TDEE Calculator | Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure
Use this free TDEE calculator to find out exactly how many calories you burn each day. Enter your age, sex, weight, height, and activity level to calculate your TDEE, BMR, and personalized macro targets in just a few clicks.
Your Stats
Enter your stats to see your TDEE and macro targets.
What Is TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure (the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period). It is the sum of your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the calories you burn through daily movement (NEAT), planned exercise (EAT), and the thermic effect of digesting food (TEF). In short, your TDEE is your true daily calorie burn, and the only number you need to plan a diet that actually works.
A reliable TDEE calculator turns those four components into one personalized maintenance calorie number. Eat below your TDEE and you lose weight. Eat at it and you maintain. Eat above it and you build muscle (or fat).
This free TDEE calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the formula peer-reviewed research consistently rates as the most accurate predictor of resting metabolism in healthy adults. Pair the result with the macro breakdown below and you have a complete plan: calories, protein, carbs, and fat.
- • Lose Weight: eat 300 to 500 calories under your TDEE
- • Maintain Weight: eat at your TDEE (your maintenance calories)
- • Build Muscle: eat 200 to 300 calories above your TDEE
- • Body Recomp: eat at TDEE with high protein and progressive lifting
- • Aggressive Cut: 20 to 25% below TDEE, short phases only
- • Lean Bulk: 10 to 15% above TDEE with 4+ lifting sessions per week
How We Calculate Your TDEE
We use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research shows is the most accurate prediction formula for healthy adults. We calculate your BMR first, then multiply by an activity factor that matches your weekly movement.
Calculate BMR
Mifflin-St Jeor uses your weight, height, age, and sex to estimate the calories your body burns at complete rest.
Apply Activity Factor
We multiply BMR by 1.2 (sedentary) up to 1.9 (extra active) based on how much you move and train each week.
Adjust for Your Goal
We subtract for fat loss, hold steady for maintenance, or add a small surplus for muscle gain.
Factors That Influence Your TDEE
Two people of the same age and weight can have very different TDEEs. These are the variables that move the number up or down.
Body Weight and Lean Mass
More weight means more calories burned during any movement. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so a leaner build raises your floor.
Age and Sex
Metabolism slows by roughly 1 to 2 percent per decade after 20. Men typically have more lean mass than women, which raises BMR.
Daily Movement (NEAT)
Walking, fidgeting, chores, standing at your desk. NEAT is the most variable piece of TDEE between people.
Exercise and Training
Lifting, cardio, classes. Higher intensity and longer sessions raise your daily burn.
Food Intake and Protein
Your body uses calories to digest food. Protein has the highest cost, which is one reason it helps with fat loss.
Sleep, Stress and Hormones
Poor sleep and high stress lower NEAT and can blunt metabolism. Thyroid function and life stage matter too.
Tips To Improve Your TDEE Results
Your TDEE is not fixed. Small daily habits move it in the direction you want and make any calorie target easier to hit.
- 1
Lift Weights Twice a Week
Strength training builds muscle, and muscle raises your resting burn. Two full body sessions a week is enough to start.
- 2
Walk More Outside the Gym
A 7,000 to 10,000 step daily target lifts NEAT, which is often the difference between hitting your goal and stalling.
- 3
Eat Enough Protein
Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight. It protects muscle in a deficit and bumps the thermic cost of food.
- 4
Sleep 7 to 9 Hours
Short sleep crushes appetite control and lowers spontaneous movement the next day. Sleep is a free TDEE boost.
- 5
Track for a Month, Not a Day
Daily numbers swing with sodium, fiber, and water. Use a 7 day rolling average to see what your body is actually doing.
- 6
Recalculate as You Change
Update your TDEE every 4 to 6 weeks. A lighter body needs fewer calories, and ignoring that is the most common cause of plateaus.
TDEE Calculator FAQ
Quick answers to the questions people ask most.