Calculate TDEE Instantly

Calculate your total daily energy expenditure.

Q: What is TDEE and how do I calculate my TDEE?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour cycle. To calculate your TDEE, you must estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and multiply it by a physical activity multiplier representing your lifestyle movement.

Use our free calorie maintenance calculator to estimate your daily energy burn, resting metabolism, and target macronutrient ratios.

TDEE Calculator

Enter your details below. We support both metric and imperial units.

Estimated Total Daily Energy Expenditure

2,450 kcal/day

Based on your physical details, this represents your estimated maintenance calories—the amount of energy needed to maintain your current weight.

BMR: 1,600 kcal

BMI: 22.4 Normal

Macronutrient Splits

Customize your nutrition macros according to your current diet.

Target Intake Calories: 2,450 kcal

Customize Percentages Total: 100%

Carbs: 35%

Fats: 35%

Protein: 30%

Macronutrient	Ratio	Daily Weight	Energy Content
Carbohydrates	35%	214 g	858 kcal
Fats	35%	95 g	858 kcal
Protein	30%	184 g	735 kcal

Weight Management Goals

Adjusted calorie targets to help you lose weight or build muscle.

Goal	Daily Calories	Adjustment	Weekly Rate
Extreme Weight Loss	1,450 kcal	-1,000 kcal	~2.0 lbs (0.9 kg) loss
Weight Loss (Cutting)	1,950 kcal	-500 kcal	~1.0 lbs (0.45 kg) loss
Weight Maintenance Current	2,450 kcal	0 kcal	Stable weight
Weight Gain (Bulking)	2,950 kcal	+500 kcal	~1.0 lbs (0.45 kg) gain

TDEE Activity Comparison

Compare your daily calorie burn estimates across different levels of physical exertion.

Activity Level	Multiplier	Estimated TDEE
Sedentary (Desk Job / No exercise)	1.20	1,920 kcal
Lightly Active (Exercise 1–3 days/wk)	1.375	2,200 kcal
Moderately Active (Exercise 3–5 days/wk)	1.55	2,480 kcal
Very Active (Exercise 6–7 days/wk)	1.725	2,760 kcal
Extra Active (Intense work / Athlete)	1.90	3,040 kcal

Ideal Body Weight Estimates

Calculated using standardized medical equations for a height of 5'9".

Formula	Ideal Weight	Formula Definition
Devine Equation (1974)	155.4 lbs (70.5 kg)	50.0kg + 2.3kg/inch over 5ft
Robinson Equation (1983)	153.9 lbs (69.8 kg)	52.0kg + 1.9kg/inch over 5ft
Miller Equation (1983)	157.0 lbs (71.2 kg)	56.2kg + 1.41kg/inch over 5ft
Hamwi Equation (1964)	160.1 lbs (72.6 kg)	48.0kg + 2.7kg/inch over 5ft
Healthy BMI Range (18.5–24.9)	125 – 169 lbs (56.8 – 76.5 kg)	Standard WHO body index

Maximum Muscular Potential (Lean Limit)

Estimates the natural skeletal weight limit of your body at different body fat percentages using Martin Berkhan's models.

Body Fat Percentage	Max Body Weight	Lean Mass Portion
5% – 6% Body Fat (Contest Shredded)	165.3 lbs (75.0 kg)	157.1 lbs (71.3 kg)
10% Body Fat (Very Lean / Visible Abs)	174.5 lbs (79.2 kg)	157.1 lbs (71.3 kg)
15% Body Fat (Athletic / Moderately Lean)	184.8 lbs (83.8 kg)	157.1 lbs (71.3 kg)

* Note: Martin Berkhan's formula is designed for male natural athletes. Women typically support about 12-15% less lean muscle mass for the same frame size. Calculations are adjusted accordingly.

What Is TDEE and How Does a TDEE Calculator Work?

When asking yourself, "What is my TDEE?", you are taking the most crucial step toward understanding your body's energy balance. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour cycle. To find this number accurately, a reliable tdee calculator is indispensable. Using a clean, fast tool like MyHealthCalculate lets you calculate your TDEE in seconds, giving you a clear biological starting point. Whether you call it a maintenance calorie calculator or a calorie maintenance calculator, the underlying metabolic principles remain the same: finding the exact daily energy threshold your body requires to maintain its current weight. Additionally, you can screen your baseline weight-to-height ratio using our BMI Calculator or compare standard clinical weight ranges on our Ideal Weight Calculator.

