TDEE Calculator

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It includes your Basal Metabolic Rate (calories burned at rest), the energy used during physical activity, and the thermic effect of food (calories burned digesting meals). TDEE is the most important number for setting calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.

TDEE calculators using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation are generally accurate within 10–15% for most people. Individual variation due to genetics, muscle mass, hormonal factors, and metabolic adaptation can shift the true value. Use the result as a starting point, track your weight for 2–3 weeks, and adjust your intake up or down by 100–200 calories based on actual progress.

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — the minimum energy needed to keep basic functions like breathing, circulation, and cell repair running. TDEE adds all other energy expenditure on top of BMR: physical activity, exercise, and digestion. TDEE is always higher than BMR and is the number you should use for setting calorie goals.

A daily deficit of 250–500 calories below TDEE is recommended for sustainable weight loss of 0.25–0.5 kg per week. Larger deficits can cause muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and metabolic adaptation. Women should generally not eat below 1,200 calories/day and men below 1,500 calories/day without medical supervision. Combining a moderate deficit with increased daily steps is often more effective than restriction alone.

Yes. TDEE typically decreases by approximately 1–2% per decade after age 20, primarily due to loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia). Muscle tissue is metabolically active and burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. Resistance training and maintaining an active lifestyle can significantly slow this decline. Hormonal changes, particularly during menopause, can also reduce TDEE for women.