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TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure — is the number of calories your body burns in a full day, including everything from breathing to your workout. It’s the single most useful number in any nutrition plan: eat at your TDEE and weight holds steady, eat below it and you lose, above it and you gain.
Enter your sex, age, height, weight and activity level to get your TDEE, your BMR (the floor beneath it), and calorie targets for a gentle loss or gain.
TDEE Calculator: step-by-step worked example
- Sex
- Male
- Age
- 35
- Weight (kg)
- 80
- Height (cm)
- 178
- Activity level
- Moderately active (3–5 days/week)
- 1
Basal metabolic rate (Mifflin-St Jeor)
BMR = 10×kg + 6.25×cm − 5×age + (male +5 / female −161)
10 × 80 + 6.25 × 178 − 5 × 35 + 5 = 1,742.5 kcal
- 2
Activity factor (PAL)
Sedentary 1.2 · Lightly active 1.375 · Moderately active 1.55 · Active 1.725 · Very active 1.9
= 1.55
- 3
Maintenance calories
Maintenance = round(BMR × PAL)
1,742.5 × 1.55 = 2,701 kcal
- 4
Gentle weight-loss target
Target = Maintenance − 300
2,701 − 300 = 2,401 kcal
- 5
Gentle weight-gain target
Target = Maintenance + 300
2,701 + 300 = 3,001 kcal
- Sedentary2,091 kcal
- Lightly active2,396 kcal
- Moderately active2,701 kcal
- Active3,006 kcal
- Very active3,311 kcal
- Lose weight2,401 kcal
- Maintain2,701 kcal
- Gain weight3,001 kcal
Good to know: BMR uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and the usual PAL multipliers. Treat the result as a starting point: track your weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust by 100–200 kcal. ±300 kcal/day is roughly 0.25–0.3 kg per week; see a dietitian if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a chronic condition.
TDEE Calculator — how it works
BMR first, then activity
TDEE is built in two steps. First your BMR (basal metabolic rate) — the calories you’d burn at complete rest — is estimated with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, the most accurate for the general population:
| Sex | BMR formula (kcal/day) |
|---|---|
| Male | 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5 |
| Female | 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age − 161 |
Then BMR is multiplied by an activity factor to get TDEE:
| Activity | Factor |
|---|---|
| Sedentary (desk job, little exercise) | 1.2 |
| Lightly active (1–3 days/week) | 1.375 |
| Moderately active (3–5 days/week) | 1.55 |
| Very active (6–7 days/week) | 1.725 |
| Extra active (hard training / physical job) | 1.9 |
Turning TDEE into a goal
A pound of fat is roughly 3,500 kcal, so a 300–500 kcal daily gap moves weight at a sustainable ~0.3–0.5 kg per week. The tool shows a mild deficit (TDEE − 300) and a mild surplus (TDEE + 300) as starting points.
Why it’s an estimate
Activity factors are broad buckets and metabolisms vary. Treat the number as a starting budget: track your weight for two or three weeks and adjust by 100–200 kcal if the trend isn’t what you want. That real-world feedback beats any formula.
Worked example
Take a 30-year-old woman, 165 cm, 65 kg, moderately active. Her BMR is 10 × 65 + 6.25 × 165 − 5 × 30 − 161 = 650 + 1,031 − 150 − 161 = 1,370 kcal. Multiplying by the moderate factor of 1.55 gives a TDEE of about 2,124 kcal/day. To lose weight gently she’d aim near 1,824 kcal; to gain, near 2,424. If the scale doesn’t move after a few weeks, she nudges the target rather than the formula.
Daily calorie needs — male, 30 years, 175 cm
| Weight | Sedentary | Light | Moderate | Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 1,799 kcal | 2,061 kcal | 2,323 kcal | 2,585 kcal |
| 60 kg | 1,859 kcal | 2,130 kcal | 2,401 kcal | 2,672 kcal |
| 65 kg | 1,919 kcal | 2,198 kcal | 2,478 kcal | 2,758 kcal |
| 70 kg | 1,979 kcal | 2,267 kcal | 2,556 kcal | 2,844 kcal |
| 75 kg | 2,039 kcal | 2,336 kcal | 2,633 kcal | 2,930 kcal |
| 80 kg | 2,099 kcal | 2,405 kcal | 2,711 kcal | 3,017 kcal |
| 85 kg | 2,159 kcal | 2,473 kcal | 2,788 kcal | 3,103 kcal |
| 90 kg | 2,219 kcal | 2,542 kcal | 2,866 kcal | 3,189 kcal |
| 95 kg | 2,279 kcal | 2,611 kcal | 2,943 kcal | 3,275 kcal |
| 100 kg | 2,339 kcal | 2,680 kcal | 3,021 kcal | 3,362 kcal |
Daily calorie needs — female, 30 years, 165 cm
| Weight | Sedentary | Light | Moderate | Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 1,524 kcal | 1,747 kcal | 1,969 kcal | 2,191 kcal |
| 60 kg | 1,584 kcal | 1,815 kcal | 2,046 kcal | 2,277 kcal |
| 65 kg | 1,644 kcal | 1,884 kcal | 2,124 kcal | 2,364 kcal |
| 70 kg | 1,704 kcal | 1,953 kcal | 2,201 kcal | 2,450 kcal |
| 75 kg | 1,764 kcal | 2,022 kcal | 2,279 kcal | 2,536 kcal |
| 80 kg | 1,824 kcal | 2,090 kcal | 2,356 kcal | 2,622 kcal |
| 85 kg | 1,884 kcal | 2,159 kcal | 2,434 kcal | 2,709 kcal |
| 90 kg | 1,944 kcal | 2,228 kcal | 2,511 kcal | 2,795 kcal |
| 95 kg | 2,004 kcal | 2,297 kcal | 2,589 kcal | 2,881 kcal |
| 100 kg | 2,064 kcal | 2,365 kcal | 2,666 kcal | 2,967 kcal |
Maintenance calories via Mifflin-St Jeor; subtract roughly 300-500 kcal to lose weight.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?+
BMR is what you burn at complete rest — just keeping the body running. TDEE is BMR plus everything else you do: moving, digesting, exercising. TDEE is always higher, and it’s the number you plan your calorie intake around.
How do I use TDEE to lose weight?+
Eat below your TDEE. A deficit of about 300–500 kcal per day typically yields a sustainable loss of roughly 0.3–0.5 kg per week. Larger deficits work faster but are harder to keep up and can cost muscle; the tool suggests a mild deficit as a safe start.
Which activity level should I pick?+
Be honest and count only real, structured activity. Most people with desk jobs who train a few times a week fall under “lightly” or “moderately active”, not “very active”. Over-estimating activity is the most common reason a plan stalls.
How accurate is the TDEE number?+
It’s a solid estimate, usually within about 10%. Formulas can’t capture individual metabolism, NEAT (fidgeting, walking) or exact exercise burn. Use it as a starting budget and adjust based on how your weight actually trends over two to three weeks.
Does TDEE change over time?+
Yes. It falls as you lose weight (a lighter body burns less) and rises as you gain or become more active. Recalculate every few kilograms or whenever your training changes so your calorie target stays accurate.
Sources
About this page
- Publisher:
- Kalkoro — Teknolojig Bilişim Teknolojileri A.Ş., İstanbul
- Written by:
- Kübra Yıldız — Editor (Health, nutrition, pregnancy, education, exam scores)
- Reviewed by:
- Furkan Tur — Editor
Parameters come from official sources; the last update date is shown at the bottom of the page.
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This tool is for general information only and is not medical diagnosis, treatment or advice. Consult a physician for decisions about your health.
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