Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is the number of calories you burn in a day: your BMR from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation multiplied by an activity factor of 1.2–1.9. A 30-year-old, 5′10″, 180 lb man who exercises 3–5 days a week has a BMR of about 1,783 kcal and a TDEE of about 2,763 kcal/day.
Enter your sex, age, weight, height and activity level to get your maintenance calories, the calories for steady weight loss or gain, and the adult macronutrient ranges at that intake. You can switch to the revised Harris-Benedict equation, or to Katch-McArdle if you know your body fat percentage.
How to use the TDEE calculator
- Choose sex and enter your age, weight and height (pounds/inches or kg/cm).
- Pick the activity level that matches a normal week, including exercise.
- Keep Mifflin-St Jeor unless you have a reliable body-fat measurement (then try Katch-McArdle).
- Read your TDEE, then the weight-loss or weight-gain targets below it.
- Eat at that target for 2–3 weeks, weigh yourself regularly and adjust by 100–200 kcal if your weight moves the wrong way.
The TDEE formula
TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier. The resting part comes from one of three equations:
- Mifflin-St Jeor (1990): men 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5; women the same − 161. Derived by indirect calorimetry in 498 healthy adults aged 19–78, both normal weight and obese (PubMed 2305711).
- Harris-Benedict, revised by Roza and Shizgal (1984): men 88.362 + 13.397 × kg + 4.799 × cm − 5.677 × age; women 447.593 + 9.247 × kg + 3.098 × cm − 4.330 × age, refitted on the original 239 subjects plus 98 more.
- Katch-McArdle: 370 + 21.6 × lean body mass (kg), where lean mass = weight × (1 − body fat %).
For our 30-year-old man the three give 1,783 (Mifflin), 1,865 (Harris-Benedict) and 1,781 kcal (Katch-McArdle at 20% body fat). Mifflin and colleagues reported that the original 1919 Harris-Benedict equations overestimated measured resting energy by about 5%.
Activity multipliers and what they mean
| Activity level | Multiplier | Compared with FAO/WHO/UNU PAL |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary (desk job, little exercise) | ×1.2 | Below FAO's lowest band (1.40) |
| Lightly active (exercise 1–3 days/week) | ×1.375 | Below FAO's sedentary/light band |
| Moderately active (exercise 3–5 days/week) | ×1.55 | FAO sedentary/light (1.40–1.69) |
| Very active (hard exercise 6–7 days/week) | ×1.725 | FAO active (1.70–1.99) |
| Extra active (physical job + training) | ×1.9 | FAO active (1.70–1.99) |
The FAO/WHO/UNU 2004 expert report defines physical activity level as 24-hour total energy expenditure divided by BMR, and classifies lifestyles as:
| FAO/WHO/UNU lifestyle | PAL |
|---|---|
| Sedentary or light activity | 1.40–1.69 |
| Active or moderately active | 1.70–1.99 |
| Vigorous or vigorously active | 2.00–2.40 |
It adds that PAL values above 2.40 are difficult to maintain for long. Because the popular 1.2 and 1.375 multipliers sit below 1.40, pick one level higher if you are on your feet much of the day even without formal exercise.
TDEE by weight and activity level
Mifflin-St Jeor TDEE for a 35-year-old man, 5′10″ (top), and a 35-year-old woman, 5′5″ (bottom), in kcal/day.
| Weight | Sedentary ×1.2 | Lightly active ×1.375 | Moderately active ×1.55 | Very active ×1.725 | Extra active ×1.9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man, 120 lb | 1,783 | 2,043 | 2,303 | 2,563 | 2,823 |
| Man, 140 lb | 1,892 | 2,167 | 2,443 | 2,719 | 2,995 |
| Man, 160 lb | 2,000 | 2,292 | 2,584 | 2,876 | 3,167 |
| Man, 180 lb | 2,109 | 2,417 | 2,724 | 3,032 | 3,340 |
| Man, 200 lb | 2,218 | 2,542 | 2,865 | 3,189 | 3,512 |
| Man, 220 lb | 2,327 | 2,666 | 3,006 | 3,345 | 3,684 |
| Man, 250 lb | 2,490 | 2,853 | 3,217 | 3,580 | 3,943 |
| Woman, 120 lb | 1,488 | 1,705 | 1,922 | 2,139 | 2,356 |
| Woman, 140 lb | 1,597 | 1,830 | 2,063 | 2,296 | 2,529 |
| Woman, 160 lb | 1,706 | 1,955 | 2,204 | 2,452 | 2,701 |
| Woman, 180 lb | 1,815 | 2,079 | 2,344 | 2,609 | 2,873 |
| Woman, 200 lb | 1,924 | 2,204 | 2,485 | 2,765 | 3,046 |
| Woman, 220 lb | 2,033 | 2,329 | 2,625 | 2,922 | 3,218 |
| Woman, 250 lb | 2,196 | 2,516 | 2,836 | 3,157 | 3,477 |
Worked examples
- Man, 30, 5′10″, 180 lb, moderately active: BMR 1,783 × 1.55 = 2,763 kcal/day. A 500 kcal deficit gives 2,263 kcal.
