About TDEE Calculator
The Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) Calculator estimates the total number of calories you burn each day, accounting for both your resting metabolism and physical activity. It first calculates your Basal Metabolic Rate using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies this by an activity factor ranging from 1.2 for sedentary individuals up to 1.9 for extremely active people with physically demanding jobs or twice-daily workouts. The result represents the calorie intake needed to maintain your current weight. The calculator then shows recommended calorie levels for weight loss by subtracting 500 calories and weight gain by adding 500 calories, corresponding to approximately half a kilogram of weekly change. TDEE is a dynamic number that changes as your weight, activity level, and age change, so periodic recalculation helps keep your nutrition plan on track. Understanding your TDEE is fundamental to any weight management effort, as it provides the baseline from which you create a calorie deficit for weight loss or a surplus for muscle building. Use your TDEE as a starting point and adjust based on real-world results.
When to Use This Calculator
TDEE is useful anytime you want to manage your weight with precision. If you've been trying to lose weight on a generic 1,500-calorie diet and it's not working, calculating your actual TDEE reveals why. A 90 kg active man might have a TDEE of 3,100 calories, meaning 1,500 calories is dangerously low and unsustainable. Instead, a 2,600-calorie target would give him steady weight loss without crash dieting. Bodybuilders and athletes use TDEE to plan bulking and cutting cycles, adjusting calories by 300 to 500 above or below maintenance. Even if you're happy with your weight, knowing your TDEE helps you maintain by giving you a target to eat toward. Recalculate every time you lose or gain 5 kg, since your TDEE changes with your body weight.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your age, gender, weight in kg, height in cm, and select your activity level from the dropdown. Let's try a concrete example. A 28-year-old woman who's 168 cm tall, weighs 65 kg, and exercises moderately 4 times a week would enter her stats and select "Moderate (3-5 days/week)." After clicking calculate, her BMR is computed at roughly 1,410 calories. With the moderate activity multiplier of 1.55, her TDEE comes out to about 2,186 calories per day. That's her maintenance number. The results also show her weight loss target at 1,686 calories and her weight gain target at 2,686 calories. The three-box display at the bottom makes it easy to see all three numbers side by side. Try changing the activity level to see how much difference it makes. Going from sedentary to active adds roughly 400 to 500 calories to your TDEE.
How to Interpret Your Results
The calculator shows three key numbers. Using our 28-year-old woman example: her maintenance TDEE is 2,186 calories, meaning she can eat that amount daily and stay at 65 kg. Her weight loss target of 1,686 calories (500 less) should result in losing about half a kilo per week. Her weight gain target of 2,686 calories (500 more) would add about half a kilo per week, ideal if she's looking to build muscle. The activity multiplier shown is 1.55x, meaning her total burn is 55 percent higher than her BMR. If she finds she's not losing weight at 1,686 calories after a few weeks, she can adjust down by 100 or up her activity level. These numbers are scientific estimates, so treat them as smart starting points and tweak based on what your body actually does.