What is TDEE? Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator
Understanding TDEE
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a single day. It's the key number for:
- Weight loss: Eat less than your TDEE to lose weight
- Weight maintenance: Eat equal to your TDEE to stay the same
- Weight gain: Eat more than your TDEE to build muscle
TDEE = BMR × Activity Level Multiplier
Where BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate - the calories you'd burn doing absolutely nothing.
Components of TDEE
BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate | Activity: Exercise + Daily Movement | TEF: Thermic Effect of Food
Calculate Your TDEE
NHS Calorie Guidelines
According to the NHS, the general daily calorie requirements are:
- Women: Around 2,000 kcal per day
- Men: Around 2,500 kcal per day
These are averages. Your actual needs depend on age, weight, height, and activity level - which is why calculating your personal TDEE is more accurate.
BMR Formulas Explained
Mifflin-St Jeor Equation (1990) - Most Accurate
Men: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) - (5 × age) + 5
Women: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) - (5 × age) - 161
Harris-Benedict Equation (1918, Revised 1984)
Men: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 × weight kg) + (4.799 × height cm) - (5.677 × age)
Women: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 × weight kg) + (3.098 × height cm) - (4.330 × age)
Katch-McArdle Equation (For those who know body fat %)
BMR = 370 + (21.6 × Lean Body Mass in kg)
Where Lean Body Mass = Weight × (1 - Body Fat %)
Activity Level Multipliers
| Activity Level | Multiplier | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Little to no exercise, desk job |
| Lightly Active | 1.375 | Light exercise 1-3 days per week |
| Moderately Active | 1.55 | Moderate exercise 3-5 days per week |
| Very Active | 1.725 | Hard exercise 6-7 days per week |
| Extremely Active | 1.9 | Very hard exercise, physical job, or training twice a day |
Tips for Using Your TDEE
- Weight loss: Eat 500 calories below TDEE for ~0.5kg (1lb) loss per week - this is sustainable
- Track for 2-3 weeks: TDEE is an estimate - adjust based on real-world results
- Be honest about activity: Most people overestimate their activity level
- Protein priority: Aim for 1.6-2.2g protein per kg body weight when dieting
- Recalculate after weight changes: Lose/gain 5kg? Recalculate your TDEE
- Consider NEAT: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (fidgeting, walking, etc.) adds up
- Don't go too low: NHS recommends not dropping below 1,500 kcal (men) or 1,200 kcal (women)
Common TDEE Mistakes
- Overestimating activity level: An hour at the gym doesn't make you "Very Active" if you sit all day
- Eating back all exercise calories: Fitness trackers often overestimate calories burned
- Cutting too aggressively: Eating 1,000+ calories below TDEE leads to muscle loss and metabolic adaptation
- Not accounting for weekends: One "cheat day" can undo a week's deficit
- Ignoring liquid calories: Drinks, alcohol, and sauces add up quickly
- Expecting linear progress: Weight fluctuates daily - track weekly averages instead
- Using the same TDEE forever: Your TDEE changes as your weight, age, and activity change
TDEE vs BMR vs Calorie Calculator
| Calculator | What It Measures | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| BMR | Calories burned at complete rest (coma-level rest) | Understanding base metabolism; medical settings |
| TDEE | Total daily calories including all activity | Setting daily calorie goals; weight management |
| Calorie Calculator | Usually same as TDEE, sometimes with goal-specific adjustments | Quick calorie targets; meal planning |
| Macro Calculator | Protein, carbs, and fats breakdown | After knowing your calorie target; optimising nutrition |
Frequently Asked Questions
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It represents the total number of calories your body burns in a single day. This includes:
- BMR (60-70%): Calories for basic body functions (breathing, circulation, cell production)
- Physical Activity (15-30%): Exercise and daily movement
- TEF (10%): Thermic Effect of Food - energy used to digest food
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the minimum calories your body needs to survive at complete rest - like if you stayed in bed all day doing nothing.
TDEE is your BMR plus all the calories you burn through daily activities, exercise, and digesting food. For most people, TDEE is 20-100% higher than BMR depending on activity level.
Example: A 30-year-old man might have a BMR of 1,800 calories but a TDEE of 2,500 calories if moderately active.
TDEE calculations are typically accurate within 10-15% for most people. Factors that can affect accuracy include:
- Genetics and individual metabolism variations
- Hormone levels (thyroid, cortisol, testosterone)
- Muscle mass (more muscle = higher TDEE)
- Accurate measurement of height and weight
- Honest assessment of activity level
Use your calculated TDEE as a starting point. Track your weight for 2-3 weeks and adjust calories up or down based on actual results.
For safe, sustainable weight loss:
- Mild deficit (250 cal/day): ~0.25kg (0.5lb) loss per week
- Moderate deficit (500 cal/day): ~0.5kg (1lb) loss per week (recommended)
- Aggressive deficit (750-1000 cal/day): ~0.75-1kg per week (short-term only)
NHS recommends: Don't go below 1,500 kcal/day for men or 1,200 kcal/day for women without medical supervision.
Maintenance calories = your TDEE. It's the exact number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.
- Eat at maintenance: Weight stays the same
- Eat below maintenance: Weight decreases (calorie deficit)
- Eat above maintenance: Weight increases (calorie surplus)
Finding your true maintenance requires tracking calories and weight for several weeks, as calculated TDEE is an estimate.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is considered most accurate and is recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It was developed in 1990 and accounts for modern body compositions.
The Harris-Benedict equation (1918, revised 1984) is older but still widely used. It tends to slightly overestimate BMR for some people.
The Katch-McArdle equation is most accurate if you know your body fat percentage, as it accounts for lean body mass directly.
Activity level is a major factor in your TDEE. For example, a 30-year-old, 175cm, 70kg man might have:
- Sedentary: ~2,000 calories TDEE
- Lightly Active: ~2,300 calories TDEE
- Moderately Active: ~2,600 calories TDEE
- Very Active: ~2,900 calories TDEE
- Extremely Active: ~3,200 calories TDEE
That's a 60% difference between sedentary and extremely active! Be honest about your activity - most people overestimate.
It depends on how you calculated your daily calories:
- If using TDEE: No - exercise is already factored into your activity level
- If using BMR only: Yes - you need to add exercise calories
Caution: Fitness trackers and gym equipment often overestimate calories burned by 20-50%. If you do eat back calories, consider eating only 25-50% of what your device says.
Professional Advice: How to Use Your TDEE Result Effectively
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure provides a starting point rather than an exact figure. Individual metabolic rates can vary by 10 to 15 percent from calculated estimates, so treat your TDEE as a baseline and adjust based on real-world results over two to four weeks. If your goal is fat loss, a moderate caloric deficit of 300 to 500 calories below your TDEE is sustainable and typically results in losing around 0.5 to 1 pound per week while preserving lean muscle mass. For muscle gain, a surplus of 200 to 300 calories above TDEE is generally sufficient for most people. Tracking your body weight weekly and taking the average helps account for daily fluctuations caused by water retention, food volume, and hormonal cycles. The NHS recommends that adults consume at least 1,200 calories for women and 1,500 calories for men even during weight loss to ensure adequate nutrition.
Pro Tips for Accurate Results
- Double-check your input values before calculating
- Use the correct unit format (metric or imperial)
- For complex calculations, break them into smaller steps
- Bookmark this page for quick future access
Understanding Your Results
Our What Is Tdee Calculator provides:
- Instant calculations - Results appear immediately
- Accurate formulas - Based on official UK standards
- Clear explanations - Understand how results are derived
- 2025/26 updated - Using current rates and regulations
Common Questions
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