Find out exactly how many calories you burn every day to achieve your fitness goals.
Enter your body stats to calculate energy needs!
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It represents the total number of calories your body burns in a single day. This number is not static; it fluctuates based on how active you are on any given day.
Your TDEE is sum of all energy expenditures, including:
Why it matters: Knowing your TDEE is the starting point for any diet plan. Eating at your TDEE maintains weight. Eating below it causes weight loss, and eating above it causes weight gain.
Our calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, widely considered the most accurate formula for estimating BMR in healthy individuals. The process works in two steps:
Once BMR is known, it is multiplied by a factor representing activity level:
It is easy to confuse these two terms, but they mean very different things.
Common Mistake: Many people eat at their BMR level to lose weight quickly. This is often too low and can damage metabolism. You should typically base your calorie deficit on your TDEE, not your BMR.
Once you know your TDEE from our calculator, use it to guide your nutrition plan:
To lose fat, consume fewer calories than your TDEE. A sustainable deficit is about 15-20% below TDEE (usually -500 calories).
To build muscle, you need surplus energy. Aim for 5-10% above TDEE (usually +250-500 calories).
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is within 10% accuracy for most people. However, individual metabolism varies. Use this as a starting point and adjust based on scale weight over 2-3 weeks.
Generally, no. Your activity level selection already accounts for exercise. Eating back calories tracked by fitness watches typically leads to overeating.
If you are eating at your calculated deficit but not losing weight, you may be overestimating activity or underestimating food intake. Try recalculating with a lower activity level.
