Daily energy expenditure calculator (TDEE)
Calories you burn each day given your metabolism and activity level.
Calculator inputs
Results
Enter your values and press “Calculate” to see the result.
In short
- What it calculates
- Calories you burn each day given your metabolism and activity level.
- Formula used
TDEE = BMR × activity factor- Example
- Man aged 30, 70 kg, 175 cm, moderate activity:
TDEE calculator
TDEE is the number that actually matters for weight management: the calories you burn across a full day, exercise and digestion included.
Eating that number maintains your weight; eating below it reduces weight and above it increases weight.
How it works
Basal metabolic rate is calculated with Mifflin-St Jeor and multiplied by an activity factor from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (athlete training twice a day).
Formula
TDEE = BMR × activity factor
Sedentary 1.2 · Light 1.375 · Moderate 1.55 · Intense 1.725 · Athlete 1.9
Typical deficit: TDEE − 500 kcal (≈ 0.5 kg per week)
Worked example
Man aged 30, 70 kg, 175 cm, moderate activity:
BMR: 1,649 kcal
TDEE: 1,649 × 1.55 = 2,556 kcal
To lose weight: around 2,056 kcal a day.
Explanation
The activity factor is the fragile part
Basal metabolic rate can be estimated fairly reliably, but multiplying it by an activity factor introduces the largest source of error in the calculation. Most people place themselves one step above where they belong: 'moderate activity' means genuinely training three to five days a week, not going for the occasional walk.
The expenditure that is not exercise
A good part of the difference between people lies in spontaneous activity: moving while talking, taking stairs without thinking, not sitting still. It can amount to several hundred calories a day between two people of the same weight, and explains why two identical diets give different results.
Trackers overstate
Watches and bands tend to overestimate exercise expenditure, sometimes markedly. Using their figures to 'earn' extra food is a common route to stalling when trying to lose weight.
How to calibrate with real data
The reliable way to know your expenditure is to measure: log what you eat for two or three weeks alongside how your weight moves, and correct from there. The formula only gives a starting point.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the activity factor?
It is an estimate. If you are between two levels, pick the lower one: most people overestimate how active they are.
How big a deficit is safe?
A deficit of 300 to 500 kcal a day is the usual range for losing 0.3 to 0.5 kg a week sustainably.
Why am I not losing weight eating below my TDEE?
Because the calculated TDEE is an estimate with a wide margin, and food logging usually undercounts. Calibrating against real weight over several weeks is more reliable.
Should I add the calories my watch reports?
With caution. Devices tend to overestimate exercise expenditure, and eating to that figure slows progress.
Need to calculate something else?
These tools are often used alongside this calculator.
BMR
The calories your body burns at complete rest, from two formulas.
Calories
The calories you need for your goal, with the protein, fat and carb split.
Protein
Recommended grams of protein based on your weight and activity level.
BMI
Calculate your BMI and see the healthy weight range for your height.
Water intake
Recommended litres based on your weight, exercise and climate.
Ideal weight
Four classic formulas plus the healthy range from BMI.