How to use this TDEE calculator
- Enter the adult age, sex equation, weight and height.
- Choose an activity multiplier that considers work, walking and training together.
- Select Calculate and inspect the maintenance estimate, resting estimate and chosen multiplier.
The formula and method
TDEE is total daily energy expenditure. This tool estimates maintenance expenditure from simplified Mifflin–St Jeor resting energy multiplied by an activity factor.
The resting equation uses body weight, height, adult age and one of two sex constants. Activity options are 1.2, 1.375, 1.55, 1.725 and 1.9. They summarize an overall activity assumption rather than counting individual workouts.
The output includes the resting estimate and multiplier so you can see how the daily estimate was calculated. It does not separately measure exercise, digestion or non-exercise movement.
Worked example
For an 80 kg male, 180 cm tall, age 30, with a sedentary desk job but who lifts weights 4 days per week (moderate activity multiplier of 1.55): BMR = 1,780 kcal; TDEE = 1,780 × 1.55 = 2,759 kcal/day.
Understanding the estimate
- People with similar workout schedules can have different total daily movement and expenditure.
- The multiplier does not measure exercise calories and should not be treated as a precise activity tracker.
- Estimated maintenance may differ from the intake that maintains your observed weight over time.
Frequently asked questions
Should I add workout calories to this result?
The activity factor already represents your overall day. Adding exercise calories again can count the same activity twice.
How do I choose an activity factor?
Consider your work, general movement and training together. The labels are broad assumptions; compare the output with your observed trend rather than treating a workout frequency as an exact category.
How is TDEE different from BMR?
The resting estimate covers baseline expenditure. TDEE uses an added activity assumption to estimate the whole day.