TDEE Calculator

Estimate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), roughly the calories you burn in a typical day, and see how much the answer depends on the activity level you choose.

The equations were built from data on biological sex.

For adults 18 and over.

Most people overestimate this. If unsure, pick the lower level.

Leave at 0 if you don't know it. Needed only for the Katch-McArdle equation.

Estimated TDEE
1,955
calories a day, lightly active
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor)
1,422
Activity multiplier
1.38
One level either side
1,706 to 2,204 calories
Per week
13,683
  • The activity multiplier is the least certain part of this estimate. Each step up the scale adds 0.175 × BMR, about 249 calories a day for you, so picking one level too high is an easy way to overestimate.
  • Use it as a starting point: if your weight is steady over 2 to 4 weeks at a known intake, that intake is your real maintenance level.
  • An estimate for information only, not medical advice.

Activity multipliers and your TDEE

Activity levelMultiplierTDEE (calories/day)
Sedentary: desk job, little or no exercise1.21,706
Lightly active: light exercise 1–3 days/week1.381,955
Moderately active: moderate exercise 3–5 days/week1.552,204
Very active: hard exercise 6–7 days/week1.732,452
Extremely active: hard daily training plus a physical job1.92,701

How TDEE is estimated

Total daily energy expenditure is everything you burn in 24 hours: your basal metabolic rate (BMR), plus the energy used digesting food, plus all movement, from fidgeting and walking to planned exercise. Measuring it directly takes a lab, so calculators estimate BMR from height, weight, age and sex, then multiply by an activity factor.

This calculator uses Mifflin-St Jeor for BMR by default, the equation a systematic review found most often within 10% of measured resting metabolism. You can switch to revised Harris-Benedict, or to Katch-McArdle if you know your body fat percentage.

The activity multipliers, and why they're rough

The five multipliers in the table (1.2, 1.375, 1.55, 1.725 and 1.9) are the conventional ones published by the American Council on Exercise and used by most fitness calculators. They are rules of thumb, not measured values for you.

The international reference comes from the FAO/WHO/UNU expert report on human energy requirements, which expresses activity as a physical activity level (PAL), total energy divided by BMR. It puts sedentary or light lifestyles at 1.40 to 1.69, active or moderately active at 1.70 to 1.99, and vigorous at 2.00 to 2.40, and notes that levels above 2.40 are hard to sustain for long. Each band is wide: within the sedentary band alone, the estimate can move by about 20%.

Exercise sessions also matter less than people expect. An hour at the gym three times a week is a small part of a 168-hour week; how much you move the rest of the time (job, commute, steps) often decides which level fits.

Turning TDEE into a plan

Eating close to your TDEE should keep weight roughly stable. Eating less leads to gradual loss, and eating more to gain. The calorie calculator applies this with safe minimums, and the macro calculator splits calories into protein, carbohydrate and fat.

Check the estimate against reality. Weigh yourself under the same conditions a few times a week and compare averages over 2 to 4 weeks. If your weight is drifting, adjust intake by 100 to 200 calories a day and reassess, rather than trusting the formula over your own data.

The TDEE formula

TDEE = BMR × activity multiplierMifflin-St Jeor BMR = 10W + 6.25H − 5A + 5 (men) or − 161 (women)
  • W = weight in kg, H = height in cm, A = age in years
  • Activity multiplier = 1.2, 1.375, 1.55, 1.725 or 1.9 (see the table)

Example

  1. A 35-year-old woman, 5 ft 5 in and 160 lb, who does light exercise 1 to 3 days a week.
  2. Mifflin-St Jeor BMR = 1,422 calories a day (10 × 72.57 kg + 6.25 × 165.1 cm − 5 × 35 − 161).
  3. TDEE = 1,421.6 × 1.375 = 1,955 calories a day.
  4. If she's really sedentary, TDEE is 1,421.6 × 1.2 = 1,706; if moderately active, 1,421.6 × 1.55 = 2,204. That spread of nearly 500 calories is why the activity level deserves a careful, honest choice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is what your body burns at complete rest. TDEE adds digestion and all physical activity, so it's the better estimate of how much you can eat to keep your weight steady.

Which activity level should I pick?

Choose based on your whole day, not just workouts. A desk job with three gym sessions a week usually fits "lightly active". If you're torn between two levels, pick the lower one and adjust after a few weeks of tracking.

How accurate is a TDEE calculator?

It's an educated guess. The BMR equation alone can be off by 10% or more for an individual, and the activity factor adds more uncertainty. Your weight trend at a known intake is the real test.

Should I eat back calories from exercise?

If you used an activity level that already includes your exercise, no: those calories are in the TDEE. Adding fitness tracker estimates on top would count them twice.

What is the TDEE for a 35-year-old woman, 5 ft 5 in, 160 lb?

About 1,955 calories a day if lightly active, 1,706 if sedentary and 2,204 if moderately active, using Mifflin-St Jeor.

Sources

Last reviewed for 2026. How we calculate.