What Is TDEE? How to Calculate Yours Step by Step
TDEE is the calories you burn in a day, resting energy plus movement. Calculate your TDEE by hand in two steps, with worked examples and a way to check it.
Greg, Cal Clark team7 min read
TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure: all the calories your body burns in a day, from sleeping to climbing stairs. You can work out your TDEE in two steps: estimate your resting energy with a formula, then multiply it by an activity factor. Eat about your TDEE and your weight holds steady; eat less and it tends to fall.
Key takeaways
- TDEE = resting energy x activity factor. Resting energy is usually the biggest part, 45 to 70% of the total.
- A formula predicts your burn. Two weeks of real weight and food records show how close it is.
- Your TDEE changes when your weight, age or daily movement changes.
What is TDEE and how do you calculate it?
Your TDEE is a number of kcal a day. Calculate it as resting energy (from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation) times an activity factor between 1.40 and 2.40. For a 35-year-old woman of 168 cm and 70 kg who walks most days, that is 1,414 x 1.55, about 2,190 kcal a day.
What TDEE is made of
Your TDEE has four parts:
| Part | What it is | Share of TDEE |
|---|---|---|
| Resting energy | Breathing, circulation, keeping warm, running your organs | about 45 to 70% |
| Food digestion | Energy used to digest and absorb what you eat | about 10% |
| Everyday movement | Walking, standing, chores, fidgeting (known as NEAT) | varies a lot between people |
| Exercise | Planned workouts and sport | varies with how often you train |
The resting share comes from the FAO, WHO and United Nations University report on energy requirements. A 2024 review of diet-induced thermogenesis puts digestion at about 10% of total energy, higher for protein and lower for fat. NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, covers everything you do that is not sleeping, eating or sport, and it differs a lot between people. That is why two people of the same size can have different TDEEs.
Step 1: Estimate your resting energy
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation comes from measurements of 498 healthy adults aged 19 to 78. A systematic review found it the most reliable of the common equations for healthy adults.
| Resting energy (kcal a day) | |
|---|---|
| Men | 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (years) + 5 |
| Women | 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (years) - 161 |
In pounds and inches: divide pounds by 2.2 for kg, and multiply inches by 2.54 for cm.
Step 2: Multiply by an activity factor
The FAO report groups daily life into three bands:
| Your typical day | Activity factor |
|---|---|
| Sedentary or light: desk job, some walking | 1.40 to 1.69 |
| Active: on your feet a lot, or exercise most days | 1.70 to 1.99 |
| Vigorous: hard physical work or long daily training | 2.00 to 2.40 |
Choose the middle of your band if you are unsure. Some online calculators use a different scale, so their results can differ from this page. Pick one scale and stay with it.
Worked examples
These are examples calculated with the formulas above, not real people. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 kcal.
| Example | Resting energy | Factor | TDEE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woman, 35, 168 cm, 70 kg, walks most days | 1,414 kcal | 1.55 | about 2,190 kcal |
| Man, 40, 180 cm, 90 kg, desk job, gym twice a week | 1,830 kcal | 1.55 | about 2,840 kcal |
| Woman, 55, 160 cm, 60 kg, desk job | 1,164 kcal | 1.45 | about 1,690 kcal |
For the first row, 10 x 70 + 6.25 x 168 - 5 x 35 - 161 = 700 + 1,050 - 175 - 161 = 1,414 kcal, and 1,414 x 1.55 = 2,192 kcal.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
A formula predicts your burn for people like you. It does not measure yours. The equation was built on healthy adults, and the review that compared the formulas noted that an individual estimate can still be well off. NEAT differs a lot between people, which the formula cannot see. Test it:
- Eat about your estimated TDEE for two weeks, logging everything and weighing yourself each morning.
- If your average weight stays flat, the estimate fits you.
- If it drifts, adjust a little and try another two weeks.
The NIH Body Weight Planner uses a similar approach and shows how your needs change as your weight changes. Our calorie calculator and TDEE calculator do the sums for you.
TDEE, BMR and your calorie target
BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the resting-energy part of TDEE, measured under strict rest conditions. Resting energy and BMR are close enough for planning meals. Your calorie target comes from TDEE: eat below it to lose weight, around it to hold, above it to gain. For losing weight, see how many calories to eat to lose weight and what a calorie deficit is. For seven days of meals built around a target, see the calorie deficit diet plan. Cal Clark sets calorie and macro targets for the goal you pick: lose weight, gain mass, fuel training or stay healthy. It is coming soon to iOS and Android: join the waitlist. If your weight stalls, read the plateau guide.
Where this does not work
- The numbers are for healthy adults. They do not fit pregnancy, breastfeeding or under-18s.
- If you have a thyroid condition, diabetes or another long-term illness, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for your target.
- Very muscular people burn more than the formula says.
- If you have had an eating disorder, do not set calorie targets alone.
- The lowest fixed intakes in the 2013 US obesity guideline are 1,200 to 1,500 kcal for women and 1,500 to 1,800 kcal for men. Talk to a doctor before eating less than that.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between TDEE and BMR?
BMR is what you burn at complete rest. TDEE is BMR plus digestion, everyday movement and exercise, so it is always higher. BMR is roughly 45 to 70% of TDEE in adults.
How do I choose my activity level?
Pick the band that matches most of your week, not your best day. A desk job with gym sessions twice a week, as in the second example, sits in the middle of the first band. If your weight does not match your estimate after two weeks, move one step.
Should I eat below my TDEE to lose weight?
Yes. Weight falls when you eat less than you burn. The 2013 US obesity guideline recommends cutting 500 to 750 kcal a day, and our weight loss calories guide shows how.
Does TDEE change when I lose weight?
Yes. A lighter body burns fewer calories, so recalculate with your new weight as it changes. The NIH Body Weight Planner shows how needs fall as weight does.
Do I add my workout calories on top of TDEE?
No. If you chose the activity factor to include your training, adding workouts again counts them twice.
Summary
TDEE is the calories you burn in a day. Estimate your resting energy, multiply by an activity factor, and test the result for two weeks against your real weight. Then set your target above, below or at it, depending on your goal. Protein is the next number to set.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr, 1990.
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults. J Am Diet Assoc, 2005.
- FAO, WHO, UNU. Human energy requirements, chapter 5: physical activity levels. 2001.
- Diet induced thermogenesis, older and newer data with emphasis on obesity and diabetes mellitus: a narrative review. Metabolism Open, 2024.
- Levine JA. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Nutr Rev, 2004.
- NIDDK. Body Weight Planner.
- Jensen MD, Ryan DH, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults. Circulation, 2014.
Related
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before you make big changes to your diet.
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