- Woman, 45, 5′4″, 150 lb, lightly active: BMR 1,310 × 1.375 = 1,802 kcal/day. Maintenance at 140 lb drops to 1,739 kcal.
- Same man with 20% body fat, Katch-McArdle: lean mass 65.3 kg, BMR 1,781 × 1.55 = 2,760 kcal/day.
From TDEE to a calorie target
CDC notes that people who lose weight gradually, about 1 to 2 pounds a week, are more likely to keep it off. A daily deficit of 250–500 kcal below TDEE is a common starting point. The old rule that 3,500 kcal equals one pound overstates long-term loss, because energy use falls as weight drops. For a dated plan that accounts for this, use the weight loss by date calculator. For a second opinion on total needs, compare with the NASEM estimated energy requirement, and log extra activity with the walking calorie calculator.
The macronutrient table in the calculator uses the National Academies' adult Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges: 45–65% of calories from carbohydrate, 10–35% from protein and 20–35% from fat, at 4, 4 and 9 kcal per gram.
Common mistakes
- Overstating activity. Three gym sessions a week with a desk job is "lightly" or "moderately" active, not "very active".
- Counting exercise twice. Do not add fitness-tracker calories on top of a multiplier that already includes training.
- Using Katch-McArdle with a guessed body fat. A 5-point error in body fat changes BMR by roughly 80–100 kcal for an average adult.
- Never recalculating. TDEE falls as weight falls; update it every 10 lb or so.
- Treating the number as exact. It is an estimate; your weight trend over a few weeks is the real answer.
For healthy adults. These equations are not designed for pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, serious illness or eating disorders. Very low calorie diets (about 800 kcal a day or less) should only be followed under medical supervision.
Frequently asked questions
What does TDEE mean?
TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure: all the calories you burn in a day, including your basal metabolic rate, digesting food and all movement and exercise. Eating about your TDEE keeps your weight stable; eating less leads to weight loss over time.
How is TDEE calculated?
TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier. For a 30-year-old man, 5′10″ and 180 lb, Mifflin-St Jeor gives a BMR of 1,783 kcal; at the moderately active ×1.55, his TDEE is 2,763 kcal/day.
Which BMR equation is most accurate?
A systematic review for the American Dietetic Association (Frankenfield et al., 2005) found Mifflin-St Jeor predicted resting metabolic rate within 10% of measured in more non-obese and obese adults than Harris-Benedict, Owen or WHO/FAO/UNU, with the narrowest error range. That is why it is the default here. Katch-McArdle can do better for lean, muscular people if you know your body fat accurately.
Where do the activity multipliers 1.2, 1.375, 1.55, 1.725 and 1.9 come from?
They are a long-standing convention used by fitness and TDEE tools; we could not trace them to a single primary study. The official reference point is the FAO/WHO/UNU physical activity level (PAL = TEE ÷ BMR): 1.40–1.69 for sedentary or light lifestyles, 1.70–1.99 for active and 2.00–2.40 for vigorous. The common 1.2 and 1.375 factors sit below FAO's lowest band, so they tend to give conservative estimates.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A common starting point is TDEE minus 500 kcal a day, in line with the 1–2 lb per week CDC suggests. For the 180 lb man above that is about 2,263 kcal. Real loss slows as you lose weight, so the weight loss date calculator uses a dynamic model rather than a fixed 3,500-calorie rule.
Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?
Yes. Maintenance calories is the everyday name for TDEE: the intake at which your weight stays the same.
How is TDEE different from the EER?
The Estimated Energy Requirement (NASEM 2023) predicts total daily energy directly from doubly labeled water studies, with its own equation for each activity level, instead of multiplying a resting estimate. Both aim at the same number; a difference of a couple of hundred calories is within the error of either.
Should I eat back exercise calories?
Not if you chose an activity level that already includes your workouts. The multiplier assumes your usual exercise; adding watch-measured calories on top double counts them.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
It gives a population average. Roza and Shizgal found the Harris-Benedict equations predict resting energy with a precision of about ±14% in normally nourished people, and activity is the biggest source of extra error. The best check is your own scale: if your weight is stable over 2–3 weeks at a given intake, that intake is your real TDEE.
Does TDEE go down as I lose weight?
Yes. A lighter body uses less energy, so recalculate after every 10 lb or so. The 45-year-old woman in our example has a BMR of 1,310 kcal at 150 lb and 1,265 kcal at 140 lb.
Sources & method
- Mifflin et al. (1990), Am J Clin Nutr — A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals (PubMed)
- Frankenfield, Roth-Yousey & Compher (2005), J Am Diet Assoc — Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate: a systematic review (PubMed)
- Roza & Shizgal (1984), Am J Clin Nutr — The Harris Benedict equation reevaluated (PubMed)
- Richtlijnendatabase (Dutch clinical guideline database) — Harris & Benedict formula, revised coefficients (PDF)
- Frontiers in Nutrition (2025) — RMR by the Katch-McArdle equation, 370 + 21.6 × lean body mass
- FAO/WHO/UNU (2004) — Human energy requirements, ch. 5: PAL = TEE/BMR and Table 5.3 lifestyle bands
- National Academies — Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients summary table (AMDR)
- CDC — Losing weight (1–2 lb per week)
Results are estimates for general information. Found an error? It helps everyone — see our methodology.