If you are asking "what's my TDEE?", you are already asking the right question. TDEE — or Total Daily Energy Expenditure — is the total number of calories your body burns in a full day. It is the single most important number for weight management because it is your maintenance calorie baseline. Once you know it, you can eat the right amount to lose, gain, or hold your weight steady.
TDEE in plain language
Think of your body as a car. Your BMR is the fuel the engine uses just to sit in park — keeping the radio on, the computer running, the heart beating. NEAT is the fuel used for short trips around town — walking, cleaning, fidgeting. EAT is the fuel used for long highway drives — intense workouts or sports. TEF is the energy lost as heat while burning fuel. TDEE is the total fuel used for all of it in a day.
Most people confuse BMR with TDEE. BMR is only the "park" fuel. TDEE adds all the trips. If your BMR is 1,500 calories and you are lightly active, your TDEE is roughly 1,500 × 1.375 = 2,063 calories. That 2,063 is the number you are looking for.
Step-by-step to find your TDEE
- Find your BMR. Use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: Men = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5; Women = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161. The BMR calculator does this for you instantly.
- Choose your activity level honestly. Be realistic. Most people overestimate. If you have a desk job and work out twice a week, you are likely "lightly active," not "moderately active."
- Multiply BMR by your activity factor. The standard multipliers are: 1.2 (sedentary), 1.375 (light), 1.55 (moderate), 1.725 (active), 1.9 (athlete).
- Verify with real-world data. Follow your calculated TDEE for 2–3 weeks while tracking your weight daily. If your weight stays stable, you nailed it. If you are gaining, lower intake by 100–200 calories. If losing, raise it by 100–200.
Example TDEE calculations
| Profile | BMR | Activity | TDEE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woman, 25, 165cm, 65kg | ~1,400 | Moderate | ~2,170 |
| Man, 30, 180cm, 80kg | ~1,820 | Moderate | ~2,821 |
| Woman, 40, 170cm, 75kg | ~1,475 | Light | ~2,028 |
| Man, 20, 175cm, 70kg | ~1,690 | Active | ~2,915 |
Using your TDEE for weight loss
To lose weight, eat 300–500 calories below your TDEE. That moderate deficit is sustainable and muscle-sparing. For a customized plan, use the weight loss calculator. Read the calorie deficit guide for strategies to stay consistent and avoid common dieting mistakes.
Using your TDEE for muscle gain
To build muscle, eat 250–500 calories above your TDEE. Pair this with resistance training and the macro calculator to ensure you get enough protein (1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight). See the calorie surplus guide for a lean-bulk approach that minimizes fat gain.
Using your TDEE for maintenance
Eat at your TDEE to hold your current weight. Maintenance is not passive: you still need to monitor intake, especially as your body composition changes. Recalculate every 4–6 weeks. For deeper guidance, read maintenance calories explained and the maintenance calorie calculator guide.
Get your exact TDEE number
The fastest way to answer "what's my TDEE?" is to use the TDEE calculator. It applies the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, asks for your activity level, and gives you calorie targets for loss, maintenance, and gain in seconds. If you only want your resting number first, try the BMR calculator.
Sources and further reading
These independent, authoritative sources inform the methods used on this page.