TDEE Calculator
Total Daily Energy Expenditure — your maintenance calories based on the Mifflin-St Jeor formula
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. It includes your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the thermic effect of food (about 10% of calories eaten), and all energy burned through physical activity and exercise.
TDEE is the most important number in nutrition science. Eat consistently below it and you'll lose weight. Eat above it and you'll gain. Match it exactly and your weight stays stable. Everything else — macros, meal timing, food quality — matters far less than this fundamental energy balance.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation (used here) was validated in a 2005 study as the most accurate formula for estimating BMR in both obese and non-obese adults, outperforming the older Harris-Benedict equation.
TDEE calculator — FAQ
Recalculate every 4–8 weeks, or whenever your weight changes by more than 5 kg (10 lbs), your activity level changes significantly, or your results stop matching your goals. As you lose or gain weight, your TDEE changes — this is why recalculating regularly is important for continued progress.
Formula-based TDEE estimates are typically accurate within 10–15%, but individual variation is real. Factors like genetics, hormonal health, muscle mass, sleep, and stress all affect metabolism. If tracking calories at your TDEE for 3 weeks produces different results than expected, adjust your intake by 100–150 kcal and track for another 2 weeks.
Most people underestimate their activity level. If you have a physically demanding job (construction, nursing, waiting tables), choose "very active" even if you don't exercise separately. If you sit most of the day but hit the gym 3–4 times a week, "lightly active" or "moderately active" is usually appropriate. When in doubt, start with a lower activity level and adjust up if you're losing weight faster than expected.
Yes — TDEE and maintenance calories refer to the same thing: the number of calories that keeps your weight stable. Eating at your TDEE = weight maintenance. Eating below = weight loss. Eating above = weight gain. The relationship is approximately 7,700 calories per kilogram of fat (3,500 calories per pound).