TDEE Calculator: Find Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or just trying to maintain your current body composition, the TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) Calculator makes the process so much simpler!

But, it won’t do everything for you as you’ll still have to keep track of your eating and exercise habits. However, this handy tool will provide you with an accurate baseline to start your fitness or health journey.

Our New Improved & Accurate Calculator (v2.4) also provides you with the following data in addition to total daily energy expenditure.

• TDEE
• BMI
• BMR
• Ideal Weight
• Maximum Muscular Potential
• Daily Macronutrients (Maintenance, Cutting, Bulking)

Here’s some important information for you to be able to use this calculator effectively to achieve your goals.

If you’re searching for the best TDEE Calculator then look no further…

What is the TDEE?

TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure and this value is found by calculating how many total calories you burn on a daily basis. A calorie or kilocalorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius (1).

So, calories are basically a measure of energy that fuels our physiological functions and activities.

How TDEE is Calculated

There are several equations for calculating TDEE but the Mifflin-St Jeor equation is known to be the most accurate (So, we’ll focus on this formula). 

According to one study, this equation is accurate to within 10% of RMR (Resting metabolic rate) (2).

This was determined by comparing Mifflin-St Jeor to the Harris-Benedict, Owen, and World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization/United Nations University [WHO/FAO/UNU] formulas.

TDEE Formula

The formula for the Mifflin-St Jeor is as follows for each gender…

Thankfully, you don’t have to figure these numbers by hand, as you only need to enter a few basic fields to get an accurate result from this formula.

Although, you can simply plug the variables and see how it works. 

Learn more: how to manually calculate your TDEE here.

How to Use Our Calculator

It’s quite simple actually! Here are step-by-step instructions for using the calculator.

1. Choose your unit of measurement in either imperial (lbs and inches) or metric (kg and cm).
2. Select your gender.
3. Enter your age, weight, and height.
4. Pick your activity level. 
5. Type in your body fat percentage (optional but can give more accurate results).

Voila! The calculator will then provide your results. 

How To Read My TDEE?

After you punch in the basic info (age, height, weight, activity level, and body fat %) required; you’ll see a few different approximate values. Now, these results are pretty simple to understand and we’ve provided a brief definition of each.

Maintenance calories – The calculator provides the same results as a maintenance calorie calculator and this value is the number of calories you need to consume to maintain your current bodyweight.

Calories per week – This is the total number of calories you’ll eat in one week based on your goals.

Ideal weight – This value is simply a recommendation for a healthy weight but the more muscle you have, the less you need to really worry about this part.

Body mass index (BMI) score – BMI score is based on your height and weight. Now, the ranges aren’t always 100% accurate, so if you happen to be within these numbers, consider your body fat level to gauge whether or not you have a healthy BMI. (3)

• 18.5 or less (Underweight)
• 18.5 – 24.9 (Normal weight)
• 25 – 29.9 (Overweight)
• 30 – 40 (Obese)
• 40+ (Extremely obese)

Macronutrients – Macronutrients are needed in large amounts so this is a big focus for meeting your recommended daily caloric requirements (4).

Now, macros aren’t typically included in a standard TDEE calculator since most tend to only act as calories burned calculator.

But, our TDEE formula includes both training day and rest day macros. So, you can know exactly how much protein, carbs, and fats to consume every day to reach your goals. And these numbers vary based on all of the required necessary information including weight, and activity level.

• Protein is the building block of muscle tissue and the TDEE formula factors it into your diet based on your needs (5).
• But, carbs are an essential energy source which can break down fast enough to support your high-intensity exercise. And carbs are proven to support anabolism which is necessary for muscle growth (6).
• Fats are also very important for brain function, testosterone production, and metabolism regulation. So, all macros are taken into account for optimal health based on all factors that you enter in the calculator (7).

How Many Calories do I Burn Per Day?

To figure how many calories you burn in a day, you can use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation which we use for our TDEE calculator, as it already factors in your BMR or basal metabolic rate.

BMR is the amount of energy your body burns or needs to function at rest (breathing, body temperature regulation, etc.) (8).

So, your BMR plus activity level will determine how many calories you burn in a day. But, it’s important to know that the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn. So these numbers can vary a bit.

According to research, the body burns about 50 additional calories per each pound of muscle that you have (9).

So, you might want to use our body fat calculator to get a better idea of just how much lean body muscle mass you’re carrying because you might be a fat-burning machine and not even know it… 

How Many Calories Should I Eat in a Day?

This is entirely independent of each individual’s current weight, BMR, TDEE, and goals. But, adjusting your calories by roughly 500 above or below your maintenance calories will help you achieve the desired outcome in the safest manner possible (10).

