TDEE Calculator
Use our free TDEE calculator to estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and get a practical baseline for your daily calorie needs. It reflects your energy balance across resting metabolism, everyday movement, structured exercise, and digestion. After you calculate, you’ll see your maintenance calories, plus example targets for a calorie deficit (fat loss) or a calorie surplus (muscle gain), alongside helpful context like BMR, BMI, ideal weight estimates, and activity comparisons.
Our calculator will provide you the following results:
- • Maintenance calories (daily + weekly)
- • Cutting and bulking calorie targets
- • Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) estimate
- • Activity-level comparison table
- • Macronutrient targets with tabs (maintain/cut/bulk)
- • BMI score + weight classification
- • Ideal weight range (multiple formulas)
- • Muscular potential goal-setting ranges
Last updated: January 2026
Calculate How Many Calories You Burn Every Day
How to Use Your Results (A Simple 2–3 Week Process)
Treat your estimate as a starting point. The fastest way to make it accurate is to run a consistent plan, then compare your weekly averages (not single-day weigh-ins) to the direction you want.
Choose US or Metric units, then enter age, sex, height, and weight. Add body fat percentage if you know it for a more personalized estimate using lean mass.
Select the activity multiplier that best matches your typical week. Consider daily steps, training, and job movement (non-exercise activity thermogenesis).
Submit the form to see estimated maintenance calories (daily calorie needs for weight stability) plus supporting context like BMR and activity comparisons.
For fat loss, start with a moderate calorie deficit. For muscle gain, start with a small calorie surplus. For maintenance, eat close to the estimate and track trends.
Use weekly averages instead of day-to-day scale noise. If your trend is not moving as expected, adjust calories by a small amount (often 100–200/day) or add a little movement and reassess.
- If the estimate feels high, the most common cause is an activity level that’s above your typical week (or step count).
- If progress stalls, common culprits are undercounted portions, liquid calories, cooking oils, and “small snacks.”
- If you recently started lifting or increased carbs, short-term water shifts can mask fat loss for a week or two.
How TDEE Is Calculated
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is an estimate of how many calories you burn in a day. Most calculators begin by estimating your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) (also called resting energy expenditure), which is the calories your body uses to keep you alive at rest. After that, the baseline is adjusted upward using an activity multiplier to reflect your real-life routine.
Your daily burn also includes calories from movement and exercise. A meaningful chunk of that is non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which covers everyday movement like walking, standing, chores, and general “being on your feet.” There is also a smaller portion from the thermic effect of food (TEF), the energy used to digest and process the food you eat.
Your exact percentages can vary, but the big idea stays the same: resting metabolism is usually the largest piece, and a realistic activity level can meaningfully shift your daily calorie needs. Over time, dieting can also change behavior and movement (and sometimes resting needs), which is why we recommend validating your estimate using weekly trends.
The sections below, or to the right on desktop screens, are a visual guide and not a medical diagnostic. Use your result as a starting estimate, then refine it based on 2–3 weeks of consistent tracking and weekly averages.
Percentages are illustrative and vary by person, diet, and lifestyle.
This overview helps you understand what your maintenance number includes so your calorie target feels practical and actionable. If you want a fast starting point, our Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator combines your stats and activity level to estimate maintenance calories and then suggests cutting and bulking targets you can test in real life.
Complete Guide to TDEE, Maintenance Calories, and Daily Calorie Targets
If you have ever typed “how many calories do I burn per day” into a search bar, you were asking a TDEE question even if you did not know the term. Total Daily Energy Expenditure is a practical estimate of the calories your body uses in a full day. It helps you plan maintenance, fat loss, or muscle gain because it gives you a starting point based on body stats, typical activity, and real-world movement.
Our goal is simple: help you estimate your daily calorie burn, then explain what that number means so you can apply it in real life. We keep the math approachable and focus on what matters most: start with a reasonable estimate, track a trend, and make small adjustments based on data.
Quick takeaways
- • Maintenance calories are your daily baseline for weight stability
- • Resting metabolism is the largest slice, but NEAT and training move totals
- • Moderate deficits and small surpluses usually outperform extreme plans
- • Weekly averages beat daily scale noise for judging progress
Jump to a section
Use the calculator above for quick results, then use the links below to go deeper.
