TDEE Calculator
Daily maintenance calories based on activity level. Includes cut and bulk targets for goal-specific planning.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
Calculate your personalized health metrics instantly
Your Calculations
Daily calories required to maintain your current weight.
How TDEE is built
TDEE combines four components. BMR is the largest at 60 to 70 percent of total. The thermic effect of food, the energy your body spends digesting what you eat, adds another 10 percent. Exercise activity is the calories you burn during structured workouts. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, is everything else, walking, fidgeting, standing, doing chores.
NEAT is the most variable component. Two people of the same size, same workout routine, and same BMR can have TDEEs that differ by 500 calories or more based on how much they move outside the gym. This is why TDEE calculators are estimates, not exact numbers.
Choosing the right activity level
The biggest mistake people make with TDEE calculators is overestimating their activity level. If you work a desk job and do three 45 minute workouts per week, you are moderately active at best, not very active. Pick the lower option if you are unsure.
Sedentary means desk job, no exercise, and little walking. Lightly active means desk job plus 1 to 3 workouts per week or lots of walking. Moderately active means 3 to 5 workouts per week plus some daily movement. Very active means 6 to 7 workouts per week or a physical job. Extra active is reserved for athletes training twice a day or people in physically demanding jobs.
Using TDEE for weight goals
For maintenance, eat at your TDEE. For weight loss, subtract 500 calories to lose about 0.5 kg per week, or subtract 750 to 1000 for faster loss. For muscle gain, add 200 to 400 calories, focusing on a small surplus to minimize fat gain while supporting muscle growth.
Recalculate your TDEE every 5 to 10 kilograms of weight change, since a smaller body burns fewer calories. If weight loss stalls, it is usually because your TDEE has dropped along with your weight, not because the calculator was wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about this calculator.
Why is my real TDEE different from the calculator?+
TDEE calculators estimate based on population averages. Real TDEE varies based on NEAT, body composition, hormonal factors, and diet induced thermogenesis. Track your food and weight for 2 to 3 weeks to find your real TDEE.
Should I eat back exercise calories?+
For most people no. Your activity level in the TDEE calculation already accounts for exercise. Eating back exercise calories double counts. The exception is significant endurance training on top of a sedentary baseline.
How often should I recalculate TDEE?+
Every 5 to 10 kilograms of weight change. A smaller body burns fewer calories, so a TDEE that worked at 85 kg will produce weight gain at 75 kg if not adjusted.