TDEE Calculator
Use this TDEE calculator to quickly find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (daily calorie needs).
Why is TDEE important?
Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) tells you exactly how much you must eat daily to maintain weight.
- Eat more than this, and you will gain weight.
- Eat less, and you will lose weight
This is called a calorie deficit – calculate it here.
Is TDEE and BMR the same?
No, they are not.
Every day your body burns a specific number of calories just by existing. This is known as your Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR.
BMR is based on weight, height, and age but does not include daily activity or exercise.
TDEE is effectively your BMR + extra exercise or activity.
TDEE and BMR are not the same, and as most people do more than lie in bed each day, TDEE is a more helpful tool.
Should I eat my TDEE to lose weight?
No. Your TDEE shows you your daily maintenance calories. If you eat your TDEE, you will stay the same weight.
How do you calculate TDEE for weight loss?
You lose weight by having a calorie deficit.
A calorie deficit means eating less than your body needs to maintain itself.
Ever had more bills than you had money? You had a financial deficit.
A calorie deficit is consuming less energy than you need to stay the same weight.
TDEE Weight Loss Example
Let’s say your BMR is 1,700 calories per day. With some physical activity, you end up with a TDEE of 2,300 calories.
To lose weight, you should consume around 1,840 calories per day.
How much should I subtract from TDEE?
After working with hundreds of successful clients, we’ve found a deficit of 20% from your TDEE is optimum.
You can also achieve a deficit by burning more calories through exercise.
Every effective diet, whether high fat, low fat, high carb, or low carb, uses a calorie deficit to achieve weight loss.
Why shouldn’t I subtract more calories?
Technically you could eat nothing all day and achieve weight loss through having a calorie deficit.
Many well-publicized crash diets put you into a severe caloric deficit. They result in short-term weight loss but will damage your metabolism.
Reducing your calories by more than 20% may lead to muscle loss. This is not desirable as muscle helps burn additional calories.
How long does it take to see results from a deficit?
There are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, so with a 20% calorie deficit, most people will lose about a pound a week.
Your body can become conditioned to repeated exercise affecting your calorie intake and TDEE.
Not sure of the best path to achieving your health and fitness goals?
So switch things up from time to time! Change exercise routines, intensity, and duration.
How to get results with TDEE and a calorie deficit
Macro counting is a great way to hit your daily calorie target. You lose weight healthily and sustainably.
Counting macros (and flexible dieting) is non-restrictive. It means you still eat your favorite foods – provided they fit within your TDEE and macro goals.
You could eat unhealthy foods and still achieve weight loss. – as demonstrated by the 27-pound weight loss of Dr. Mark Haub.
However, loading your diet with fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and lean meats is best. This way, you can feel awesome AND achieve weight loss.
TDEE FAQs
Does it matter what I eat if I count calories?
Yes and no.
You could eat nothing but snack cakes or pizza and still lose weight – if you maintain a calorie deficit.
However, for healthy body composition, a balanced diet is recommended.
Tracking macros will ensure you get enough of each macronutrient and meet micronutrient needs.
Does TDEE include exercise?
Yes, the TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure, so it must include all your movement in 24 hours.
Even non-exercisers are still doing activities around the house – eating, showering, running errands, etc.
Don’t confuse TDEE with Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) or Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). These two represent energy expenditure if you lay in bed all day and did nothing.
How do I measure my TDEE and calorie intake?
Use the calculator above. It uses the most common variables.
If you want a genuinely accurate TDEE – talk to a coach.
Totaling your calories for the day is usually done with a macro tracking app.
How often should I recalculate my TDEE?
It would be best if you recalculated your TDEE as you lost weight. Do this every 6-8 weeks.
Does this have anything to do with BMI?
Body Mass Index or BMI is a measure of height and weight. It’s not the same thing as TDEE.
How do I use TDEE to gain muscle?
Once you’ve calculated your TDEE in the calculator above, add 10% to the calorie amount. The new calorie amount gives you a good starting point for weight gain.
If you still aren’t gaining, move this to a 20% surplus (use the macro calculator).
I help people drop unwanted pounds without sacrificing their favorite meals or battling hunger.
Get nutrition assessment or explore 1-on-1 coaching.
Sources
- Rising, R., Harper, I. T., Fontvielle, A. M., Ferraro, R. T., Spraul, M., & Ravussin, E. (1994). Determinants of total daily energy expenditure: variability in physical activity. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 59(4), 800-804. study link
- Schulz, L. O., & Schoeller, D. A. (1994). A compilation of total daily energy expenditures and body weights in healthy adults. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 60(5), 676-681. study link
470 Comments
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Hi, I’m a 25yr old girl, I have a office job but I do a combination of classes (AMRAP, boxing) and weight lifting around 5 times a week.. I am 5ft5 and weight 66kg currently. My BMR is accordingly 1480 I aim to eat 1500 but struggle to hit that at days. I currently do intermitting fasting so I have an eating window between 12-9 ish.. I am currently eating low fodmap due to unknown stomach issues (suspected colitis..?!)..
