Calories and energy
TDEE calculator: your maintenance calories and BMR
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the number of calories you burn in a day, and eating that many keeps your weight about where it is. Enter your sex, age, height, weight and how active you are: the calculator estimates your resting burn with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, multiplies it by an activity factor from the FAO/WHO/UNU energy report, and shows the result with its margin of error.
Enter your values above to see your result and what it means.
What is TDEE?
TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is everything you burn in 24 hours: the energy your body uses at rest to keep you alive, plus the energy of digesting food, moving and exercising. The resting part, often called BMR or basal metabolic rate, is the largest share for most people. The FAO/WHO/UNU expert report expresses the rest as a physical activity level (PAL): your daily energy use divided by your resting rate. Maintenance calories and TDEE are the same number seen from two sides: what you burn, and what you can eat without your weight changing.
How to calculate maintenance calories
Step one is resting energy expenditure from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (1990): 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age in years, then + 5 for men or − 161 for women. Step two multiplies that by your activity factor. Example: a 40-year-old man, 5 ft 10 in (177.8 cm) and 180 lb (81.6 kg), burns about 1,730 kcal at rest; with the "on your feet much of the day" factor of 1.76 his maintenance is about 3,050 kcal a day. The calculator rounds to the nearest 10 kcal because the estimate carries a margin of about 10%.
Activity factors
The activity factors come from the FAO/WHO/UNU report on human energy requirements. It groups lifestyles into three classes by physical activity level and prints a worked example for each. This calculator uses those examples, plus the bottom of the lowest class for people who sit most of the day. The report notes that levels above 2.40 are hard to keep up for long.
| Lifestyle | FAO range | Factor used here |
|---|---|---|
| Mostly sitting, little walking | 1.40-1.69 (lower end) | 1.40 |
| Sedentary or light activity | 1.40-1.69 | 1.53 |
| Active or moderately active | 1.70-1.99 | 1.76 |
| Vigorous or vigorously active | 2.00-2.40 | 2.25 |
Calories for weight loss and weight gain
For adults with overweight or obesity, the 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline describes a deficit of 500 to 750 kcal a day, or an intake of 1,200 to 1,500 kcal a day for women and 1,500 to 1,800 for men, as part of a wider lifestyle program. This calculator takes the gentler 500 kcal deficit and never goes below 1,200 or 1,500 kcal. Diets under 800 kcal a day belong in a medical setting, according to the same guideline. Weight also changes more slowly than old rules of thumb suggest: modeling by NIH researchers found that the body takes about a year to get halfway to its new steady weight after a lasting change in intake. Your BMI decides which figure the calculator shows; the BMI calculator explains the bands.
If food or weight is worrying you
Calorie numbers suit some people and unsettle others. If you find yourself counting, restricting or feeling guilty about eating more than you would like, the five-question SCOFF screen can help you decide whether to talk to someone. A doctor is a good first contact, and support is available.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure, the calories you burn in a day. It combines your resting burn (BMR) with everything you do on top of it. Eating about your TDEE keeps your weight stable.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what your body burns at complete rest. TDEE adds digestion, daily movement and exercise, so it is always higher. The FAO/WHO/UNU report puts typical adult lifestyles at about 1.4 to 2.4 times the resting rate, depending on how active they are.
How do I calculate my maintenance calories?
Work out your resting burn with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age, plus 5 for men or minus 161 for women), then multiply by your activity factor, for example 1.53 for a desk job with some walking. The calculator above does both steps.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
It is an estimate. In a systematic review of resting-rate equations, Mifflin-St Jeor was the most reliable, landing within 10% of the measured value for more people than any other equation, but some people still fall outside that. Your activity factor adds more uncertainty. Weighing yourself over a few weeks tells you your real maintenance level.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
The 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline, written for adults with overweight or obesity, uses a deficit of 500 to 750 kcal a day and intakes of at least 1,200 kcal for women and 1,500 kcal for men. The calculator shows a 500 kcal deficit from your maintenance level and stops at those floors. A doctor or dietitian can tailor this to you.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-247.
- FAO/WHO/UNU. Human energy requirements: report of a joint FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation, Rome, 17-24 October 2001. Chapter 5, Energy requirements of adults. Rome: FAO; 2004.
- Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults. Circulation. 2014;129(25 Suppl 2):S102-S138.
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(5):775-789.
- Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826-837.