Calorie Needs (TDEE)
Total daily energy expenditure.
What does Calorie Needs (TDEE) mean?
Your daily calorie needs (TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure) represent the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including basal metabolism, physical activity, and digestion. Knowing your TDEE is essential for managing weight: eat below it to lose weight, at it to maintain, or above it to gain. This calculator combines the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR equation with standard activity multipliers.
How to calculate Calorie Needs (TDEE)
First, BMR is calculated using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: Men = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5; Women = same but − 161. Then TDEE = BMR × activity factor. Activity factors range from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extra active). For weight loss, subtract 500 calories from TDEE (~1 lb/week loss). For weight gain, add 500 calories (~1 lb/week gain).
FAQ
TDEE estimates are a starting point, typically within 10–15% of actual expenditure. Individual variation depends on genetics, body composition, NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), and metabolic adaptation. Track your weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust intake if results differ from predictions.
- Sedentary — desk job, no regular exercise.
- Lightly active — light exercise or walking 1–3 days/week.
- Moderately active — moderate exercise 3–5 days/week.
- Very active — hard exercise 6–7 days/week.
- Extra active — intense daily training or a physically demanding job.
For most adults, a 500 cal/day deficit is safe and sustainable, leading to about 1 lb (0.45 kg) of weight loss per week. Larger deficits can cause muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and metabolic slowdown. Never eat below your BMR without medical supervision.
The activity multiplier already accounts for your typical exercise, so you generally do not need to eat back exercise calories separately. If you do an unusually intense workout beyond your norm, a small additional snack may be appropriate.
BMR is the calories burned at rest — the baseline your body needs just to survive. TDEE adds activity on top of BMR. BMI is a separate metric that estimates body fatness from weight and height but does not tell you anything about calorie needs.
Related calculators
- BMR— Basal metabolic rate.
- BMI— Body mass index estimate.
- Body Fat %— Estimated fat proportion.
- Heart Rate Zone— Target exercise range.