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TDEE calculator

Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the number of calories your body burns in 24 hours. Enter your profile to calculate it and see how it splits between rest, digestion and activity.

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Sex

If you know it (bioimpedance scale, measurement by a professional), the calculation uses the more accurate Katch-McArdle formula.

Estimate my body fat with a tape measure

US Navy method (Hodgdon and Beckett, 1984): accurate to about ±3 to 4 points compared with a lab measurement. Neck below the Adam's apple, waist at the navel, hips at the widest point.

Activity level

Total daily energy expenditure

2,548 kcal / day

Likely range: 2,293 to 2,803 kcal (±10%)

Basal metabolic rate (BMR): 1,644 kcal / day (Mifflin-St Jeor)

Where the energy goes

  • Rest (organs, temperature)1,644
  • Digestion (thermic effect)255
  • Movement and sport649

Add today's activities

Each activity is converted into calories by its metabolic equivalent (MET), above rest. If your activity level already counts them, that is double counting: keep “sedentary” for a detailed day.

By activity level

  • Sedentary

    1,973

  • Lightly active

    2,261

  • Moderately active

    2,548

  • Active

    2,836

  • Very active

    3,124

TDEE calculator

How it works

  1. Total daily energy expenditure adds up three parts. Basal metabolic rate (60 to 70% of the total for most people) is the body's energy at rest. The thermic effect of food (about 10%) is what digestion costs. The rest is activity: sport, but also walking, posture and everyday movements, which are often underestimated.

  2. Basal metabolic rate is estimated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, or with Katch-McArdle if you know your body fat percentage: that second formula starts from lean mass, which makes it more accurate for very muscular people or those with significant excess weight.

  3. The activity factor multiplies the basal rate: 1.2 for a sedentary life, up to 1.9 for daily intense training. The table shows all five levels at once, so you can see what a daily walk or two extra sessions would change.

  4. With age, basal metabolic rate drops by about 1 to 2% per decade after 30, mostly through loss of muscle mass. Strength training is the best way to preserve it.

  5. Accuracy is around ±10%: two people with the same profile can differ by 300 kcal. Use this figure as a starting point and adjust from how your weight actually changes.

These tools give general information. They do not replace the advice of a doctor or a qualified professional.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between TDEE and basal metabolic rate?
Basal metabolic rate is expenditure at complete rest; TDEE adds digestion and all physical activity. TDEE is the figure to compare with what you eat.
My smartwatch shows a different value. Which should I trust?
Watches estimate expenditure from heart rate and steps, with frequent errors of 20 to 30% on activity. The formula is more stable; the watch is useful for comparing days with each other.
Can metabolism be “broken” after dieting?
No, but it adapts: after a long restriction the body spends a little less (5 to 15%) and you unconsciously move less. Returning gradually to maintenance and building muscle reverses the effect.
How can I burn more each day without more sport?
Through non-exercise activity: walk short journeys, take the stairs, stand, move during calls. These add up to 200 to 400 kcal a day.

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