. When in doubt, go one level lower than you think.

🪑 Sedentary

Desk job, mostly sitting. Little to no intentional exercise outside of walking to/from the car.

× 1.2

🚶 Lightly Active

Light exercise or sports 1–3 days per week. Standing job or casual walking included.

× 1.375

🏃 Moderately Active

Moderate exercise or sports 3–5 days per week. This is the most common level for gym-goers.

× 1.55

⚡ Very Active

Hard exercise or sports 6–7 days per week. Training twice daily, or a physically demanding job.

× 1.725

🏋️ Extremely Active

Professional athlete, military training, or a very hard physical job plus daily exercise.

× 1.9

What is TDEE?

TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure — is the total number of calories your body burns every day. It's calculated by multiplying your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) by an activity factor that reflects how much you move. TDEE is the cornerstone number behind every effective diet and training program: eat below it to lose weight, at it to maintain, and above it to gain.

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is widely regarded as the most accurate BMR formula for modern adults. Published in 1990, it has been validated against indirect calorimetry measurements and consistently outperforms older formulas like the Harris-Benedict equation. That said, all formulas are estimates — individual variation in metabolism, hormones, and body composition means your true TDEE may be ±10–15% different from the calculated value.

The best way to dial in your true TDEE is to track your food intake and body weight for 2–3 weeks, then adjust calories based on actual results. Use this calculator as your starting point, then iterate from real data.

TDEE vs BMR — What's the Difference?

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — lying still, awake, in a temperature-controlled room, having not eaten for 12+ hours. It represents the energy your body needs just to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, and organs functioning. For most people, BMR accounts for 60–75% of total calorie expenditure.

TDEE adds everything on top of BMR: the energy burned during exercise, everyday movement (walking, fidgeting, standing), and the thermic effect of food (energy used to digest meals). Activity level multipliers translate this complex total into a single number that's practical for calorie planning. The difference between BMR and TDEE can range from a few hundred calories for a sedentary person to over 1,000 calories per day for an elite athlete.

Frequently Asked Questions

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total calories your body burns in a day, combining your resting metabolic rate with the energy used through all physical activity and digestion. It's your personal calorie maintenance number: eat at TDEE to stay the same weight, below it to lose, and above it to gain.
BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep your organs alive. TDEE multiplies BMR by an activity factor to include the energy burned through movement and exercise. BMR is a baseline; TDEE is the practical number you use for diet planning. TDEE is always higher than BMR.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is the most validated BMR formula for most adults. Research shows it predicts resting metabolic rate within 10% for around 82% of people. It's more accurate than the older Harris-Benedict equation for modern adults. However, body composition, hormones, and genetics can cause individual variation — treat the result as a close estimate, then adjust based on real-world tracking.
A 500-calorie daily deficit below your TDEE is the standard starting point, targeting roughly 1 lb of fat loss per week. This calculator shows that target automatically in the results. Avoid dropping below 1,200 cal/day (women) or 1,500 cal/day (men) without medical supervision, as severe restriction can cause muscle loss and metabolic adaptation.
Recalculate every 4–8 weeks, or whenever your weight changes by 5+ lbs, your activity level shifts, or your progress plateaus. As you lose or gain weight, your BMR and TDEE change — recalculating keeps your calorie targets accurate and prevents a stall.