In October I weighed 63kg and I went to 69kg.. I have only been gaining. I lost the recent weight due to illness.. I am baffled as to why I can’t loose any?!
Hi Kristy, Remeber your BMR is how many calories your body uses to keep your body alive without any skeletal movement. So, if you are eating barely 1500 and doing the intense type of exercise you described, you are not eating enough. Give this article a read. You have to support your exercise with the right nutrition.
My TDEE is 1412. I am 5’2″, 66 years old, sedentary at the moment due to multiple issues, and currently weigh 151.8. I have been stalling for a month (lost 1/3 of a pound). I do low carb due to diabetes, i.e. have 30 or below carbs per day, 80 or below fat, and around 60-75 protein. I have lost 37 pounds since January but it slowed down considerably in the past 3 months, and now it is a snail’s pace. My goal is 127 or so and I was hoping to get there by the end of the year (in 5 months) but I don’t think that is going to happen. I have about 1050-1200 a day but sometimes go above a bit because it’s hard to do that and it screws with metabolism.
Hi Dee, There can be many reasons for a plateau but do try to eat at least 1200 calories per day. Eating too little can slow down your metabolism. Also, it’s a good idea to have a look at your thyroid function and other hormone levels.
I’ve had those checked recently (not sure if I’ve had all checked,but many)and they are ok.I know eating too little can slow down metabolism which why it becomes harder to lose each time or to keep weight off. I try to stay between 1100-1200-mostly I am closer to 1200 with some days higher so it probably averages out to 1200. I wish I knew the reasons for my plateau though! I’m getting upset as I also want my diabetic numbers down and I have sleep apnea and struggling with a minimal mask. Stress isn’t helping but I lost with stress before!
Does it matter if you follow your total calories weekly instead of daily? So instead of 1,400 a day I do 9,800 a week? I want to do the 5:2 diet, as I have done well with it before, so that means 2 days at 500 calories. Can I do then another 3 days at 1,400 cal each and then leave 2,300 cal for Sat and Sun to dine out, etc?
I think as long as you keep a rolling average of what amounts your daily TDEE then you are fine. With the Macro Solution we tend to have the bigger calorie days on exercise/workout days, and the lower calorie days on rest days. Means you have enough energy to exercise well…
Thanks! Yes, that makes sense. I’ll make sure that on my fasting days instead of going to the gym to lift weights and doing HIIT I can just go for a half an hour walk or something and do some ab work.
I just want to make sure this is correct because it seems really high. I’m 35yr old female, weigh 230 and my TDEE is 3164. I am currently working out at Orange Theory Fitness at least 5-6 days per week. I previously had a personal trainer who had me on strict eating plan but I can not eat the SAME thing every day…but I did loose 60lbs with him but unfortunately he is no longer training and I am lost. My BMR is 1840 so it says I should be eating 2531 cal per day….that seems like a WHOLE lot…please advise on this. Thanks
Hi Rachel, Yes, that’s too much. For people that have more fat tissue than average, calculator results are skewed. Fat tissue is low metabolic tissue and has to be accounted for if you have more than 50 pounds of it. This article should help you understand this better.
Ted, I’ve started 3 weeks ago weight training and cardio looking to lose weight and build muscle I’m 47 5’9” started at 198 lbs and currently I’m at 188 lbs . My BMR is 1850 my calorie intake is 1800 a day and my TDEE is 3000 a day I work out twice a day 6 days a week and I feel fine but my strength does not seem to be going up I do see changes in the mirror but as I read on here I think I’m not doing this right am I just losing muscle?
Hi Anthony, It looks like your calorie deficit is too severe on your workout days which is likely causing muscle loss. In your case, I’d recommend no more than a 20% deficit. Head over to my macro calculator which will calculate that for you. Flexible Dieting Macro Calculator
My TDEE is 2500b and I eat between 1700/1900 calories a day. I onlygain I never lose. I’ve been struggling work this for years now. I think I damaged my metabolism and I don’t know if you can fix that.
Hi Dana,
I have the same issue but I’m not finding answers. Have you?
What are your stats (age/height/weight)? and how much are you exercising. TDEE sounds high.
I’m 164cm and I weigh about 129.6lbs. My weight hasn’t budged for 2 months. I’m trying to lose around 10-15lbs. I’ve been eating between 1200- 1500 calories per day. My TDEE is 1885 and my resting metabolic rate is 1410. How much calories do I need to be consuming to lose weight? I exercise around 2-4 times a week (depends on work).
Hi Sophia, What kind of exercise do you do? You may not be supporting it with enough nutrition. Read this article which explains one possible reason for your plateau.
I started with 5000 steps over 2 months I have graduated to 17000 steps
lost 12 kg , now I consume 2300 calories daily and burn 1300 calories
feel low on energy some times please advise as i want to loose 12 kg more
I am 6 feet tall male 49 years was 112 kg at present after 2 months 100 kg target is to reach 85 kg
I want to clarify something… is the TDEE calculation just based on everyday movement, or are we supposed to include exercise? I normally am sedentary at my job, but I do 30-45 min of cardio + 30 minutes of training at least 4 days per week.
