Online TDEE Calculator - Total Daily Energy Expenditure Tool

What Is This Tool?

The TDEE Calculator estimates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total calories you burn in a day once activity is included. It first calculates your basal metabolic rate from your gender, age, height, and weight using one of three formulas (Mifflin-St Jeor, Revised Harris-Benedict, or Katch-McArdle, which uses your body fat percentage), then multiplies by an activity factor to give your TDEE as a single calories-per-day figure. Below that, a seven-row table lists daily calorie targets from weight loss through maintenance to weight gain, each shown as a percentage of your TDEE. Selecting the plain BMR option shows your resting rate alone. Units switch between metric and imperial, and results download as a PDF.

How to Use This Tool?

• Set your gender and enter age, height, and weight.
• Choose your activity level and a BMR formula, adding body fat % for Katch-McArdle.
• Click Calculate to see your TDEE and the calorie targets.
• Download the result as a PDF if you'd like a copy.

Key Features

• Estimates total daily energy expenditure from gender, age, height, weight, and activity level.
• Three BMR formulas — Mifflin-St Jeor, Revised Harris-Benedict, and Katch-McArdle with body fat percentage.
• Shows your TDEE as a single calories-per-day figure.
• Lists seven calorie targets from weight loss through maintenance to gain, each with a percentage.
• Metric/imperial toggle and one-click PDF download.

Examples

• A 30-year-old man at 182 cm and 80 kg with moderate activity has a TDEE of about 2,626 cal/day.
• A 1 kg-per-week loss target shows roughly 2,126 cal/day — about 81% of TDEE.
• Selecting Katch-McArdle uses body fat percentage instead of age and height.
• Choosing the BMR-only option shows your resting rate with no activity multiplier and hides the targets table.

Common Use Cases

• Finding your maintenance calories before setting a diet.
• Planning a calorie deficit or surplus for a weight goal.
• Comparing TDEE estimates across different formulas.
• Adjusting intake to match a change in activity level.
• Setting a sustainable weekly rate of weight change.

Tips & Best Practices

• Measure height and weight accurately, since they drive the estimate.
• Pick the activity level that reflects a typical week, not your hardest training day.
• Use Katch-McArdle only when you have a reliable body fat figure.
• Favor the milder loss or gain rows for a sustainable pace.
• Recalculate as your weight or activity level changes.

Limitations

• Results are formula-based estimates and can't capture individual metabolism or health conditions.
• It isn't medical or nutritional advice and shouldn't replace a professional plan.
• Activity multipliers are broad approximations, so real expenditure varies.
• Nothing is saved between sessions — only the current result can be exported as a PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TDEE?

Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the estimated total calories you burn in a day, including activity.

How is it calculated?

It finds your BMR with the formula you choose, then multiplies by an activity factor.

Why does choosing "BMR" hide the table?

That option applies no activity multiplier, so it shows your resting rate alone without weight-change targets.

Can I use imperial units?

Yes — the metric/imperial switch converts your inputs automatically.

Key Terminology

TDEE

Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the calories you burn per day, combining resting metabolism and activity.

BMR

Basal metabolic rate — the calories burned at rest to sustain basic body functions.

Activity factor

A multiplier applied to BMR to account for daily movement and exercise.

Maintenance calories

The intake that holds your weight steady, equal to your TDEE.

Calorie deficit

Eating fewer calories than your TDEE in order to lose weight.

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