What TDEE means
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your resting metabolism plus all daily movement and exercise. Knowing your TDEE is the starting point for setting calorie targets, whether the goal is to maintain, lose, or gain weight.
How this calculator works
The calculator first estimates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories your body needs at complete rest — using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is considered one of the more accurate BMR formulas for the general population. It then multiplies your BMR by an activity multiplier based on how active you are day-to-day, ranging from sedentary to extremely active, to arrive at your TDEE. It also shows adjusted calorie targets for mild or standard weight loss and gain, based on the common approximation that a deficit or surplus of about 500 calories per day corresponds to roughly one pound of body weight change per week.
These are estimates based on population averages; individual metabolism can vary. This tool is for general nutrition planning and educational purposes only and does not replace advice from a registered dietitian or physician.