What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure: every calorie your body burns in 24 hours. It has four parts:
- BMR (about 60–70%): keeping you alive at rest.
- Digestion (about 10%): breaking down food.
- Daily movement (varies a lot): walking, standing, chores, fidgeting.
- Exercise: planned workouts.
How to use your TDEE
Eat at your TDEE to keep your weight the same. Eat about 500 kcal below it to lose around 1 lb a week, or 250–500 kcal above it to gain slowly. The calorie calculator does this math for each goal, and the TDEE vs BMR guide explains the difference in detail.
Pick your activity level honestly. Most people with desk jobs who work out three times a week are "Light" or "Moderate", not "Active".
How to use the TDEE calculator
- Enter sex, age, weight and height.
- Choose your activity level.
- Your TDEE (maintenance calories) appears at the top, with your BMR and the calories for every activity level below it.
TDEE example
A 35-year-old woman who is 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb has a BMR of about 1,361 calories. Her TDEE is about 1,630 if sedentary, 1,870 if lightly active, 2,110 if moderately active and 2,350 if active (hard exercise 6–7 days a week). The difference between sitting all day and training almost daily is more than 700 calories.
How to choose your activity level
| Level | Typical week | Steps a day |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary (1.2) | Desk job, no workouts | under 5,000 |
| Light (1.375) | 1–3 workouts | 5,000–7,500 |
| Moderate (1.55) | 3–5 workouts | 7,500–10,000 |
| Active (1.725) | 6–7 hard workouts | 10,000+ |
| Very active (1.9) | Physical job plus training | 15,000+ |
Using your TDEE
Eat at your TDEE to maintain, 300–500 below it to lose fat, and 200–300 above it to build muscle. Learn more in how many calories do I burn a day and TDEE vs BMR.
Frequently asked questions
Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?
Yes. Your TDEE is the number of calories that keeps your weight stable.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
It is an estimate, usually within about 10%. Track your weight for 2–3 weeks while eating at your TDEE, then adjust.
Should I eat back calories burned from exercise?
If you picked an activity level that already includes your workouts, no. Adding exercise calories on top counts them twice.
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