Guide
How to Calculate TDEE
TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. Here is the exact arithmetic, which multiplier to choose, and how to check the answer against reality.
Your TDEE
2,763kcal/day
BMR 1,783 × 1.55 activity factor.
Want the full picture?
The TDEE calculator adds calorie targets for every goal, a macro split and all five activity levels.
The calculation in four steps
- 1
Convert your measurements
The formulas use kilograms and centimetres. Weight in lb × 0.4536 = kg. Height in inches × 2.54 = cm. For example 180 lb is 81.6 kg and 5'10" (70 in) is 177.8 cm.
- 2
Calculate your BMR
BMR is what your body burns doing nothing — breathing, circulating blood, running your brain. Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age, then +5 for men or −161 for women.
- 3
Multiply by your activity factor
Pick the factor that matches a normal week, not your best week. Multiplying BMR by that factor gives your TDEE, your maintenance calories.
- 4
Verify it on the scale
Eat at that number for two to three weeks and compare weekly weight averages. Adjust by 200–300 kcal if the scale moves when it should not. This step is what turns an estimate into your real TDEE.
The formulas
Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
Katch-McArdle: BMR = 370 + 21.6 × lean mass(kg)
TDEE = BMR × activity factor
Katch-McArdle needs a body fat percentage, but it ignores sex and age because it works directly from lean mass — the tissue that actually burns the calories.
Activity factors
| Level | Description | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job, little or no exercise | 1.2 |
| Lightly active | Exercise 1–3 days/week | 1.375 |
| Moderately active | Exercise 3–5 days/week | 1.55 |
| Very active | Hard exercise 6–7 days/week | 1.725 |
| Extra active | Physical job + daily training | 1.9 |
Worked examples
Each row is calculated with Mifflin-St Jeor and the activity factor shown.
| Person | BMR | Factor | TDEE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woman, 30, 5'5", 145 lb, office job | 1,379 | 1.2 | 1,655 |
| Man, 30, 5'10", 180 lb, gym 4×/week | 1,782 | 1.55 | 2,762 |
| Woman, 45, 5'7", 170 lb, walks daily | 1,449 | 1.375 | 1,992 |
| Man, 25, 6'1", 200 lb, athlete | 1,946 | 1.9 | 3,697 |
Common mistakes
- Choosing the top activity level. Training hard four times a week does not make you "extra active" — that factor assumes a physical job on top of daily training. Overestimating turns a maintenance number into slow weight gain.
- Forgetting the unit conversion. The formula needs kilograms and centimetres. Plugging pounds straight in inflates BMR by more than double.
- Eating back everything a tracker reports. Wrist devices routinely overstate burn during weights and HIIT. Use the formula number, not the watch number.
- Never re-checking. Bodyweight, age and activity change. Re-run the calculation whenever your weight moves more than about 5%.
TDEE calculation FAQ
Related calculators
TDEE calculator →
Total calories you burn per day
Maintenance calories calculator →
Daily calories to keep weight stable
BMR calculator →
Calories burned at complete rest
Calorie deficit calculator →
Daily calories to hit a goal weight by a date
Macro calculator →
Protein, carbs and fat in grams
TDEE vs BMR →
Which calorie number to use
Calories to lose weight →
A safe daily target from your TDEE
TDEE for women →
Maintenance calories using the female formula
TDEE for men →
Maintenance calories using the male formula