TDEE & Calorie Calculator
How many calories do you burn in a day — and how many should you eat for your goal? The full answer first — no account, no email wall.
Eat at your TDEE. Hold weight, fuel training and recovery.
What Is TDEE — and Why It Matters
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It's made of four parts: your resting metabolism (BMR, usually 60–70%), everyday movement (NEAT), deliberate exercise, and the energy cost of digesting food (TEF). Knowing your TDEE is the foundation of any body-composition goal — eat below it to lose fat, at it to maintain, or above it to build.
The Components of Your Burn
BMR — Basal Metabolic Rate
60–70%
The energy your body uses just staying alive: organs, brain, temperature regulation. Largely fixed by body size, age, and sex.
NEAT — Non-Exercise Activity
15–30%
All movement outside training: walking, standing, fidgeting, chores. The most variable component — and the most underused lever.
EAT — Exercise Activity
5–15%
Deliberate training sessions. Smaller than most people assume for typical gym-goers.
TEF — Thermic Effect of Food
~10%
The cost of digesting and processing what you eat. Protein costs the most (~20–30% of its calories).
Why Any TDEE Number Is an Estimate
Equations predict population averages — individual metabolism varies by roughly ±10–15% even among people with identical stats. Sleep, stress, training history, diet history, and adaptive thermogenesis all move the real number. That's why the practical range around your target matters more than the exact figure: start at the estimate, track intake and weight for 2–3 weeks, and let your own data refine it.
This calculator provides estimates for healthy adults and is educational — not medical advice. If you are pregnant, under 18, managing a medical condition, or have a history of disordered eating, work with a qualified clinician or registered dietitian. Read the full disclaimer.
Common Questions
How accurate is this TDEE calculator?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is accurate within roughly ±10% for most people. Individual metabolism varies, so treat the result as a starting estimate: eat at the target for 2–3 weeks, track your weight trend, and adjust by 100–200 kcal if the real-world result doesn't match the prediction.
How fast should I try to lose fat?
A deficit of ~500 kcal/day (roughly 0.5 kg or 1 lb per week) is the sweet spot for most people — fast enough to see progress, slow enough to protect muscle and keep training quality. Aggressive cuts (~750 kcal/day) work for shorter phases with high protein, but increase fatigue and muscle-loss risk.
Should I eat back the calories I burn in workouts?
Generally no — your activity factor already accounts for regular training. Eating back exercise calories on top usually double-counts, since trackers and machines overestimate burn by 20–50%. Only consider it for unusually long sessions well beyond your normal training.
Do men and women need different calculations?
The same equation is used, with a sex-specific constant (+5 for men, −161 for women) reflecting average differences in lean mass. Women tend to have a lower BMR at the same weight and height, and should generally avoid very aggressive deficits, which can disrupt hormonal function more readily.
Why did my weight loss stall after a few weeks?
As you lose weight, your TDEE drops — a lighter body burns fewer calories, and adaptive thermogenesis trims a bit more. Water retention from stress or new training can also mask fat loss for 1–2 weeks. If the trend is flat for 3+ weeks with honest tracking, reduce intake by 100–200 kcal or recalculate at your new weight.
Do I need to hit my calories exactly every day?
No — weekly averages drive results. Day-to-day intake can flex within your range (±5%) around training, appetite, and life. Consistency over weeks matters far more than precision on any single day.