TDEE stands for TOTAL daily energy expenditure. So therefore includes all activity – both intentional exercise + normal daily movement.
So, would you say that my workout routine falls into moderately active or lightly? I’m totally confused – too many years of dieting for starvation! I’m currently eating about 1950-2000 cal per day. My TDEE is calculating 2409 for light, and 2716 for moderate. I tend to burn anywhere from 2500-3000 calories depending on the intensity for the day.
Probably falls into Moderate level.
Hi Sharon, Your TDEE seems really high to me. Are you sure that’s correct? If you are using an activity tracker, they have been shown to greatly over-estimate calorie burn. Unless you are a very tall woman with a lot of muscle mass and have a very active job, I don’t think it’s likely that you are burning 2500-3000 calories a day.
Are you eating enough? What does this calculator tell you?
Ted, I just had my numbers done with InBody Composition Analyzer. My resting rate was 1383 – basically if I sat still all day long. My body fat came up as 39.7% I’m still eating the same calories (lost 2lb this month since last post) and my TDEE is showing 2486 which seems about right??
Hi Sharon, If your numbers are dialed in you should lose about 1-2 pounds per week. It seems like you may want to cut back a tad since you are at about .5 pounds per week. But totally up to you and how fast you want to lose.
Hey Ted, thanks for posting these, I find the resources very useful. I am 36y, 168cm, 75kg, and cross fit 4-5 times per week for the last 6 months. I’ve had a hard time figuring out what the maintenance and weight loss calories level are for me. In 2015-2016 I went from 99kg to 69kg (during one year) with keto. Right now I want to go from 75kg to 65kg without losing muscle mass, and I try to aim for 55-60% fat, 30% protein, and the rest carbs (broccoli and spinach, basically). I try to eat between 1200 cal and no more than 1800 cal (I use my fitness pal and log workouts, but this are not net calories). I am so confused by all these measurements, though. I’ve done the fat loss calculator using waist measurement and got approx 20% body fat (although visually I estimate I am more between 25% and 30% at the moment, while the BMI tells me I am overweight (at 27). What I really would appreciate is if you could help me figure out what to eat and when. I assume a cycle diet is best, where I can eat less on my rest days (Mon & Fri) when I do not do Cross fit. I tend to walk quite a bit as well, as the only other form of exercise. I’ve had some injuries (light) last month because I was severely under-eating (1200-1400 cal on avg, total cal not net cal) and now I am trying to eat more and especially more intelligently.
Hi Maria, Glad you appreciate and find the resources helpful. Because of what you’re asking is a little more involved than what can be addressed in a comment, I suggest you consider coaching with me. That way I can fully evaluate your situation and calculate your optimal macros for you.
Started this program in November 2017. Have lost over 25lbs , but am struggling with the last 7lbs. 50yr female 5’7” 142 goal weight 135. CrossFit 3-5 days a week depending on work schedule. Been doing CrossFit for 2 years consistently. As my fitness level has gone up, I am able to do much more in CrossFit (I just did Murph without scaling any of the movements). My upper body is showing definition (shoulders, arms, abs, but lower body is not. I’ve switched to the lose 10% numbers instead of the “lose”. Should I continue with high protein, which is what I’ve been doing? Also, on days I work, I work 24 hour shifts. Should I plug in those days as sedentary days (I work in a hospital and sometimes am very busy others not so much). I’m just trying to figure out how to get myself more lean, and feel like progress has stalled. Would appreciate any input!!! Thanks
Hi Jen, Great job on your success so far! It’s always good to have a rest day set of macros, especially if the movement of your job is just casually walking around or hit and miss. 10% might also be good since you are looking to add muscle. The high protein part is up to you. I’m not sure how much protein you’ve been consuming but you should really max out at around 140 grams per day. Other than that, I would have to evaluate how much you were eating and run new numbers for you which I could do as part of one of our coaching packages.
Hi , My TDEE is 2300 Cal and My BMR is 1600 , I understand that I should not go less than my BMR and , now am following a diet plan with 1600 cal as per my BMR and additionally am burning approx. 400 Cal through workour 4-5 times a week. Here is my doubt, am I making a deficit of TDEE-BMR ? i.,e 2300 – 1600 = 700 cal plus 400 cal through workout.. so total 1100 cal ? or am just burning out those 400 cal ? Please help me understand.
Harry, your TDEE should be inclusive of all exercise undertaken. So if you are looking to lose fat, you need a deficit of around 20% (so 20% x 2300 = 460 cals). So, each day you are aiming for (2300-460 = 1840) around 1840 cals.
If you need help with this, please take a look at our personal coaching packages here.
Hi
I dont know what to think…I’m hitting close to macros as I can…feeling great! I’m working for fatloss but I don’t see much 7 days later and the weight says I gained 1 pound? What is wrong 🙁
Hi Patty, How did you estimate your exercise?