What Total Daily Energy Expenditure Means in Plain English
Total Daily Energy Expenditure is your total calories burned in a day. It includes resting metabolism, movement, exercise, and digestion. If you eat close to your maintenance level consistently, your weight tends to stay fairly stable over time. If you eat below it long enough, your trend typically moves down. If you eat above it long enough, your trend typically moves up.
This is why people call it maintenance calories. It is not a promise that the scale will behave the same way every day. It is a baseline you test against your own data.
TDEE vs BMR vs “Calories Burned” Trackers
BMR is the largest slice of your daily energy use, but it is not the number most people should plan around. A more helpful way to think about it:
- BMR (resting needs): energy your body uses at rest for basic functions.
- Daily burn (maintenance): resting needs plus daily movement, exercise, and digestion.
- Wearable estimates: useful for trends, but noisy day-to-day and dependent on algorithm assumptions.
If you use a wearable, the best use is comparing your weekly averages over time, not obsessing over a single day.
How to Use Your Results (Practical, Step-by-Step)
The most common mistake is treating an estimate like a rule. A better approach is to treat it like a “starting bid.” Apply a consistent plan for a short period, then refine based on your trend.
Step 1: Start with maintenance
Maintenance is the anchor. Once you understand what a stable intake looks like in your routine, fat loss and muscle gain become easier to plan and evaluate.
Step 2: Choose a goal and make a moderate change
For fat loss, eat below maintenance (calorie deficit). For muscle gain, eat above it (calorie surplus). Most people do best with moderate changes rather than extreme swings.
- Fat loss: many people start around 10–25% below maintenance.
- Muscle gain: many people start around 5–15% above maintenance.
- Maintenance: eat close to the estimate and track your trend.
Step 3: Track the right data (not just daily scale weight)
Daily scale weight is noisy. Water, sodium, stress, sleep, hormones, and new training can cause swings unrelated to fat loss or gain. A better approach:
- Weigh consistently and look at weekly averages.
- Measure waist/hip weekly.
- Track steps (NEAT) and activity consistency.
- Track performance or strength trends.
Step 4: Adjust in small increments
- Adjust calories by ~100–200/day (or ~5–10%).
- Or add a little movement (often 1,500–3,000 steps/day).
- Reassess after another 2–3 weeks.
A simple rule of thumb
Make one small change at a time, then give it 2–3 weeks. That prevents “yo-yo tweaking” and makes your results easier to interpret.
Understanding Activity Levels (Choosing the Right Multiplier)
Activity multipliers are “buckets,” not perfect measurements. Choose the bucket that best matches your typical week, including daily movement and job activity, not your best week.
Sedentary (little or no exercise)
Typically a desk-based lifestyle with low intentional training. Low step count plus sitting most of the day often fits here.
Lightly active (1–3 days/week)
A few workouts per week and a moderate step count (NEAT is present, but not consistently high).
Moderately active (3–5 days/week)
Consistent training and steady daily movement. Many people with regular workouts and reasonable steps land here.
Very active (6–7 days/week)
Daily training and/or a physically demanding routine. This is more “I move a lot most days” than “I train hard sometimes.”
Athlete / very hard training or physical job
Intense training volume, a physical job, or both. If you’re unsure, start one level lower and adjust based on trends.
If your estimate feels too high, the most common cause is choosing an activity level above your typical week. Start realistic, run a 2–3 week trend test, then adjust modestly.
TDEE for Weight Loss: Choosing a Deficit You Can Maintain
Fat loss comes from a consistent calorie deficit over time. In real life, the best deficit is the one you can follow consistently without feeling wrecked.
Common deficit ranges
- 10–15% below maintenance: slower, often easier on energy and hunger.
- 15–25% below maintenance: moderate and commonly used for steady fat loss.
- 25–30% below maintenance: aggressive and harder to maintain for long stretches.
What about “1,500 calories per day” plans?
A fixed number can work for some people, but it’s not universal. That’s why a maintenance estimate matters: the deficit has to be relative to your baseline and your activity.
How to know your deficit is working
Look at weekly averages. If your average trends down over a few weeks, it’s working even if daily weigh-ins bounce around. If nothing changes for 2–3 weeks and intake is accurate, adjust slightly.
