Enter your details to calculate your TDEE and personalized calorie target. Supported ranges: age 15-90, weight 35-250 kg, height 130-230 cm.
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure and get personalized calorie targets for your goal. No medical jargon—just simple, accurate numbers that work.
Why TDEE Matters More Than BMR
Most people calculate their BMR and then wonder why they're not losing weight. Here's the problem: BMR is just your resting metabolic rate. Unless you're in a coma, you burn way more calories than your BMR.
TDEE multiplies your BMR by an activity factor to give you the actual number of calories you burn daily. This is the number you need to eat below for fat loss, above for muscle gain, or at for maintenance.
Our calculator uses the scientifically-validated Mifflin-St Jeor equation for BMR, then applies research-backed activity multipliers. The result? Calorie targets accurate within 10-15% for most people.
How to Choose Your Activity Level
Sedentary (1.2×)
Desk job, little to no exercise. Most of your day sitting or resting.
Lightly Active (1.375×)
Light exercise 1-3 days per week, or active job with moderate walking.
Moderately Active (1.55×)
Moderate exercise 3-5 days per week, or physically demanding job.
Very Active (1.725×)
Hard exercise 6-7 days per week, or very physical job plus regular training.
Extremely Active (1.9×)
Professional athlete or extremely physical job with daily intense training.
Pro tip: When in doubt, choose a lower activity level. It's easier to increase calories if you're losing too fast than to figure out why you're not losing at all.
TDEE Calculator FAQs
What is a TDEE calculator?
A TDEE calculator estimates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure—the total calories you burn in 24 hours including exercise, daily activities, and rest. It multiplies your BMR (calories at rest) by an activity factor to give you your maintenance calories. This number tells you exactly how many calories to eat to maintain, lose, or gain weight.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
TDEE calculators are accurate within 10-15% for most people. Your actual TDEE could be 200-300 calories higher or lower than the estimate. Track your weight and calories for 2-3 weeks—if you're not losing/gaining as expected, adjust your intake by 100-200 calories and reassess.
What's the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is calories burned at complete rest (just staying alive), while TDEE includes all daily movement and exercise. TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier. For example, if your BMR is 1,500 and you exercise 3-5 times per week, your TDEE is about 1,500 × 1.55 = 2,325 calories.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Eat 300-500 calories below your TDEE to lose 0.5-1 pound per week safely. If your TDEE is 2,200 calories, eating 1,700-1,900 calories creates a sustainable deficit. Avoid eating less than 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) as this can slow metabolism and cause muscle loss.
Should I eat back my exercise calories?
No, your TDEE already includes exercise calories based on your activity level selection. If you selected 'moderately active' because you workout 3-5 times per week, those calories are already counted. Only eat back exercise calories if you did something unusually intense beyond your normal routine.
How often should I recalculate my TDEE?
Recalculate your TDEE every 10-15 pounds of weight change, or if your activity level changes significantly. Your TDEE decreases as you lose weight because you have less body mass. Don't recalculate more than once every 2-3 weeks—daily fluctuations don't reflect real changes.
What if I don't exercise consistently?
Choose 'sedentary' or 'lightly active' to get a conservative TDEE estimate. It's better to underestimate and eat slightly more if needed than to overestimate and wonder why you're not losing weight. You can always increase calories if you find yourself too hungry or losing weight too quickly.
Master Your Nutrition
Learn how to use your TDEE effectively with these guides:
Essential
BMR vs TDEE: What's the Difference?
Understand why TDEE is the number you actually need for diet planning
FeaturedThe Painless Guide to Cutting Calories
How to lose fat without feeling miserable or hungry all day
NutritionHow Much Protein Is Too Much?
The truth about protein intake for fat loss and muscle gain