How to Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs (TDEE)

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day — covering everything from breathing and digestion to exercise and daily movement. Knowing your TDEE is the single most important number for any nutrition or fitness goal.

BMR vs. TDEE

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is what your body burns at complete rest — the energy needed just to stay alive. TDEE builds on BMR by multiplying it by an activity factor that reflects how much you move. A sedentary office worker and an athlete with the same BMR can have TDEEs that differ by 1,000+ calories per day.

How activity level is factored in

The most common TDEE formula (Mifflin-St Jeor) multiplies your BMR by a factor ranging from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extremely active). Even light daily walking can push you from the sedentary to the lightly active tier, adding 200–300 calories to your daily budget — which matters a lot over months.

Using TDEE for your goal

To lose weight, eat 300–500 calories below TDEE. To gain lean muscle, eat 200–300 calories above it. To maintain, eat at TDEE. Enter your age, height, weight, sex, and activity level into the calorie calculator to get your personal number instantly.