TDEE calculator

Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is how many calories you burn in a day, including exercise. It's the starting point for losing, maintaining or gaining weight.

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ft
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lb
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If you know it, we'll also use the Katch-McArdle formula, which accounts for muscle mass.

Your TDEE
2,760 kcal/day
Moderately active · Mifflin-St Jeor formula

Eating about 2,760 calories a day should keep your weight stable. Eat less to lose weight, more to gain.

BMR (at rest)
1,780 kcal
Lose 1 lb/week
2,260 kcal
Gain 0.5 lb/week
3,010 kcal
Calories by activity level
Activity levelCalories per day
Sedentary2,140 kcal
Lightly active2,450 kcal
Moderately active2,760 kcal
Very active3,080 kcal
Extra active3,390 kcal

What is TDEE?

TDEE is the total number of calories your body uses in a day. It has four parts: your basal metabolic rate (the energy to keep you alive at rest, usually 60–70% of the total), the energy used to digest food, everyday movement like walking and fidgeting, and deliberate exercise.

How to use your TDEE

  • To maintain weight, eat roughly your TDEE.
  • To lose fat, eat 300–500 calories below it. That's about 0.5–1 lb (0.25–0.5 kg) a week.
  • To build muscle, eat 200–300 calories above it and train with weights.

Treat the number as a starting estimate. Track your weight for 2–3 weeks: if it moves when you expected it to hold steady, adjust by 100–200 calories a day.

The formula

We estimate your resting energy with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate of the common formulas for most adults:

  • Men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
  • Women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161

If you enter your body fat percentage, we use Katch-McArdle instead (370 + 21.6 × lean mass in kg), which is better for very muscular or very lean people. The result is multiplied by an activity factor from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extra active).

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
For most people the estimate lands within about 10% of their real energy use. Your actual number depends on genetics, muscle mass and how active you really are, so use it as a starting point and adjust based on your weight trend.
Should I eat back the calories I burn exercising?
No. Your activity level already includes your exercise. Adding workout calories on top usually double-counts them.
Which activity level should I pick?
Most people overestimate. If you have a desk job and work out 3–4 times a week, 'lightly' or 'moderately active' is usually right. Pick the lower option if you're unsure.

These results are estimates for healthy adults and are not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, or managing a medical condition, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian.

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