Estimate total daily energy expenditure and maintenance calories from a published resting-energy equation and a transparent activity-factor assumption. Compare three resting-energy methods, five activity presets and every calculation step.
- Three resting equations
- Five activity presets
- Metric and US units
- No data sent by the tool
TDEE and Maintenance Calorie Calculator
Choose a resting-energy equation and an activity factor. The tool estimates adult resting energy first, then multiplies it by the selected factor. It does not create a weight-loss or weight-gain prescription.
Mifflin-St Jeor resting estimate multiplied by the moderate 1.55 preset
TDEE by resting-energy equation
Selected: Mifflin-St JeorEach bar uses the same activity factor. The spread comes from the resting-energy equation, not from a measured confidence interval.
Equation comparison
| Equation | Resting estimate | TDEE at factor | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mifflin-St Jeor | 1,699 kcal/day | 2,633 kcal/day | Selected equation |
| Revised Harris-Benedict | 1,763 kcal/day | 2,732 kcal/day | +3.8% |
| Cunningham | 1,820 kcal/day | 2,821 kcal/day | +7.1% |
Activity preset comparison
| Preset | Factor | Estimated TDEE | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedentary preset | 1.20 | 2,039 kcal/day | Simplified low-activity convention |
| Light activity | 1.375 | 2,336 kcal/day | Some movement and light planned activity |
| Moderate activity | 1.55 | 2,633 kcal/day | Selected preset |
| High activity | 1.725 | 2,930 kcal/day | Frequent training or active daily work |
| Very high activity | 1.90 | 3,228 kcal/day | Demanding training or physical work |
Input and result details
| Item | Value | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Equation set | Male coefficients | Used by Mifflin and Harris-Benedict |
| Age | 30 years | Age term in two resting-energy equations |
| Converted height | 175 cm | Height term in two resting-energy equations |
| Converted weight | 75 kg | Weight term in all available equations |
| Body fat | 20% | Produces estimated fat-free mass of 60 kg |
| Activity assumption | Moderate activity, 1.55 | Multiplies the selected resting-energy estimate |
Calculation steps
- Use age 30 years, height 175 cm and weight 75 kg.
- Apply the male Mifflin-St Jeor equation: 10 x 75 + 6.25 x 175 - 5 x 30 + 5 = 1,698.75 kcal/day.
- Use the selected moderate activity preset: factor 1.55.
- Estimate TDEE: 1,698.75 x 1.55 = 2,633.0625 kcal/day.
- Display 2,633 kcal/day, 18,431 kcal/week and 11,017 kJ/day.
Recent calculations
Results stay in this page session. Nothing is sent by this calculator.
How to Use This TDEE Calculator
- Choose Mifflin-St Jeor, revised Harris-Benedict or Cunningham as the resting-energy equation. Cunningham requires body-fat percentage.
- Select the published male or female coefficient set, then enter adult age, height and weight.
- Choose metric or US units. The calculator converts US measurements before applying the equations.
- Select the activity preset that best reflects your usual work, transport, household movement and exercise across a normal week. Use a custom factor only when you have a reason for it.
- Select Calculate TDEE. Review estimated resting energy, daily and weekly energy, equation differences, activity comparisons and substituted steps.
Use current measurements. Do not select a high factor because of one difficult workout. The factor is meant to summarize a full day over time. If a preset already includes training, do not add workout calories to the result again.
What Is TDEE?
Total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE, is the energy used across an entire day. It includes resting metabolism, routine movement, structured exercise and the energy cost of processing food. In stable conditions, average energy intake near average expenditure tends to support weight maintenance. Daily intake and scale weight still fluctuate, so a one-day match is neither required nor measurable at home.
This page predicts TDEE in two stages. First, it estimates resting energy from body measurements. Second, it multiplies that estimate by an activity factor. Both stages introduce uncertainty. The result works best as a starting estimate that you review against several weeks of consistent real-world data.
TDEE Formula
Physical activity level, or PAL, is total energy expenditure divided by basal metabolic rate over 24 hours. The same relationship can be rearranged as TEE equals BMR multiplied by PAL. This calculator uses a predicted resting-energy value as the base, so it remains an approximation. Its five named presets are simplified web-calculator conventions rather than measured individual PAL values.
