TDEE by Activity Calculator
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure separately for rest days and training days.
Tailored calorie targets for each.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) with activity multiplier is the most widely used method for estimating how many calories you burn per day, accounting for your basal metabolic rate plus the additional energy cost of physical activity.
Two-step formula: Step 1 — BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): Mifflin–St Jeor equation (most accurate for most adults):
Men: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) + 5 Women: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) − 161
Step 2 — TDEE: TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier
Activity multiplier (PAL — Physical Activity Level):
- Sedentary (1.2): Desk job, little or no exercise
- Lightly active (1.375): Light exercise 1–3 days/week
- Moderately active (1.55): Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week
- Very active (1.725): Hard exercise 6–7 days/week
- Extra active (1.9): Physical job + daily training (athletes)
What each variable means:
- BMR — calories burned at complete rest just to maintain life: breathing, heartbeat, organ function, body temperature
- Activity multiplier — the PAL (Physical Activity Level) factor; the most commonly underestimated variable; most people overestimate their activity level
- TDEE — the calorie intake that keeps your weight stable; eat less to lose, more to gain
- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) — approximately 10% of TDEE; already incorporated into the activity multiplier
Reference: daily calorie targets relative to TDEE:
- Weight loss (0.5 kg/week): TDEE − 500 calories
- Weight loss (1 kg/week): TDEE − 1,000 calories (rarely sustainable)
- Maintenance: TDEE calories
- Muscle gain (lean bulk): TDEE + 200–300 calories
Worked example: 35-year-old woman. Weight: 68 kg. Height: 165 cm. Activity: moderately active (1.55).
- BMR = (10 × 68) + (6.25 × 165) − (5 × 35) − 161
- = 680 + 1,031.25 − 175 − 161 = 1,375 calories/day
- TDEE = 1,375 × 1.55 = 2,131 calories/day
- For 0.5 kg/week loss: 2,131 − 500 = 1,631 calories/day target
This is a sustainable deficit. Going below 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) risks metabolic adaptation and nutrient deficiency.