Accurate calorie planning is widely backed by clinical research from authorities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which emphasize that weight management is fundamentally governed by thermodynamics—energy intake vs. energy expenditure. For a deep dive into the science, read our comprehensive article: The Ultimate Guide to Calculating and Understanding Your TDEE.

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

The foundation of your daily energy burn (accounting for 60-75% of TDEE). BMR is the energy your vital organs, nervous system, and brain consume to keep you alive in a resting, fasted state. Our tool estimates this resting metric using the modern Mifflin-St Jeor equation on our BMR Calculator, or adjusts it using the body-fat-focused Katch-McArdle formula for greater accuracy; you can estimate your body composition using our Body Fat Calculator.

2. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

The calories burned during all physical movements that are not structured workouts. This includes walking to your car, pacing, standing at your desk, doing household chores, and fidgeting. NEAT varies dramatically between desk jobs and active manual labor.

3. Thermic Effect of Activity (TEA)

The energy spent during deliberate physical workouts, sports, weightlifting, and cardiorespiratory exercise. The length, frequency, and intensity of your training sessions directly dictate your TEA values.

4. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

Digesting food requires energy. TEF accounts for roughly 10% of your daily caloric intake. Notably, protein has the highest thermic cost, burning up to 30% of its own energy content simply through the process of metabolism and assimilation.

Choosing Your Activity Level: Am I Sedentary or Active?

To ensure your calorie maintenance calculator returns a reliable number, selecting the correct activity level is essential. Overestimating physical activity is the most common reason people fail to see results when tracking calories.

Sedentary (1.2 multiplier): Desk jobs with little to no exercise. If you take fewer than 5,000 steps a day and sit for most of your working hours, this is your baseline.
Lightly Active (1.375 multiplier): Light workouts, walking, or recreational sports 1 to 3 days per week.
Moderately Active (1.55 multiplier): Intensive aerobic or strength training workouts 3 to 5 days per week.
Very Active (1.725 multiplier): Hard physical exercise or training 6 to 7 days per week.
Extra Active (1.9 multiplier): Highly demanding physical labor (construction, professional athletes) or training multiple times a day.

If you are using this calculator to set up a weight loss diet, we recommend starting with a conservative activity level (e.g. Sedentary or Lightly Active) to create a safe margin of error.

Adjusting Your Maintenance Calories for Weight Management

Once our maintenance calorie calculator estimates your daily burn, you can adjust your caloric targets depending on your weight goals:

For Weight Loss (Caloric Deficit): Consume 15% to 20% fewer calories than your maintenance baseline. Subtracting 300 to 500 calories from your TDEE prompts your body to utilize stored body fat for energy. You can calculate your specific targets using our Calorie Deficit Calculator or map your timeline with our Weight Loss Calculator.
For Muscle Gain (Caloric Surplus): Consume 10% to 15% above your TDEE. Eating 200 to 400 calories over maintenance provides your body with the raw energy needed to build muscle. You can determine your high-protein targets with our Protein Calculator.
For Maintenance: Eat exactly the number returned by the tdee calculator to keep your weight stable.

No matter your goal, tracking your daily nutrition and weight fluctuations for 3 to 4 weeks is the best way to verify your true caloric needs. Once you establish your calorie target, you can customize your protein, fat, and carbohydrate ratios using our Macro Calculator.

MyHealthCalculate Suite: Comparison of Fitness Tools

Use the comparison matrix below to understand the relationship between our different physical, metabolic, and strength calculators. Select the tool that matches your current fitness objectives.

