Your TDEE
0
calories/day
BMR0
Calorie Goals
Lose Weight0 cal/day
Maintain0 cal/day
Gain Weight0 cal/day
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure - how many calories you burn daily
TDEE is calculated by first determining your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - the calories your body needs at rest - using formulas like Mifflin-St Jeor or Harris-Benedict. This is then multiplied by an activity factor (1.2 for sedentary to 1.9 for extra active) to account for daily movement and exercise.
Knowing your TDEE is the foundation of any nutrition plan. Eat more than your TDEE to gain weight, less to lose weight, and approximately equal to maintain. It's the starting point for achieving your fitness and body composition goals.
BMR represents calories burned at complete rest (about 60-70% of TDEE). TDEE includes BMR plus calories burned through daily activities, exercise, and digestion. TDEE gives you the complete picture of your energy needs.
Start with the calculated value and track your weight for 2-3 weeks. Adjust by 100-200 calories if you're not seeing desired changes. Recalculate as your weight changes significantly. Consider TDEE a starting estimate, not an exact number.
TDEE is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, combining your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the thermic effect of food (calories burned digesting), and all physical activity from daily movement to structured exercise. Your BMR accounts for about 60-70% of TDEE, the thermic effect of food about 10%, and physical activity about 20-30%. Knowing your TDEE is essential for setting calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
To lose weight, eat fewer calories than your TDEE to create a caloric deficit. A deficit of 500 calories per day typically results in about one pound of fat loss per week. Start by calculating your TDEE, then subtract 500 calories for moderate weight loss or 250 for slower, more sustainable loss. Avoid going below a 1,000-calorie deficit, as extreme restriction can cause muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and metabolic slowdown. Track your weight for 2-3 weeks and adjust if needed, since TDEE calculations are estimates.
TDEE calculators provide a reasonable starting estimate, typically within 10-15% of your actual expenditure. The main source of error is the activity level multiplier, as most people tend to overestimate their activity. The BMR calculation itself is fairly accurate for most people. To improve accuracy, use your TDEE as a starting point and track your weight and food intake for 2-3 weeks. If your weight is not changing as expected, adjust your calorie intake by 100-200 calories. Recalculate your TDEE as your weight changes significantly.