TDEE Calculator
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure to find out how many calories you burn per day. Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — the gold standard recommended by nutrition professionals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TDEE?+
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your basal metabolic rate (BMR), physical activity, and the thermic effect of food. Knowing your TDEE helps you understand how many calories you need to eat to lose weight, maintain weight, or gain muscle.
How accurate is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation?+
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is considered the most accurate predictive equation for estimating BMR in healthy adults, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It is accurate to within about 10% for most people. However, individual factors like muscle mass, genetics, and hormones can cause your actual TDEE to differ from the estimate.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?+
A safe and sustainable rate of weight loss is about 0.5-1 kg (1-2 lbs) per week. This requires a caloric deficit of approximately 500 calories per day below your TDEE. Our calculator shows this as your 'Weight Loss' target. Avoid going below 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,500 for men without medical supervision.
Should I eat back exercise calories?+
It depends on your goals. If you selected an activity level that already accounts for your exercise, your TDEE estimate includes those calories. Eating back additional exercise calories on top of that could lead to overeating. If you chose a lower activity level and track exercise separately, eating back 50-75% of exercise calories is a reasonable approach, since calorie burn estimates from fitness trackers tend to overestimate.
How TDEE Is Calculated
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, published in 1990 and widely regarded as the most accurate formula for estimating Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) in healthy adults.
Male: BMR = 10 x weight(kg) + 6.25 x height(cm) - 5 x age + 5
Female: BMR = 10 x weight(kg) + 6.25 x height(cm) - 5 x age - 161
Your BMR represents the number of calories your body needs at complete rest — just to keep your organs functioning, your blood circulating, and your cells alive. It typically accounts for 60-75% of your total daily calorie burn.
To get your TDEE, the BMR is multiplied by an activity factor that estimates the calories burned through daily movement, exercise, and the thermic effect of food (the energy your body uses to digest what you eat).
While no equation is perfect, the Mifflin-St Jeor formula has been validated in numerous studies and is recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as the best starting point for calorie estimation.
This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical or nutritional advice. Consult a healthcare provider before making significant changes to your diet.