TDEE Calculator

Q: What is the difference between TDEE and BMR?

BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest to sustain basic functions. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor to account for all movement and exercise. For most people, TDEE is 1.2 to 1.9 times their BMR. BMR alone is not a useful eating target — TDEE is.

Q: Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?

Yes. TDEE and maintenance calories refer to the same number — the calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. TDEE is the term more common in nutrition science, while maintenance calories is more common in everyday fitness conversation.

Q: Why does TDEE vary so much between activity levels?

Activity multipliers range from 1.2 for sedentary to 1.9 for extra active — a 58% difference. A moderately active person burns roughly 29% more calories per day than a sedentary person with the same BMR. This is why activity level is the single most impactful variable in any calorie estimate.

Q: How do I know which TDEE level to use?

Choose the activity description that most honestly matches your routine, then consider going one level lower than you think. Most people overestimate their activity. If your weight stays stable at a certain calorie level, that number is your actual TDEE regardless of what the calculator shows.

Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure across all five activity levels at once. Enter your sex, age, height, and weight to see your full calorie range instantly.

Formula: Mifflin-St Jeor BMR × activity multiplier (1.2 – 1.9)

Sex

Age

Height Unit

Height (Feet)

Height (Inches)

Weight Unit

Weight

Estimated BMR (at rest)

Sedentary TDEE (little or no exercise)

Lightly Active TDEE (1–3 days/week)

Moderately Active TDEE (3–5 days/week)

Very Active TDEE (6–7 days/week)

Extra Active TDEE (physical job + daily training)

Need maintenance calories with protein and macro targets? Try our Maintenance Calorie Calculator.

A TDEE calculator answers the question most people have when they start tracking nutrition: how many calories do I burn a day? TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure — is your complete daily calorie burn, including rest, movement, exercise, and digestion. Unlike a basic BMR calculator, this TDEE calculator accounts for your activity level and shows your estimated calorie burn at all five standard activity levels simultaneously, so you can see your full range at a glance. Most people are unsure exactly which level describes them, and seeing the numbers side by side makes it far easier to choose correctly. TDEE is the foundation of any calorie target — whether you're building a deficit for fat loss, a surplus for muscle gain, or trying to maintain your weight. All inputs support both imperial and metric units.

How to Use the TDEE Calculator

Select your biological sex — this changes the BMR formula constant used in the calculation.
Enter your age in years.
Choose your height unit and enter your height.
Choose your weight unit and enter your current weight.
Click "Calculate TDEE" — your estimated BMR and TDEE at all five activity levels appear instantly.

TDEE Example: 30-Year-Old Female, 140 lbs, 5'5"

Using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for a 30-year-old female, 140 lbs (63.5 kg), 5'5" (165 cm): BMR = (10 × 63.5) + (6.25 × 165) − (5 × 30) − 161 = 1,355 cal/day. Her TDEE at each activity level:

Activity Level	Multiplier	Daily TDEE
Sedentary	1.2	1,626 cal/day
Lightly Active	1.375	1,863 cal/day
Moderately Active	1.55	2,100 cal/day
Very Active	1.725	2,337 cal/day
Extra Active	1.9	2,575 cal/day

The spread from sedentary to extra active is 949 calories per day — nearly a full additional meal — for the exact same person. Choosing the wrong activity level throws your calorie target off by hundreds of calories without any visible sign something is wrong.

When Would You Use This?

Cross-checking your current intake. If you know roughly how many calories you eat per day, compare that number against your TDEE values to instantly see whether you're eating in a surplus, a deficit, or near maintenance — without a food log or tracking app.

Understanding how training volume affects calorie needs. If you're starting a new training program, ramping up before a competition, or transitioning from a sedentary job to a more active one, comparing TDEE values across activity levels gives you a quantified picture of how much your daily calorie needs change.

Choosing an activity level for another calculator. When using the Maintenance Calorie Calculator or Calorie Deficit Calculator, you need to select a single activity level. Seeing all five TDEE values first helps you identify which one most accurately reflects your actual lifestyle, rather than guessing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does TDEE stand for?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the total number of calories your body burns in a full day, including energy used at rest (BMR), deliberate exercise, general movement, and the thermic effect of food — the calories your body burns digesting what you eat. TDEE gives you the complete picture of your daily energy use, while BMR covers only the resting component.

What is the difference between TDEE and BMR?

BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest to sustain essential functions — breathing, circulation, cell repair, and temperature regulation. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor (1.2 to 1.9 depending on lifestyle) that accounts for all movement and exercise. For most people, TDEE is 20–90% higher than BMR. Using your BMR as an eating target would mean eating far too little; TDEE is the number that actually reflects your daily needs.

Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?

Yes. TDEE and maintenance calories refer to the exact same number — the calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight without gaining or losing. The term "TDEE" is more common in nutrition science and performance contexts, while "maintenance calories" is used more often in everyday fitness conversation. Both describe the same concept: calorie intake equal to calorie expenditure equals stable body weight.

Why does TDEE vary so much between activity levels?

The activity multipliers used in this TDEE calculator range from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extra active) — a 58% difference applied to the same BMR. A moderately active person (multiplier 1.55) burns roughly 29% more calories per day than a sedentary person (1.2) with the same BMR. For someone with a BMR of 1,700 calories, that gap is roughly 510 calories per day — equivalent to an entire meal. This is why activity level is the single most impactful variable in any calorie estimate.

How do I know which TDEE level to use?

Choose the description that most honestly matches your weekly routine, then consider selecting one level lower than you think is accurate. Most people overestimate their activity level because they conflate being on their feet occasionally with genuine sustained exertion. The most reliable test: if your weight has been stable at a certain calorie intake, that number is your real-world TDEE regardless of what any formula predicts.