TDEE Calculator
Estimate total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) from BMR equation choice and activity multiplier.
Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week.
| Activity | TDEE (kcal/day) |
|---|---|
| Sedentary | 2109 |
| Lightly Active | 2416 |
| Moderately Active | 2724 |
| Very Active | 3031 |
| Extra Active | 3339 |
Activity Multiplier Interpretation
TDEE scales BMR by activity. The highlighted row reflects your selected activity multiplier.
| RANGE | CATEGORY |
|---|---|
| 1-1.20 | Very Sedentary Little planned movement. Most of the day is seated. |
| 1.20-1.38 | Sedentary Minimal structured training. Low daily step count. |
| 1.38-1.55 | Lightly Active Light training or walking on most days. |
| 1.55-1.73 | Moderately Active Regular moderate-intensity exercise during the week. |
| 1.73-1.90 | Very Active Hard training most days or physically active work. |
| 1.90+ | Extra Active Very high training volume and/or manual labor demands. |
What This TDEE Calculator Estimates
TDEE is your estimated maintenance intake: the calories needed to hold body weight roughly steady at your current activity level.
How To Use TDEE for Goal Calories
TDEE is a starting anchor, not a fixed truth. For weight-loss planning, convert this into a target intake with the Calorie Deficit Calculator and timeline-check with the Weight Loss Calculator. To model calorie output from a walking step target, use the Steps to Calories Calculator. For more activity types (running, lifting, HIIT, cycling, and more), use the Calories Burned Calculator. If you want meal-level intake estimates from photos, use the Calorie Estimator and compare weekly average intake against this maintenance target. To convert calorie goals into protein, carb, and fat gram targets, use the Macro Calculator.
Why Real Maintenance Can Differ
Equation-based TDEE can be off because movement, sleep, stress, adaptive thermogenesis, measurement error, and adherence all change real expenditure. Recalibrate with 2 to 4 weeks of trend data before making aggressive changes.
For resting-only energy needs, use the BMR Calculator and then layer activity on top.
References
- Mifflin-St Jeor resting energy equation (PubMed):A New Predictive Equation for Resting Energy Expenditure
- Revised Harris-Benedict equation (PubMed):The Harris Benedict Equation Reevaluated
- IOM/DRI chapter on energy requirements (NCBI Bookshelf):Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy
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