Health & Fitness
TDEE Calculator
Find your total daily energy expenditure with three published formulas, five activity levels, and adjustable fat-loss, maintenance, and muscle-gain targets.
How it works
Behind the numbers
TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. Three BMR formulas are offered: Mifflin-St Jeor (Mifflin et al., 1990), the most cited for the general population; the revised Harris-Benedict equation (Roza and Shizgal, 1984); and Katch-McArdle (1973), which uses lean body mass and needs a body fat percentage. The formula switcher cites each source on the page.
Five activity levels cover the standard multipliers from 1.2 for sedentary up to 1.9 for extra active. Pick the description that matches your week, not your best week: overestimating activity is the most common reason calorie targets overshoot.
Goal targets apply your own percentages to TDEE: a 20% deficit for fat loss and a 10% surplus for muscle gain by default, both adjustable. Treat the result as a starting point and adjust by 100 to 200 calories after two to three weeks of tracking your weight.
FAQ
Questions, answered
What is TDEE?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure: all the calories you burn in a day, including rest, movement, and exercise. Eat at TDEE to maintain weight, below it to lose, above it to gain.
Which TDEE formula is most accurate?
Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) is the most widely cited for the general population. The revised Harris-Benedict (1984) is older but still common. Katch-McArdle can be better for lean, muscular people because it uses body fat percentage, but it needs an accurate body fat measurement.
How is TDEE different from BMR?
BMR is what you burn at complete rest. TDEE is BMR times an activity factor, the calories that maintain your current weight day to day. This site's BMR calculator covers the at-rest number; this page takes it from there.
How accurate are TDEE calculators?
Within roughly 10 to 15% for most people. Activity level is self-reported and formulas are population averages, so use the number as a starting point and adjust based on two to three weeks of real weight data.
How do I use TDEE with the macro calculator?
Take your goal calories from this page into the macro calculator, which splits them into protein, carbs, and fat. The chain is BMR to TDEE to macros to protein: each page feeds the next.