Keep in mind though, that the 500-calorie rule does not apply in all situations and may be most effective initially. In fact, it’s been called a 500-calorie deficit myth as of recent so we don’t recommend that everyone adjust their calories 500 calories below or above maintenance especially the farther along you are in your weight journey.

Our calorie calculator can also provide you with the ideal caloric intake recommendation but once you know your maintenance calories, it’s smooth sailing if you’re aware of the following guidelines.

• If you want to lose a pound a week, you’ll have to eat 500 calories less than your recommended maintenance calories each day.
• If you want to gain one pound a week, you’ll have to eat 500 calories over your maintenance calories each day.
• For maintenance, keep your caloric intake and activity levels consistent.

How Many Calories Should I Burn a Day?

If you want to lose one pound per week, then you’ll have to burn 500 additional calories each day below your total daily energy expenditure.

But for a two-pound weight loss, you’ll need to burn 1,000 calories per day.

Now, one pound of body weight equals 3,500 calories which are the number of additional calories you’d need to burn in one week to lose a pound (11).

But, to create a caloric deficit you can either eat less, exercise more, or do a little of both. So, if you’re the type who enjoys your food (Like the rest of us), then you can hit the cardio machine or go for a run to make up the deficit.

Barry M. Popkin, Ph.D., and the director of the Interdisciplinary Obesity Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill explained… “Essentially, we know of no way to burn more calories or up our metabolism than to move more” (12).

So, being active is always the best method for burning more calories.

Or, you can just cut back on your portions but always make sure to read the labels to keep track of your calories consumed throughout the day.

How to Calculate Macros

Our Calculator takes care of your macros, but we also have a macro calculator specifically for this purpose.

However, to calculate your macros without a calculator you’d need to know your TDEE first. And then you can follow the widely accepted and recommended ratio for macro percentages after you’ve added or subtracted 500 or so calories from your maintenance number.

Here are the macro percentages…

Bulking / Muscle Gain

• Protein: 25-35%
• Carbs: 40-60%
• Fat: 15-25%

Cutting / Fat loss / Weight Loss

• Protein: 40-50%
• Carbs: 10-30%
• Fat: 30-40%

Maintenance Calories

• Protein: 25-35%
• Carbs: 30-50%
• Fat: 25-35%

Our calculator gives you exact numbers rather than percentages and it also provides recomposition (Gain back lost muscle quickly) macro percentages as well.

However, everyone is different and can manipulate these figures in small increments to fit their needs.

Now, if you’re doing the ketogenic diet/lifestyle you will benefit from a different ratio of macro percentages since the goal is reaching ketosis; which utilizes fat as the main energy source rather than carbs (13).

Protein should also be in moderate amounts as too much can prevent proper ketosis…

Keto Macros

• Fat: 70-80%
• Protein: 20-25%
• Carbs: 5-10%

Also try the keto macro calculator!

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Calculating your total daily energy expenditure is no longer a stressful process.

But, nowadays we have a calculator for every goal which makes getting in shape and achieving your ideal physique entirely possible in a timely fashion. But, our TDEE Calculator is a fantastic way to establish a starting point from which you can customize to fit your needs.

You’ll learn your caloric requirements for each day and for the week. Plus, you’ll get your BMI, recommended macros, and ideal weight estimate as well.

So, what are you waiting for?… punch in your numbers so there’s no more guessing when it comes to you making progress.

Other related calculators

• Carb Cycling Calculator
• Intermittent Fasting Calculator
• Weight Gain Calculator
• Macro Calculator
• Body Fat Calculator
• Protein Calculator

References

1. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 and Online Materials | Dietary Guidelines for Americans. www.dietaryguidelines.gov.
2. Frankenfield, David; Roth-Yousey, Lori; Compher, Charlene (2005-05). Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 105 (5): 775–789.
3. CDC (2020-09-17). Body Mass Index (BMI). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
4. Nutrition Basics | at WSU. mynutrition.wsu.edu.
5. The Benefits of Protein. WebMD.
6. Boston, 677 Huntington Avenue; Ma 02115 +1495‑1000 (2012-09-18). Carbohydrates. The Nutrition Source. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
7. Boston, 677 Huntington Avenue; Ma 02115 +1495‑1000 (2014-06-09). Types of Fat. The Nutrition Source. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
8. BMR Versus RMR. www.acefitness.org. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
9. LaForgia, J.; Withers, R. T.; Gore, C. J. (2006-12). Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Journal of Sports Sciences. 24 (12): 1247–1264.
10. American Cancer Society Calorie Counter. www.cancer.org.
11. Counting calories: Get back to weight-loss basics. Mayo Clinic.
12. Magee, Elaine; MPH; RD. 8 Ways to Burn Calories and Fight Fat. WebMD.
13. Ketosis. WebMD.