TDEE Calculator
Estimate the calories you burn each day — your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — from your basal metabolic rate and activity level.
Last updated: June 20, 2026 · Medically reviewed by TG we-Calculate Editorial TeamUnits
Sex
years
kg
cm
Activity level
Calories needed per day to maintain your current weight.
- 1
BMR base (Mifflin-St Jeor)
10 × 70 + 6.25 × 175 − 5 × 30 = 1,644 - 2
BMR with sex adjustment
1,644 + 5 = 1,649+5 kcal for males (Mifflin-St Jeor). - 3
Activity multiplier
1.55 - 4
TDEE
1,649 × 1.55 = 2,556
How is TDEE calculated?
TDEE is your basal metabolic rate (BMR) multiplied by an activity factor from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active). BMR uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: 10×kg + 6.25×cm − 5×age, then +5 for men or −161 for women. The result estimates daily calories to maintain weight.
Formula
How this is calculated
The calculation runs in two steps. First it estimates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the energy in kilocalories your body burns per day at complete rest — using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age(years), then +5 for males or −161 for females to account for the average difference in lean mass between sexes. Imperial inputs are converted first (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg, 1 in = 2.54 cm) so the formula always works in metric units.
Second, it multiplies BMR by an activity factor that approximates the calories spent on movement and exercise: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 active, 1.9 very active. The product is your TDEE — the calories needed to maintain your current weight. Subtracting or adding 500 kcal/day gives mild loss or gain targets, since roughly 7700 kcal equals 1 kg of body fat.
These are population-average estimates: real expenditure varies with genetics, body composition, hormones and non-exercise activity, so treat the number as a starting point and adjust based on actual weight change over 2–3 weeks.
Examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| 30-year-old man, 70 kg, 175 cm, moderately active | BMR ≈ 1649 kcal, TDEE ≈ 2556 kcal/day |
| 30-year-old woman, 60 kg, 165 cm, lightly active | BMR ≈ 1320 kcal, TDEE ≈ 1816 kcal/day |
Frequently asked questions
BMR is the energy your body burns at complete rest just to stay alive. TDEE includes BMR plus the calories burned through daily activity and exercise, so it is always higher than BMR.
Pick the one that best matches a typical week. Most people who exercise a few times a week and have a desk job fall under "lightly" or "moderately active". When unsure, choose the lower level to avoid overestimating.
A deficit of about 500 kcal/day below your TDEE typically yields roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss per week. The calculator shows this mild-loss target alongside maintenance and gain figures.
Also known as
Sources & references
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). TDEE Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/tdee-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "TDEE Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/tdee-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "TDEE Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/tdee-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_tdee_calculator, title = {TDEE Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/tdee-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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