TDEE Calculator

How TDEE Is Calculated

This calculator first estimates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories your body burns at complete rest just to keep your heart, brain, and organs running — using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the formula most widely used by dietitians today because it's more accurate for modern populations than the older Harris-Benedict equation. For men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5. For women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is then BMR multiplied by an activity factor ranging from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extremely active), which scales up your baseline burn to account for movement throughout the day.

What's Actually Inside Your TDEE Number

TDEE isn't just "BMR plus workouts." It's really made up of four pieces: BMR itself (roughly 60-70% of most people's total burn), the thermic effect of food (the energy your body spends digesting and processing what you eat, typically around 10% of intake), structured exercise, and NEAT — Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which covers everything from fidgeting and walking around the office to taking the stairs. NEAT varies enormously between individuals and is folded into the activity multiplier above rather than estimated separately, since it's very difficult to measure without specialized equipment.

Using Your TDEE Number

This calculator shows your maintenance expenditure — the breakdown of what your body burns in an average day — rather than a specific target for weight loss or gain. If you want a calorie target tailored to a goal (cutting, bulking, or maintaining at a chosen rate), use the calorie calculator. You can also check your macronutrient split with the macro calculator once you have a target calorie number in mind. This tool provides an educational estimate only, not medical advice — for personalized guidance, especially around significant weight or health goals, consult a doctor or registered dietitian.