Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure at all 5 activity levels at once. Shows maintenance calories, weight loss and gain targets in one view.
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TDEE at all activity levels (click to copy)
How to Use the TDEE Calculator
Enter your stats — age, gender, height, and weight. Use current measurements, not goals.
Select activity level carefully — this is the most important and most commonly over-estimated input. If you sit at a desk all day and go to the gym 3 times a week, you are 'Lightly Active,' not 'Moderately Active.'
Read your TDEE — this is how many calories your body burns daily with your current lifestyle.
Set your calorie target — subtract 300–500 for fat loss, add 200–300 for lean muscle gain, eat at TDEE to maintain weight.
Recalculate monthly — as your weight changes, your TDEE changes. Recalculate every 4 weeks to keep targets accurate.
⚠️ Most common TDEE mistake: Selecting 'Very Active' or 'Extremely Active' when actual daily movement is moderate. This overestimates TDEE by 300–500 calories, making it impossible to create the deficit needed for weight loss. When in doubt, choose one level lower than you think — you can always adjust upward based on results.
Understanding TDEE Components
🔥 BMR (60–70% of TDEE)
Your resting metabolic rate — the largest component. Determined primarily by body size, muscle mass, age, and gender. Cannot be changed quickly but increases with muscle gain over months.
🚶 NEAT (15–30% of TDEE)
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis — all movement outside formal exercise: walking, fidgeting, standing, household chores. Highly variable between individuals. People with active jobs can have NEAT 1,000+ calories higher than sedentary office workers.
🏋️ EAT (5–10% of TDEE)
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis — deliberate exercise. Smaller than most people think as a percentage of total energy expenditure. 1 hour of moderate exercise = 300–500 calories for most people.
🍽️ TEF (8–10% of TDEE)
Thermic Effect of Food — energy used to digest and process food. Protein has the highest TEF (20–30% of calories), carbs moderate (5–10%), fat lowest (0–3%). High protein diets have a metabolic advantage through higher TEF.
📊 Harris-Benedict vs Mifflin
Two common BMR formulas. Mifflin-St Jeor is generally considered more accurate for modern populations. Harris-Benedict tends to slightly overestimate. This calculator uses Mifflin-St Jeor for more precise results.
🔄 Adaptive Thermogenesis
During prolonged calorie restriction, TDEE decreases beyond what weight loss alone explains — the body reduces NEAT and BMR to conserve energy. This is why calorie targets need periodic adjustment and why diet breaks help maintain metabolic rate.
Using TDEE for Body Composition Goals
TDEE for fat loss
Create a deficit of 300–500 calories below TDEE for sustainable fat loss. This produces 0.5–1 lb per week loss. Track actual weight weekly (morning, after bathroom, before eating) and adjust calorie target if results don't match expectations after 3 weeks. Weight loss is rarely linear — weekly averages are more informative than daily readings.
TDEE for muscle gain
To build muscle, eat 200–300 calories above TDEE (lean bulk) or 400–500 above (standard bulk). The muscle-building process is slow — natural trainees gain 1–2 lbs of muscle per month maximum. Eating excessively above TDEE accelerates fat gain without meaningfully increasing muscle gain rate. Patience and consistent training matter more than calorie surplus size.
TDEE for body recomposition
Eating at or near TDEE while following a high-protein diet and progressive resistance training can simultaneously reduce fat and build muscle — called body recomposition. Progress is slower than dedicated cutting or bulking phases but achieves both goals simultaneously. Ideal for beginners, people returning from a break, or those who dislike the bulk/cut cycle.
📊 TDEE tracking system: Week 1–2: eat at calculated TDEE. Week 3: compare actual weight change to expected. If losing weight at TDEE, true TDEE is higher — adjust up. If gaining weight at TDEE, true TDEE is lower — adjust down. Real-world data always overrides calculator estimates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TDEE and why does it matter?
TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total calories you burn each day. It's your personal calorie 'maintenance level'. Knowing your TDEE is the foundation of any weight management plan: eat below it to lose, above it to gain, at it to maintain.
Why does TDEE change with activity?
Your body burns calories through three processes: BMR (rest), NEAT (non-exercise movement like walking), and EAT (intentional exercise). The activity multiplier accounts for all three. A sedentary desk worker and a construction worker of identical size can have TDEEs differing by 800+ calories.
How accurate is the TDEE estimate?
The Mifflin-St Jeor formula has a ±10% margin of error for most people. Actual TDEE depends on individual metabolic variation, muscle mass (muscle burns more than fat at rest), hormones, and genetics. Track calories and weight for 2–3 weeks to find your true maintenance level.
Should I eat my TDEE every day?
Not necessarily. Many people find success with weekly average approach — eating at TDEE on active days, slightly below on rest days. The important metric is the weekly calorie balance, not the daily number. ±100–200 calories per day averages out over a week.