TDEE calculator
Find your total daily energy expenditure: the calories you burn in a day, and what to eat to maintain, lose or gain weight. Same formula the TrackAI app uses.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Nothing leaves your browser
Your TDEE (maintenance calories)
2,267kcal / day
Resting (BMR) 1,462 Activity 805 Per week 15,869
| Goal | Calories a day |
|---|---|
| Lose 1 lb a week | 1,767 |
| Lose 0.5 lb a week | 2,017 |
| Maintain | 2,267 |
| Gain 0.5 lb a week | 2,517 |
| Gain 1 lb a week | 2,767 |
Now track it without the math
TrackAI sets your targets for you, then counts every meal from a photo. Try it free for 3 days.
How the calculation works
- 1
Basal metabolic rate (BMR). Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age, then +5 for men or −161 for women. This is what your body burns at complete rest.
- 2
Activity. BMR × 1.375 for 0–2 workouts a week, × 1.55 for 3–5 and × 1.725 for 6 or more. The result is your TDEE, your maintenance calories.
- 3
Goal. A pound of body weight is about 3,500 kcal (a kilogram about 7,700), so losing 1 lb a week takes a daily deficit of about 500 kcal below TDEE.
- 4
Safe floor. Targets never go below 1,500 kcal a day for men or 1,200 kcal for women, the same floor the TrackAI app uses.
Your TDEE at each activity level
| Workouts a week | TDEE |
|---|---|
| 0–2 workouts a week · × 1.375 | 2,011 kcal |
| 3–5 workouts a week · × 1.55 | 2,267 kcal |
| 6+ workouts a week · × 1.725 | 2,523 kcal |
Estimates for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18 or managing a condition, ask a doctor or dietitian. For protein, carbs and fat on top of calories, use the macro calculator; the long version is in how to calculate a calorie deficit.
Questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is the number of calories you burn in a day: your basal metabolic rate plus everything you do on top of it, from walking and working to training and digesting food. Eat at your TDEE and your weight stays about the same, which is why it is also called maintenance calories.
What is the difference between TDEE and BMR?
BMR is what your body burns at complete rest, just to stay alive. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor, so it is always higher. Eating below your BMR is not necessary to lose weight; eating below your TDEE is.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate of the common equations for healthy adults, but any equation is an estimate and a single person can be off by 10% or more. Treat the number as a starting point: eat at it for two or three weeks, weigh yourself, and adjust by 100 to 200 kcal if your weight moves when it should not.
How do I find my maintenance calories?
Your maintenance calories are your TDEE. Enter your age, height, weight and how many times a week you work out above; the big number is your maintenance. The table under it shows what to eat to lose or gain at a steady pace.
Why does this calculator ask about workouts instead of my job?
It uses the same three activity levels as the TrackAI app, based on workouts a week. If you sit all day and rarely train, pick 0–2 and expect your real maintenance to be a little lower than shown.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Subtract 250 to 500 kcal a day from your TDEE to lose about 0.5 to 1 lb (0.25 to 0.5 kg) a week, which most people can sustain. The table above does this for you and never goes below 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 kcal for men.