Calculator Tool	Primary Inputs	Core Output	Primary Goal
TDEE Calculator	Age, Sex, Weight, Height, Activity	Maintenance Calories	Calorie & Nutrition Planning
BMR Calculator	Age, Sex, Weight, Height	Basal Metabolic Rate	Resting Metabolism Baseline
BMI Calculator	Weight, Height	Body Mass Index (Score)	General Weight Category Screening
Macros Calculator	TDEE, Nutrition Goal, Split Type	Protein, Carbs & Fat in Grams	Daily Macronutrient Breakdown
Ideal Weight Calculator	Age, Sex, Height	Ideal Body Weight (kg/lbs)	Healthy Body Weight Targets
Body Fat Calculator	Sex, Height, Neck, Waist, Hip	Body Fat % & Lean Mass	Body Composition Analysis
Calorie Deficit Calculator	TDEE, Deficit %, Target Date	Daily Deficit Calorie Target	Structured Fat Loss Planning
Weight Loss Calculator	Current & Target Weight, Calorie Goal	Estimated Weight Loss Timeline	Predictive Weight Loss Progress
Protein Calculator	Weight, Height, Activity, Goal	Daily Protein Intake (grams)	Muscle Preservation & Synthesis
Water Intake Calculator	Weight, Activity Level, Climate	Daily Water Needs (oz/liters)	Hydration Optimization
Waist-to-Height Calculator	Height, Waist Circumference	Waist-to-Height Ratio %	Cardiovascular Health Risk Check
One Rep Max Calculator	Weight Lifted, Reps Performed	Estimated 1-Rep Max (1RM)	Weightlifting Strength Programming
FFMI Calculator	Weight, Height, Body Fat %	Fat-Free Mass Index (Score)	Lean Muscle Genetic Potential

Why Choose MyHealthCalculate Over Competitors?

Unlike other online tools that overwhelm you with screen-blocking ads, popups, and slow load times, we provide a clean, free, and privacy-first Vercel-style health tracking suite. Here is how we compare to the top health calculators.

Feature / Metric	MyHealthCalculate	Calculator.net	TdeeCalculator.net	Healthline
Advertisements & Popups	Zero Ads (Clean Experience)	Heavy Ads & Scripts	Aggressive Ads & Cookies	Sticky Display Banners
Dark Mode Support	Full Native Support (Toggleable)	No (Light Mode Only)	No (Light Mode Only)	No (Light Mode Only)
Design Aesthetic	Premium Vercel-Style (Minimal)	Outdated 2000s Layout	Basic & Cluttered Layout	Standard News / Article Layout
Mobile Optimization	100% Touch-Friendly (Fluid Responsive)	Tiny fonts on Mobile viewport	Cluttered with ad overlays	Ad banners block content
Page Load Speed	Ultra-Fast Static (99+ Lighthouse)	Medium (Delayed by ad servers)	Medium (High script load)	Slow (Tracking script overhead)
JSON-LD Structured Schema	Fully Optimized Rich Snippet Schemas	Basic schemas only	Partial schemas	Informational Article schemas only

Frequently asked questions.

Everything you need to know about calculating and adjusting your daily energy burn.

What is TDEE and how do I calculate my TDEE?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour cycle. To calculate your TDEE, you must estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and multiply it by a physical activity multiplier representing your lifestyle movement.

How accurate is a calorie maintenance calculator?

A calorie maintenance calculator estimates your daily energy needs within a highly reliable 10% margin. Because metabolic rates are influenced by genetics and muscle mass, you should treat the calculated output as a starting point. Adjust your intake based on weekly weight scale trends and food logs.

Am I sedentary or active? Which activity level should I select?

Most people overestimate their daily activity level. If you work a desk job and sit for most of your shift, you should select 'Sedentary' (1.2 multiplier) as your baseline, even if you go to the gym 3-4 times a week for an hour. Select 'Lightly Active' only if your occupation involves continuous standing or light physical labor.

Why do different maintenance calories calculators show different results?

Different calculators apply different metabolic formulas (such as the Mifflin-St Jeor, revised Harris-Benedict, or Katch-McArdle equations). Furthermore, calculators interpret physical activity levels differently, which shifts the estimated maintenance calorie count.

Should I add exercise calories back into my TDEE diet target?

No. When you calculate TDEE with an activity multiplier, your scheduled workouts are already factored in. Adding exercise calories back into your target will double-count the activity and often result in weight loss plateaus.

Why am I eating at a calorie deficit but not losing weight?

If weight loss stalls, it is rarely due to a slow metabolism. The most common reasons are overestimating daily activity, underestimating calories consumed (like not tracking cooking oils or sauces, or not using a food scale), or temporary muscle water retention from starting a new weightlifting program.