TDEE Calculator: Find Your Maintenance Calories
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) to determine how many calories you burn per day. This is the foundation for any successful diet plan, whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance.
Fill out the form to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
What is TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) represents the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. It's the sum of all energy your body uses for basic physiological functions, physical activity, digesting food, and maintaining body temperature. Understanding your TDEE is crucial for setting appropriate calorie targets for weight loss, weight gain, or weight maintenance.
TDEE is composed of four main components: Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT), and Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). Each component contributes differently to your total daily calorie burn.
Components of TDEE
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
BMR accounts for 60-75% of your TDEE and represents the calories needed for basic physiological functions like breathing, circulation, and cellular maintenance. This is the energy your body would burn if you were at complete rest for 24 hours.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
TEF represents 8-10% of TDEE and is the energy cost of digesting, absorbing, and processing food. Protein has the highest thermic effect (20-30%), followed by carbohydrates (5-10%) and fats (0-5%).
Exercise Activity (EAT)
EAT accounts for 15-30% of TDEE and includes planned physical activities like gym workouts, sports, and structured exercise. This is the most variable component and what we adjust with our activity level selection.
Non-Exercise Activity (NEAT)
NEAT represents 15-30% of TDEE and includes all activities that aren't sleeping, eating, or sports-like exercise. This includes fidgeting, maintaining posture, and occupational activities.
The Mifflin-St Jeor Formula
Our TDEE calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is considered the most accurate formula for calculating BMR in healthy individuals. This equation was developed in 1990 and has been validated in numerous studies as more accurate than the older Harris-Benedict equation.
The Formula:
Once BMR is calculated, it's multiplied by an activity factor to determine TDEE. These activity factors range from 1.2 for sedentary individuals to 1.9 for extremely active people. The key is to be honest about your activity level to get accurate results.
Activity Level Guidelines
Sedentary (1.2x)
Little to no exercise, desk job, minimal physical activity throughout the day.
Lightly Active (1.375x)
Light exercise or sports 1-3 days per week, or a job that requires some walking.
Moderately Active (1.55x)
Moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days per week, or a moderately active job.
Very Active (1.725x)
Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days per week, or a physically demanding job.
Extra Active (1.9x)
Very hard exercise, physical job, or training twice per day.
Using Your TDEE for Goal Setting
Once you know your TDEE, you can set appropriate calorie targets based on your goals. Your TDEE represents your maintenance calories—the amount you need to eat to maintain your current weight.
Fat Loss
TDEE - 300-500
Create a moderate deficit of 10-25% below TDEE for sustainable fat loss.
Maintenance
TDEE
Eat at your TDEE to maintain your current weight and body composition.
Muscle Gain
TDEE + 200-300
Create a small surplus of 5-15% above TDEE for lean muscle gain.
For ketogenic diets specifically, use your TDEE as the starting point for our Ketogains Calculator to determine your optimal macro distribution for body recomposition goals.