TDEE for Muscle Gain: Lean Surpluses and Realistic Expectations
For muscle gain, the goal is a small surplus to support training and recovery. Large surpluses often add unnecessary body fat.
Common surplus ranges
- 5–10% above maintenance: a common “lean gain” starting point.
- 10–15% above maintenance: can support higher training volume, but monitor fat gain.
Start small, watch trend + performance, and adjust slowly. If weight isn’t moving at all over several weeks, you may need a slightly higher intake. If gain is fast and you feel “soft” quickly, pull back a bit.
Why Estimates Can Be “Right” and Still Feel Off
Population-based estimates can be close and still miss your personal reality in the short term. That’s normal. Validate with your own data and adjust modestly.
Normal weight fluctuations
- Higher sodium meals
- Stress and poor sleep
- Hormonal changes
- New training (inflammation and glycogen storage)
- Higher carbohydrate intake (more glycogen, more water)
Tracking error
Common misses: liquid calories, oils, condiments, “small snacks,” and restaurant portions. Tightening measurement for a couple weeks often reveals the gap.
Activity drift (NEAT changes)
Activity often drops during dieting without you noticing. A consistent step target helps stabilize NEAT and makes results easier to interpret.
Macros, Protein, and Why They Still Matter
- Protein supports muscle retention during fat loss and supports recovery during muscle gain.
- Carbs support training performance for many people and can improve adherence.
- Fats support hormones and overall health when kept at reasonable minimums.
You don’t need a complicated macro plan to benefit. A practical starting point is prioritizing protein consistently, then splitting carbs and fats based on preference and training demands.
Real-Life Examples (Maintenance, Cut, Bulk)
Someone estimates maintenance around 2,300 calories. Weekly averages stay steady over a few weeks, so the baseline is likely close. If trend drifts up or down, they adjust slightly.
Another person estimates maintenance around 2,700. They start a moderate deficit and aim 2,150–2,200. After three weeks, weekly averages trend down steadily, so they keep going.
A lifter estimates maintenance near 2,900. They add a small surplus and aim 3,050–3,150 while training hard. Weight increases slowly, strength improves, and they adjust if gain gets too fast.
Putting It All Together (Simple Strategy)
- Estimate maintenance using realistic activity and body stats.
- Pick a goal (maintain, lose, gain) and adjust calories moderately.
- Track trends (weekly averages) for 2–3 weeks.
- Make a small change if the trend isn’t moving the way you want.
- Repeat, consistency beats perfection.
Call to action
Use the calculator above to get your starting maintenance estimate, then run a consistent 2–3 week test with weekly averages. If you want more quick answers, browse our TDEE FAQ library.
FAQs
These are the most common questions people ask about Total Daily Energy Expenditure, maintenance calories, and choosing a realistic deficit or surplus.
What does TDEE mean?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure - the total number of calories your body burns in a day from resting metabolism, daily movement, exercise, and digestion.
Is TDEE the same as BMR?
No. BMR is the calories your body burns at rest. TDEE includes BMR plus activity and digestion, so it is the practical number used for daily calorie planning.
How much below my TDEE should I eat to lose weight?
Many people start with a 10–25% deficit below TDEE. Smaller deficits are easier to sustain; larger deficits may be harder to maintain and can increase fatigue and hunger.
Will I gain weight if I eat my TDEE?
Eating around your calculated TDEE should maintain your weight over time. If your weekly average trends upward, you may be slightly above your true maintenance or underestimating intake.
How often should I recalculate TDEE?
Recalculate when your body weight or activity level changes meaningfully (for example, after several weeks of fat loss or a change in training volume).
Does protein or macros change TDEE?
Macros can slightly influence digestion cost (thermic effect of food), but the bigger levers are your body size, lean mass, and daily activity. Macros matter more for performance, satiety, and muscle retention.
Should I eat at my BMR?
Most people should not aim to eat only at BMR because it does not include daily living and activity. TDEE is the number typically used for maintenance and goal setting.
What if the calculator says I burn far more than I expected?
Double-check the activity level selection and units. Then compare the estimate to your real trend over 2–3 weeks and adjust modestly if needed.
Can I use steps to choose an activity level?
Steps help, but your job demands and workouts matter too. If unsure, start one level lower and adjust based on weekly averages.