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FitDiary

TDEE calculator: total daily energy expenditure

See how many calories you burn in a day and how many to eat to lose, maintain or gain weight. Free, no sign-up, in kg or lb.

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Sex
Height
How active are you?
Your goal

Your result

Enter your age, height and weight to see your TDEE.

What is TDEE?

TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure, is the number of calories your body uses in a day. It adds the energy you burn at rest (your basal metabolic rate, or BMR) to what you burn by moving, exercising and digesting food. If you eat around your TDEE each day, your weight stays roughly the same.

Eat less than your TDEE and you lose weight over time. Eat more and you gain. That makes it the starting point for any calorie target.

How TDEE is calculated

This calculator estimates your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by an activity factor.

MenBMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) + 5

WomenBMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) − 161

TDEETDEE = BMR × activity factor

Activity factors used by the calculator
Activity levelWhat it meansFactor
SedentaryDesk job, little or no exercise1.2
Lightly activeLight exercise 1–3 days a week1.375
Moderately activeModerate exercise 3–5 days a week1.55
Very activeHard exercise 6–7 days a week1.725

Imperial values are converted to metric first (1 kg = 2.20462 lb, 1 inch = 2.54 cm), and height is rounded to the nearest centimetre. Results are rounded down to the nearest whole calorie.

Mifflin-St Jeor comes from a 1990 study of 498 healthy adults aged 19 to 78, whose resting metabolic rate was measured in a lab. A 2005 systematic review for the American Dietetic Association compared the four most widely used equations and found Mifflin-St Jeor the most reliable: it came within 10% of measured resting metabolic rate for more people than the others.

The FitDiary app sets your daily calorie target with these same numbers.

Worked example

Take a 30-year-old woman who is 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall, weighs 70 kg (154 lb), does light exercise 1–3 days a week and wants to lose about 0.5 kg a week:

  1. BMR = 10 × 70 + 6.25 × 165 − 5 × 30 − 161 = 1,420.25, rounded down to 1,420 kcal a day.
  2. TDEE = 1,420.25 × 1.375 = 1,952.8 (using the unrounded BMR), rounded down to 1,952 kcal a day. This is her maintenance level.
  3. Target = 1,952 − 500 = 1,452 kcal a day.
  4. Protein at 2.0 g per kg = 140 g. Fat at 25% of 1,452 kcal = 40 g. Carbs make up the rest: 132 g.

TDEE for women at different weights

The same woman (30, 165 cm, lightly active) at three weights:

WeightBMRTDEETo lose 0.5 kg a week
55 kg (121 lb)1,2701,7461,246
70 kg (154 lb)1,4201,9521,452
85 kg (187 lb)1,5702,1591,659

The equation for women subtracts 161 where the one for men adds 5, so at the same age, height and weight a woman’s BMR comes out 166 kcal lower. Even at 55 kg, this woman burns more than 1,200 kcal a day at rest.

How to use your TDEE to lose or gain weight

Your TDEE is your maintenance level. To lose weight, eat below it. To gain, eat above it. The calculator offers three paces:

PaceCalories a dayWeekly change (approx.)
Relaxed250 below or above TDEE0.25 kg (0.6 lb)
Moderate500 below or above TDEE0.5 kg (1.1 lb)
Intense750 below or above TDEE0.75 kg (1.7 lb)

These weekly changes are the estimates the FitDiary app uses. In practice, weight goes up and down from week to week rather than changing steadily.

Protein is set by your goal: 2.0 g per kg of body weight to lose weight, 2.2 g to build muscle and 1.8 g to maintain or gain. Fat is 25% of your calories and carbs make up the rest.

Your TDEE changes with your weight. Each kilo you lose lowers your BMR by 10 kcal, so work it out again after every few kilos.

How accurate is a TDEE calculator?

Any TDEE calculator gives an estimate. The equation doesn’t know how much muscle you carry, and the activity factor covers a wide range of lifestyles, so your real number can be higher or lower.

To find your real maintenance level, test it. Eat to the target for 2–3 weeks, log what you eat and weigh yourself regularly; a printable food diary is enough for that. If your weight changes faster or slower than you expected, adjust the target.

This calculator is for healthy adults. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18 or have a medical condition, talk to a doctor or dietitian before you change how much you eat.

The same formula sets your daily target in FitDiary

Type what you ate in one sentence and see how much is left for today. Log your weight and your target updates to match.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

See how the FitDiary calorie counter works.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is what your body burns at complete rest, just to keep you alive. TDEE adds everything else: walking, exercise, work and digesting food. In this calculator, TDEE is 1.2 to 1.725 times your BMR, depending on how active you are.

Should I eat my TDEE to lose weight?

No. Eating at your TDEE keeps your weight about the same. To lose weight, eat below it: 500 kcal a day less is about 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) a week.

Do you subtract 500 calories from TDEE to lose weight?

Usually, yes. A 500 kcal deficit is the most common starting point and the moderate pace in this calculator. Taking off 250 kcal is gentler; 750 is faster but harder to keep up. Whichever you choose, keep your target above your BMR.

If I eat 1,700 calories a day and burn 500 exercising, will I lose weight?

It depends on your TDEE. If 1,700 is below it, you’re eating less than you burn and should lose weight over time. Don’t add the 500 back on top, though: if your activity level already includes that exercise, you’d be counting it twice.

Is 1,200 calories a day enough for a woman?

For many women it’s less than their body burns at rest. A 30-year-old woman who is 165 cm and 55 kg has a BMR of about 1,270 kcal and a TDEE of about 1,750 if she’s lightly active. If you’re thinking of eating 1,200 or less, talk to a doctor or dietitian first.

Is Mifflin-St Jeor the most accurate formula?

For healthy adults, yes: a 2005 systematic review found it the most reliable of the common equations, and most TDEE calculators use it. The 1990 study that introduced it found that the older Harris-Benedict equation overestimated measured resting metabolic rate by 5%.

What is a normal TDEE?

There isn’t a single normal number. A lightly active 30-year-old woman of 165 cm and 55 kg burns about 1,750 kcal a day; a moderately active 35-year-old man of 180 cm and 80 kg burns about 2,720. Your size, age and activity level decide yours.

How often should I recalculate my TDEE?

Whenever your weight changes by a few kilos or your routine changes, for example a new job or a new training plan. Each kilo you lose lowers your BMR by 10 kcal.

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