Free
TDEE Calculator

What is TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)?

TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure — is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. It is the most important number in nutrition and weight management because it tells you exactly how many calories you need to maintain, lose, or gain weight.

Unlike your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which only accounts for calories burned at complete rest, your TDEE includes everything: resting metabolism, daily movement, planned exercise, and the energy cost of digesting food.

The 4 Components of TDEE

• BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): The calories your body burns just to keep you alive — heart beating, lungs breathing, organs functioning. This accounts for 60–70% of your TDEE.
• NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): Calories burned through daily movement that is not planned exercise — walking, standing, fidgeting, and household tasks. This is highly variable and can range from 200 to 1,000+ calories per day.
• TEF (Thermic Effect of Food): The energy used to digest, absorb, and process food. Protein has the highest thermic effect (25–30%), followed by carbohydrates (6–8%) and fat (2–3%). TEF accounts for roughly 10% of TDEE.
• EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): Calories burned during intentional exercise — gym sessions, running, cycling, sports. This is the most controllable component of your TDEE.

How Is TDEE Calculated?

TDEE is calculated by first determining your BMR using a validated equation, then multiplying by an activity factor that reflects how active you are throughout the day.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation (1990) is the most accurate for the general population:

• Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) + 5
• Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) − 161

Activity multipliers range from 1.2 (Sedentary) to 1.9 (Very Active). For example, a sedentary 30-year-old woman (165 cm, 65 kg) with a BMR of 1,432 kcal would have a TDEE of 1,718 kcal/day (1,432 × 1.2).

How to Use Your TDEE Result

• To maintain weight: Eat at your TDEE. Over time, your weight stays stable.
• To lose fat: Eat 300–500 calories below TDEE for sustainable fat loss of 0.5–1 lb per week.
• To build muscle: Eat 200–300 calories above TDEE in a lean bulk to minimise fat gain.
• To recalculate: Recalculate every 8–12 weeks as your weight changes — a lighter body has a lower TDEE.

Why Are TDEE Calculators Sometimes Inaccurate?

TDEE calculators provide estimates, not measurements. The primary sources of error are:

• Overestimated activity level: Most people overestimate how active they are. A desk job with 3 gym sessions per week is "Lightly Active," not "Moderately Active."
• Individual metabolic variation: NEAT varies by up to 2,000 calories per day between individuals due to genetics, hormones, and habits. No formula can fully account for this.
• Body composition differences: Standard formulas assume an average body composition. People with higher muscle mass (or higher body fat) may find the Katch-McArdle formula more accurate.

The solution: use this calculator as a starting point, track your food and weight consistently for 2–3 weeks, and adjust your target by ±100–200 calories based on your actual results.

Mifflin-St Jeor vs Harris-Benedict vs Katch-McArdle

This calculator supports three validated BMR formulas. Here is when to use each:

• Mifflin-St Jeor (recommended): Most accurate for the general population. Published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (1990). Use this unless you know your body fat percentage.
• Harris-Benedict (revised 1984): The original standard, slightly less accurate than Mifflin-St Jeor for most people. May suit older adults or those with atypical body compositions.
• Katch-McArdle: The most accurate formula if you know your body fat percentage, because it accounts for lean body mass directly. Ideal for athletes and bodybuilders.