How is TDEE calculated?

We estimate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiply by an activity factor from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extra active). BMR times that multiplier is your TDEE.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is what you burn at complete rest. TDEE is BMR plus everything else you do in a day. TDEE is always higher, and it is the number you compare your intake against to lose, maintain, or gain.

How accurate is a TDEE estimate?

It is a good starting estimate, but activity multipliers are broad. The honest way to dial it in is to eat at your estimated TDEE for 2 to 3 weeks and see whether your weight holds, then adjust.

Calculator

Your total dailycalorie burn.

TDEE is every calorie you burn in a day. Enter your details and activity to get the maintenance number that anchors any calorie goal.

Your details

Sex

Age

years

Body weight

lb

Height

ft

in

Activity level

2,690cal / day

Your TDEE: calories to maintain your current weight.

1,735cal / day

Your BMR (at-rest baseline), before activity.

TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. To lose weight, eat below this number; to gain, eat above it. See the weight-loss calculator to turn it into a target.

How it works

BMR times how much you move.

Your total daily energy expenditure is your resting burn scaled up for activity. We estimate the resting part, your BMR, from your age, sex, height, and weight with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiply by an activity factor.

The activity multiplier is the part people get wrong most often. Desk-bound with occasional workouts is closer to light than moderate. When in doubt, pick the lower band, because overestimating activity is the classic reason a calorie plan stalls.

Once you know your TDEE, a goal is simple: eat below it to lose, above it to gain. Turn it into a specific target with the calorie or weight-loss calculators, then log your meals in the free calorietrack.ai web app.

Calculator · FAQ

Questions, answered.

TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure: all the calories your body burns in a day, including rest, digestion, and activity. It is the number of calories that keeps your weight stable, so it is the anchor for any calorie goal.