TDEE Calculator

What is TDEE?

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories you burn in a day, including all activities. It is calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity level multiplier. TDEE represents your maintenance calories — eat this amount to maintain your current weight.

Activity Level Multipliers

Sedentary (×1.2): Little or no exercise, desk job. Light activity (×1.375): Light exercise 1-3 days/week. Moderate activity (×1.55): Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week. Active (×1.725): Hard exercise 6-7 days/week. Very active (×1.9): Intense daily exercise or physical job. Choose the multiplier that best matches your lifestyle for the most accurate TDEE estimate.

Using TDEE for Weight Goals

To lose weight: Eat 300-500 calories below your TDEE. This creates a deficit of about 0.5kg per week. To gain weight: Eat 300-500 calories above your TDEE. For body recomposition: Eat at TDEE and focus on protein intake and strength training.

TDEE vs BMR

BMR is what you burn at complete rest. TDEE is BMR plus all activity — walking, exercise, digestion, even fidgeting. The gap between BMR and TDEE can be 20-50% depending on your activity level. An active person might have a TDEE 50% higher than their BMR.

TDEE Calculator for Cutting and Bulking

For cutting (fat loss): Eat 300-500 calories below TDEE. This creates a sustainable deficit of 0.25-0.5 kg per week. For bulking (muscle gain): Eat 300-500 calories above TDEE. Larger surpluses lead to more fat gain than muscle. For body recomposition (lose fat + gain muscle): Eat at TDEE with high protein (2.2g/kg) and progressive strength training.

TDEE for Different Activity Levels — Examples

A 30-year-old woman, 165cm, 60kg: Sedentary TDEE ≈ 1650 calories. With 3 workouts per week: TDEE ≈ 1900 calories. With daily intense training: TDEE ≈ 2200 calories. A 30-year-old man, 178cm, 80kg: Sedentary TDEE ≈ 2050 calories. With 3 workouts per week: TDEE ≈ 2350 calories. With daily intense training: TDEE ≈ 2700 calories.

Why Am I Not Losing Weight Despite Eating Below TDEE?

Common reasons: underestimating calorie intake (use a food scale), overestimating activity level (most people are sedentary to light), water retention masking fat loss, metabolic adaptation from prolonged dieting, and inconsistent tracking (weekends matter). Use our BMR and TDEE calculators together, track food accurately for 2 weeks, and adjust based on actual scale trends.