TDEE Calculator

What is TDEE and Why Is It the Most Important Number in Fitness?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It represents the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. While most people focus on how many calories they eat, understanding how many calories you burn is the other half of the equation.

Your TDEE is your "Maintenance Calories."

• If you eat equal to your TDEE, your weight stays the same.
• If you eat less than your TDEE (caloric deficit), you lose weight.
• If you eat more than your TDEE (caloric surplus), you gain weight.

The 3 Components of Your Metabolism

Your TDEE isn't just one thing. It is the sum of three distinct energy-burning processes. This calculator breaks them down for you:

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) ~60-70%

This is the energy required to keep you alive while doing absolutely nothing—breathing, circulating blood, growing cells, and brain function. Even if you stayed in bed all day, you would burn this amount. You can calculate this specifically with our BMR Calculator.

2. Physical Activity ~15-30%

This category is split into two parts:

• EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): The calories burned during deliberate exercise like running, lifting weights, or playing sports.
• NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): The calories burned during everything else—walking to the car, typing, cooking, fidgeting, and standing. NEAT plays a massive role in weight control and explains why active jobs burn so many calories.

3. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) ~10%

Believe it or not, eating burns calories! Your body requires energy to digest, absorb, and store nutrients. Protein has the highest TEF (20-30%), meaning it takes more energy to digest than carbs (5-10%) or fats (0-3%). This is one reason why high-protein diets are effective for fat loss.

Formulas Used: Accuracy Matters

This calculator uses two standard formulas to ensure the best accuracy for your body type:

• Mifflin-St Jeor Equation: The default formula, considered the most accurate for the general population. It uses gender, age, height, and weight.
• Katch-McArdle Formula: If you enter your body fat percentage, the calculator switches to this formula. It is based on Lean Body Mass rather than total weight. This is far superior for athletes or very muscular individuals, as it doesn't penalize you for having muscle weight.

How to Use Your TDEE

Once you know your number, you can plan your nutrition strategy.

1. For Weight Loss: Subtract 500 calories from your TDEE. This generally results in 0.5kg (1lb) of weight loss per week.
2. For Muscle Gain: Add 250-500 calories to your TDEE. Combine this with resistance training to ensure the weight gained is muscle, not fat.
3. Track and Adjust: Your TDEE changes as you lose weight! Re-calculate your numbers every few weeks using your new weight to keep your progress on track.

Ready to plan your meals? Take your TDEE number over to our Macro Calculator to split it into protein, carbs, and fats.