TDEE Calculator
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the number of calories you burn in a full day, including movement and exercise. This TDEE calculator first estimates your basal metabolic rate with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by an activity factor that reflects how active you are. The result is your maintenance calories: eat about that many and your weight stays roughly steady. Eat below it to lose weight and above it to gain. The activity multipliers are a widely used convention, not a single research paper, so treat the number as a well-founded estimate to test and adjust.
Calculate
Default result: 2,757
TDEE Calculator · Result
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Maintenance calories (TDEE)
male × 176 lb × 70.9 in × 30 × moderate
- Basal metabolic rate
- 1,779
This calculator provides general estimates for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Results are based on population formulas and may not reflect your individual circumstances. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, exercise, or health routine.
Reviewed by the calculators.dev team · Last updated 2026-06-23
Formula reviewed against Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure. Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51(2):241-7 (BMR basis)
How to calculate
Enter your sex, weight, height, and age, then pick the activity level that best matches a typical week. The calculator computes your BMR, then multiplies it by the matching factor: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 very active, 1.9 extra active. For a 1780 kcal BMR at a moderate level, TDEE is 1780 × 1.55 = 2759 kcal/day. Use that figure as a starting maintenance target and adjust after a couple of weeks if your weight trends up or down.
TDEE = BMR × activity_factor, where BMR is the Mifflin-St Jeor estimate and the factor ranges from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extra active). Variables: BMR is your resting burn in kcal/day and the factor scales it for daily movement and exercise. The activity multipliers are a de-facto convention used across reference calculators (calculator.net / NASM style), not values from one primary study, so they are approximate.
Example calculation
A 30-year-old man, 80 kg and 1.80 m, has a Mifflin-St Jeor BMR of 1780 kcal/day. At a moderately active level (factor 1.55) his TDEE is 1780 × 1.55 = 2759 kcal/day — the calories he would eat to maintain his weight.
- tdee
- 2,759 kcal/day
- bmr
- 1,780 kcal/day
Assumptions
- The activity factors (1.2–1.9) are a commonly used convention rather than measured values, so the same inputs at the same level always give the same estimate.
- TDEE builds on the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR, which is fitted to healthy adults and is itself an estimate.
- Real daily burn varies day to day with steps, training, and non-exercise activity; the single factor is an average, not a guarantee.
Common mistakes
- Overstating your activity level. Most people who pick “very active” are closer to moderate; an inflated factor inflates the calorie target.
- Treating TDEE as fixed. It changes as your weight, training, and daily movement change, so recheck it periodically.
- Confusing TDEE with BMR. TDEE already includes activity; do not multiply it by an activity factor a second time.
Frequently asked questions
What does TDEE mean?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total calories you burn in a day, including resting metabolism plus all movement and exercise. It is your maintenance calorie level.
Which activity level should I choose?
Match it to a typical week, not your best week. Desk job with little exercise is sedentary; training hard most days is very active. When unsure, pick the lower option and adjust after tracking your weight.
How accurate is a TDEE estimate?
It is a good starting point but an estimate. The activity multipliers are a convention, and real burn varies. Use it as a baseline, then fine-tune based on how your weight actually changes over two to three weeks.
How do I use TDEE to lose or gain weight?
Eat below your TDEE to lose weight and above it to gain. A common starting deficit is 300–500 kcal/day. The calorie deficit calculator estimates the timeline from a daily deficit.