What is TDEE?
TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure — is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It’s the single most useful number for weight management, because it tells you how much to eat: stay below it to lose weight, match it to maintain, exceed it to gain.
Your TDEE is built from two parts: your BMR (basal metabolic rate — the calories you’d burn lying in bed all day) and everything you do on top of that, captured by an activity multiplier.
How TDEE is calculated
We estimate BMR with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation — the most accurate of the common formulas:
- Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
- Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
Then TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier, using the level you select:
| Activity level | Description | × |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Little or no exercise | 1.2 |
| Lightly active | Light exercise 1–3 days/week | 1.375 |
| Moderately active | Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week | 1.55 |
| Very active | Hard exercise 6–7 days/week | 1.725 |
| Extra active | Hard daily exercise or a physical job | 1.9 |
Using TDEE to lose weight
Weight loss comes from eating below your TDEE — a calorie deficit. Roughly 7,700 calories equals one kilogram of fat, so a daily deficit of about 500 calories works out to losing around half a kilogram (one pound) per week. The calculator shows that target for you automatically, alongside a gentler option.
Once you have your number, the practical question is what to eat to hit it. Our calorie-counted meal plans are built around daily calorie targets, so you can pick one near your goal and skip the guesswork.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your resting metabolism plus everything you do (walking, working, exercising). It's the number that tells you how much to eat to lose, maintain, or gain weight.
How is TDEE calculated?
First we estimate your BMR (the calories you burn at complete rest) using the Mifflin–St Jeor equation from your age, sex, height, and weight. Then we multiply that by an activity factor — from 1.2 for sedentary up to 1.9 for extra active — to get your TDEE.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
To lose weight you eat below your TDEE. A deficit of about 500 calories a day equals roughly half a kilogram (one pound) of fat loss per week. The calculator shows your maintenance number plus mild and moderate weight-loss targets so you can pick one.
Is the TDEE number exact?
No — it's a well-validated estimate, not a precise measurement. Real energy needs vary with body composition, genetics, and day-to-day activity. Use it as a starting point, track how your weight responds over two to three weeks, and adjust. Talk to your clinician before making large changes.
Keep going
Check your BMI too, build a routine from the exercise library (more activity raises your TDEE), or browse the weight-loss blog for nutrition and training guides.