TDEE calculator
TDEE Calculator
Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is how many calories you burn in a full day — your maintenance level. Enter your details to get your BMR and TDEE using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and standard activity multipliers.
What your TDEE tells you
TDEE is the single most useful number in nutrition planning, because every goal is defined relative to it:
- Eat at your TDEE → maintain your current weight.
- Eat 500 below → lose about 0.5 kg / 1 lb per week (see the deficit calculator).
- Eat 250–500 above → gain muscle with minimal fat.
TDEE = BMR × activity
Your BMR is what you'd burn lying in bed all day. Your TDEE scales that up by how much you actually move. The activity factor does a lot of work here, so choose it honestly — most people burn less through "exercise" than they think, and non-exercise movement (walking, standing, fidgeting) varies enormously.
Turn TDEE into a plan
Once you know your TDEE, pick a goal, get your daily calorie target and macros, then track against it. The MyPlate app logs your meals automatically by photo or barcode so hitting your TDEE-based target is effortless — free on iOS and Android.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day: your BMR (calories at rest) plus everything else — digestion, daily movement, and exercise. Eating at your TDEE maintains your weight; eating below it loses weight; above it gains.
How is TDEE calculated?
TDEE = BMR × activity factor. This calculator finds your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies by a factor from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (athlete) that reflects how active you are. The result is your maintenance calories.
What is a good activity multiplier to use?
Be honest and slightly conservative. Sedentary (1.2) = desk job, no exercise. Light (1.375) = light exercise 1-3 days. Moderate (1.55) = 3-5 days. Active (1.725) = 6-7 days. Athlete (1.9) = hard daily training plus a physical job. Most people overestimate — if unsure, pick the lower option and adjust from real results.
Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?
Yes — TDEE and "maintenance calories" are the same thing: the calorie intake at which your weight stays stable. To lose weight, subtract a deficit; to gain, add a surplus.
Why is my TDEE different from other calculators?
Small differences come from the equation used (Mifflin-St Jeor vs the older Harris-Benedict) and how activity factors are labeled. This calculator uses Mifflin-St Jeor, which research finds most accurate for the general population. Differences of 50-150 calories between reputable calculators are normal.