CALCULATE YOUR TDEE
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WHAT IS TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns throughout a day. Your TDEE consists of three components:
The calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula to estimate your BMR, then multiplies it by an activity factor to reach your TDEE.
BMR (60-70%)
Basal Metabolic Rate — the energy your body uses at complete rest. Heartbeat, breathing, cellular functions.
TEF (8-10%)
Thermic Effect of Food — the energy required to digest and process food. Protein requires the most energy.
Activity (20-30%)
All physical movement — from training and walking to getting up from a chair. The most variable component.
BMR VS. TDEE
These two concepts are often confused, but the difference matters:
BMR
The energy your body burns if you stayed in bed all day without moving. It's your absolute minimum — and you should never eat below your BMR for extended periods.
TDEE
BMR plus all your daily activity. This is the number you use as the starting point for your calorie intake — whether the goal is weight loss, maintenance, or muscle building.
Want to calculate precise numbers for weight loss and muscle building? Try our calorie calculator which gives you specific numbers for deficit and surplus. Also read about calorie deficit in our glossary.
WANT TO USE YOUR TDEE THE RIGHT WAY?
A number is a starting point. A personal trainer with a background in nutrition science helps you turn it into a plan that actually works.
By Donovan Moloney, MSc Global Health, BSc Nutrition and Health