Health & fitness / TOOL
TDEE Calculator: How Many Calories Do You Burn a Day?
Estimate the calories you burn each day from your BMR and activity level.
Your TDEE is the calories you burn in a day: your resting metabolic rate (BMR) times an activity factor. Enter your sex, age, weight and height below in pounds and feet or kilograms and centimeters, and pick an activity level, to see your BMR and TDEE for every level.
Updated
INTERACTIVE TOOL
Your result
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor): 1,758 calories a day at rest
To keep your weight: about 2,724 calories a day (Moderately active)
250-calorie daily deficit: 2,474 calories a day
500-calorie daily deficit: 2,224 calories a day
250-calorie daily surplus: 2,974 calories a day
| Activity level | Multiplier | Calories a day |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary: little or no exercise | 1.2 | 2,109 |
| Lightly active: exercise 1–3 days a week | 1.375 | 2,417 |
| Moderately active: exercise 3–5 days a week | 1.55 | 2,724 |
| Very active: hard exercise 6–7 days a week | 1.725 | 3,032 |
| Extra active: physical job or training twice a day | 1.9 | 3,340 |
An estimate for healthy adults: measured needs differ by about 10% either way. Not for pregnancy, children or medical diets.
QUICK ANSWER
TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is the number of calories you burn in a day. It is estimated by multiplying your basal metabolic rate (BMR) by an activity factor from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extra active). A 35-year-old man who weighs 180 lb and is 5 ft 10 in tall has a BMR of about 1,758 calories, and a TDEE of about 2,724 calories if moderately active.
QUICK REFERENCE
Activity factors used to estimate TDEE
| Activity level | Multiplier | Example: BMR of 1,500 |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary (desk job, little exercise) | 1.2 | 1,800 |
| Lightly active (exercise 1–3 days a week) | 1.375 | 2,063 |
| Moderately active (exercise 3–5 days a week) | 1.55 | 2,325 |
| Very active (hard exercise 6–7 days a week) | 1.725 | 2,588 |
| Extra active (physical job or two sessions a day) | 1.9 | 2,850 |
How TDEE is calculated
The calculator first estimates your resting energy expenditure with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, published in 1990 from measurements of 498 healthy adults: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) + 5 for men, or − 161 for women. It then multiplies by your activity factor. Example: a 30-year-old woman, 140 lb (63.5 kg) and 5 ft 5 in (165.1 cm): 635 + 1,031.9 − 150 − 161 = 1,356 calories; lightly active, × 1.375 = 1,864 calories a day.
BMR vs TDEE
BMR is what your body burns at complete rest: breathing, circulation, keeping warm. TDEE adds everything else: the energy used to digest food (about 10% of intake), daily movement such as walking and standing, and exercise. For most people, BMR is 60 to 75% of TDEE.
Using your TDEE to lose or gain weight
Eating about your TDEE keeps weight stable. A daily deficit of 250 to 500 calories below TDEE is a common starting point for gradual weight loss, and a surplus of about 250 calories for gaining muscle with training. Weight change slows over time because a smaller body burns less, so recalculate after every 5 to 10 lb (2 to 5 kg) of change. Most adults should not go below about 1,200 (women) or 1,500 (men) calories a day without medical supervision.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
Mifflin-St Jeor predicts resting energy within about 10% for most healthy adults, which made it more accurate than the older Harris-Benedict equation in the original study. Picking the activity level is the bigger source of error: most people overestimate it. Treat the result as a starting point, track your weight for two to three weeks and adjust by 100 to 200 calories. To convert your weight, use lbs to kg; to turn steps into distance, the steps to miles calculator.
In short
How to use the TDEE Calculator
- Choose US units (lb, ft) or metric (kg, cm), and your sex.
- Enter your age, weight and height.
- Pick the activity level that matches a typical week.
- Read your TDEE, your BMR and the table for every activity level.
From the source
Simplification of this formula and separation by sex did not affect its predictive value: REE (males) = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) + 5; REE (females) = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) - 161.
Sources
GOOD TO KNOW
Frequently asked questions
What is a good TDEE?
There is no good or bad TDEE: it depends on your size, age, sex and activity. Typical values are about 1,800 to 2,400 calories for women and 2,200 to 3,000 for men.
Should I eat below my TDEE to lose weight?
Yes, weight loss needs fewer calories than you burn. A deficit of 250 to 500 calories a day is a common, sustainable target.
Does TDEE include exercise?
Yes. The activity factor covers both exercise and everyday movement, which is why you should not add exercise calories on top.
Which formula does this TDEE calculator use?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation for resting energy, multiplied by the standard activity factors 1.2, 1.375, 1.55, 1.725 and 1.9.
More health & fitness tools
LEARN MORE