TDEE calculator
Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is how many calories you burn in a day. Eat about that much and your weight stays the same. Eat less and you lose weight.
| Activity level | Calories / day |
|---|---|
| Mostly sitting (desk job, little exercise) | 1,888 |
| Lightly active (exercise 1–3 days/week) | 2,164 |
| Moderately active (exercise 3–5 days/week) | 2,439 |
| Very active (hard exercise 6–7 days/week) | 2,714 |
| Extra active (physical job + training) | 2,990 |
How we calculate it
First we estimate your BMR, the calories your body burns at rest, with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. It’s the formula most dietitians use because it’s the most accurate for most people.
Then we multiply your BMR by an activity factor, from 1.2 if you mostly sit to 1.9 if you have a physical job and train hard. That gives your TDEE, or maintenance calories.
How to use your TDEE to lose weight
A pound of body fat is roughly 3,500 calories, so eating about 500 calories under your TDEE each day works out to around 1 pound a week. Most people do best losing 0.5 to 1% of their body weight per week.
Your TDEE drops as you lose weight, so recalculate every 10 pounds or so.
Questions
What is a good TDEE?
There’s no good or bad TDEE. It depends on your size, age, sex and how active you are. Most women land between about 1,600 and 2,400 calories and most men between about 2,000 and 3,000.
Is TDEE the same as BMR?
No. BMR is what you burn at complete rest. TDEE adds everything you do in a day: walking, working, exercising and digesting food. TDEE is always higher than BMR.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
It’s an estimate, usually within about 10% for most people. Track your weight for 2–3 weeks at a set calorie level and adjust: if your weight isn’t moving, your real TDEE is a bit lower than the estimate.
Should I eat my BMR to lose weight?
Usually not. Eating at your BMR is often a bigger deficit than you need and is hard to stick to. A deficit of about 300–750 calories under your TDEE works for most people.