Step 1: Estimate resting energy
Mifflin-St Jeor is the default. The common rounded forms use weight W in kilograms, height H in centimetres and age A in years:
Female: REE = 10W + 6.25H − 5A − 161
The revised Harris-Benedict resting-energy equation provides a comparison with different fitted coefficients. Cunningham uses estimated fat-free mass: BMR = 500 + 22 times fat-free mass in kilograms. A guessed body-fat percentage does not make Cunningham more accurate.
Step 2: Apply an activity factor
The chosen factor scales resting energy to a whole-day estimate. A factor of 1.55 means estimated daily expenditure is 1.55 times estimated resting expenditure. It does not mean exercise alone burns 55% of BMR. The difference also represents routine movement and other non-resting energy within this simplified model.
Worked TDEE example
For a 30-year-old using the male Mifflin coefficients at 75 kg and 175 cm, estimated resting energy is 1,698.75 kcal/day. With the moderate preset of 1.55:
Displayed result = 2,633 kcal/day
The weekly arithmetic is about 18,431 kcal. That number is not a weekly meal target or a guarantee of stable weight. It is seven times the same daily prediction.
Activity Factors Explained
| Preset | Factor | Use as a starting assumption when | Common error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.20 | Most time is seated with little deliberate activity. | Ignoring normal walking, chores or an active commute. |
| Light | 1.375 | Daily movement is modest with light exercise on some days. | Choosing it only from gym frequency. |
| Moderate | 1.55 | Movement and planned exercise are regular across the week. | Treating every workout as moderate regardless of duration. |
| High | 1.725 | Training is frequent or daily work keeps you moving for long periods. | Using it for a seated job plus brief sessions. |
| Very high | 1.90 | Demanding training and physical work create a consistently high load. | Selecting it for one unusually hard week. |
The 2023 National Academies report uses broader adult PAL bands: inactive from 1.00 to below 1.53, low active from 1.53 to below 1.68, active from 1.68 to below 1.85 and very active from 1.85 to below 2.50. FAO ranges are 1.40 to 1.69 for sedentary or light lifestyles, 1.70 to 1.99 for active or moderately active lifestyles and 2.00 to 2.40 for vigorous lifestyles. These ranges show why exact preset labels are not universal scientific cutoffs.
What TDEE Includes
- Resting energy: predicted energy used for essential body functions at rest.
- Non-exercise activity: standing, walking, transport, chores, posture changes and other daily movement.
- Exercise activity: structured training, sport and demanding physical work.
- Thermic effect of food: energy used to digest, absorb and process nutrients.
The multiplier does not calculate these components separately. It rolls them into one assumption. Smartwatch workout calories, step counts and gym-machine estimates are separate predictions with their own error. Adding them to a factor-based TDEE often double counts activity.
Resting Energy, TDEE and Calorie Intake
| Term | Meaning | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| BMR, REE or RMR estimate | Predicted energy use at rest. The terms refer to protocols with different strictness. | Base value for the multiplier, not an automatic intake target. |
| TDEE | Predicted total expenditure across a day. | Initial maintenance estimate to compare with longer-term trends. |
| Calorie intake | Energy consumed from food and drinks. | A measured or estimated input that also carries tracking error. |
| Calorie target | A planned intake chosen for a goal. | Requires health, nutrition, safety and adherence context beyond this tool. |
How Accurate Is a TDEE Calculator?
No online TDEE calculator measures your daily expenditure. The resting-energy equation may overestimate or underestimate the base value. The activity factor adds a second judgment. Body composition, genetics, age, sleep, medications, illness, training status, climate and recent weight change can shift actual expenditure.
Indirect calorimetry measures resting energy more directly through respiratory gas exchange. Doubly labelled water is used to assess free-living total energy expenditure over time, but it is specialized and expensive. A consumer device or equation is not equivalent to either method.
Use a Real-World Trend to Refine the Estimate
If tracking is appropriate for you, compare the estimate with consistent intake and average body-weight data over several weeks. Weigh under similar conditions, use a rolling average and avoid judging from one reading. Hydration, sodium, carbohydrate storage, digestion and menstrual-cycle changes can move scale weight without matching fat change.
If average intake is stable and average weight remains broadly stable, recorded intake offers a practical clue about current maintenance. Tracking error and adaptation still exist. Do not force the numbers to match by making abrupt changes. The NIDDK Body Weight Planner uses a dynamic model for goal scenarios because a fixed calorie-per-pound rule does not capture how expenditure changes with weight and time.
When This Calculator Is Not Appropriate
This general adult tool does not model growth, pregnancy, breastfeeding, critical illness, major burns, organ failure, recovery after major surgery or clinical tube-feeding needs. It is also unsuitable as a self-treatment tool for an eating disorder, unexplained weight change, persistent fatigue or a suspected endocrine problem.
Competitive athletes, people with highly variable physical work and adults with major mobility or body-composition differences may need individualized assessment. Seek a physician or registered dietitian when medical risk, symptoms or a major diet change is involved.
Common TDEE Calculator Mistakes
- Entering pounds in the kilogram field or treating 5 ft 10 in as 5.10 feet.
- Choosing activity from workout days while ignoring the rest of the week.
- Adding exercise calories after selecting a factor that already includes exercise.
- Using a guessed body-fat percentage for Cunningham.
- Treating the displayed number as exact or as a required intake.
- Changing the resting-energy equation and activity factor together when comparing results.
- Applying an adult estimate to pregnancy, children or clinical feeding.
Calculation Method and Review Sources
The resting-energy equations were reviewed against the original Mifflin-St Jeor study, the Roza and Shizgal revision and Cunningham analysis. PAL definitions and ranges were checked against the 2023 Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy and the FAO/WHO/UNU adult energy-requirement report. Dynamic weight-planning context was reviewed against the NIDDK Body Weight Planner.
The tool uses 2.54 centimetres per inch, 0.45359237 kilograms per pound and 4.184 kilojoules per kilocalorie. It keeps precision until display and never stores input outside the current page session.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does TDEE mean?
TDEE means total daily energy expenditure. It is the energy used across a full day through resting metabolism, daily movement, exercise and food processing. This calculator predicts TDEE; it does not measure it.
How is TDEE calculated?
This tool estimates resting energy with Mifflin-St Jeor, revised Harris-Benedict or Cunningham, then multiplies that result by the selected activity factor. US measurements are converted to metric before the equations are applied.
Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?
Estimated TDEE is often used as an initial maintenance-calorie estimate. Actual maintenance is an average observed over time, so intake tracking error, activity variation, fluid shifts and metabolic adaptation can make it differ from the calculator result.
Which resting-energy equation should I choose?
Mifflin-St Jeor is a practical default for many adults. Revised Harris-Benedict provides a second established estimate. Cunningham uses fat-free mass and depends on a credible body-fat value. Use a method specified by your qualified professional when applicable.
Which activity factor should I use?
Choose from your usual whole-day pattern across work, transport, household movement and exercise over a normal week. Do not select a factor from one hard workout. When uncertain, compare adjacent presets and refine the estimate with a longer-term trend.
Why does the sedentary preset use 1.20 if official PAL ranges differ?
The 1.20 value is a common simplified web-calculator convention. Current DRI and FAO sources classify sustained adult PAL in broader ranges. This page identifies the named factors as presets, allows a custom value and shows official ranges for context.
Is a TDEE result exact?
No. Both the resting-energy equation and the activity factor are estimates. Actual expenditure may differ because of body composition, daily movement, training, health, medications, sleep, environment and measurement error.
Does TDEE include exercise and digestion?
Yes, conceptually. Total expenditure includes resting energy, routine movement, exercise and the thermic effect of food. A multiplier combines these into one estimate; it does not measure each component separately.
Should I eat exactly my calculated TDEE?
No fixed intake is guaranteed to maintain weight. Treat TDEE as a starting estimate, not a prescription. Nutrition quality, health conditions, goals, hunger, tracking accuracy and observed trends all need consideration.
Can children, pregnant people or athletes use this calculator?
This general tool is designed for adults and does not model growth, pregnancy or breastfeeding. Competitive athletes and people with unusually high or variable workloads may need individualized assessment from a qualified professional.
Health and Calculation Disclaimer
This calculator provides an educational adult energy-expenditure estimate. It does not measure metabolism, diagnose a condition, prescribe calorie intake or replace a physician or registered dietitian. Do not use it for children, pregnancy, breastfeeding, critical illness, clinical feeding or eating-disorder treatment. Seek qualified guidance before making a major diet or health change.