Free TDEE Calculator – Find Your Daily Calorie Burn
Discover your Total Daily Energy Expenditure in seconds with the most accurate science-backed formulas. Get tailored calorie and macro targets for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain — instantly, privately, and free.
- Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict & Katch-McArdle formulas
- Metric and imperial units, instant unit conversion
- Detailed macro breakdown (protein, carbs, fat) for every goal
- Vegetarian-friendly — full plant-based protein guides included
- Privacy-first: nothing leaves your browser
Built for accuracy. Designed for real life.
Every calculator on the site is built on peer-reviewed equations and tuned for the way real people actually eat, train, and live.
3 scientific formulas
Switch between Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict and Katch-McArdle to find the equation that fits you best.
Adaptive TDEE
Most calculators stop at an estimate. Ours refines your maintenance number using your real weight + intake history.
Smart macro splits
Balanced, low-carb, high-protein and keto presets — fully customisable to fit any nutrition strategy.
Instant results
No round-trips, no waiting. Every calculation runs locally in your browser the moment you click "Calculate".
Private by design
We never collect, store or transmit your weight, height, or any health data. Everything stays on your device.
Print & share
Export your results to a clean printable summary or share a link with your coach or training partner.
A calculator for every fitness goal
One unified, mobile-friendly home for the calculations you actually run every week.
What is TDEE? (And why it matters more than calories)
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories you burn each day. Knowing your TDEE is the single most useful number in nutrition: it is the line that separates fat loss, weight maintenance, and weight gain. Hitting your goal is simply a matter of eating a predictable number of calories above or below it, week after week.
Your TDEE is built from four components:
| Component | Abbrev. | % of TDEE | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basal Metabolic Rate | BMR | 60–75% | Energy used to keep you alive at rest — heart, brain, organs. |
| Thermic Effect of Food | TEF | ~10% | Calories spent digesting and metabolising the food you eat. |
| Exercise Activity Thermogenesis | EAT | 5–15% | Calories burned during deliberate workouts. |
| Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis | NEAT | 10–30% | Walking, fidgeting, posture, daily chores. Hugely variable. |
The TDEE formula
Mathematically, TDEE is simply:
The activity factor compresses TEF + EAT + NEAT into a single multiplier. Common factors are 1.2 (sedentary), 1.375 (light), 1.55 (moderate), 1.725 (very active) and 1.9 (extremely active). Our calculator picks the right one based on your weekly training volume.
How to use your TDEE
- Lose fat: eat 15–25% below TDEE for 4–12 weeks, then take a maintenance break.
- Maintain weight: eat at TDEE — ideal during a busy life phase or to learn portion sizes.
- Build muscle: eat 5–15% above TDEE while progressively training for strength.
We recommend a vegetarian-first diet
Wherever possible, fill your TDEE with vegetarian, plant-forward foods. You can comfortably hit 150–200 g of protein per day from paneer, tofu, tempeh, soya chunks, lentils, chickpeas, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, eggs (if you eat them), nuts, and seeds. Vegetarian eating is consistently linked with higher fiber intake, lower LDL cholesterol, and improved long-term cardiovascular health — without sacrificing strength or fat-loss results. For sample meal plans at 1,800, 2,200, and 2,600 kcal, see our vegetarian TDEE & macros guide.
Smarter than a one-time number
The biggest mistake new calorie counters make is treating their TDEE as a permanent figure. Your real maintenance calories drift over weeks as your weight changes, your NEAT adapts, and life changes your training schedule. Use the calculator to set a smart starting point — then refine that number with our Adaptive TDEE tool, which uses 14+ days of weight + intake data to give you a personalised, empirically derived maintenance estimate.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period from all activity combined: your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the thermic effect of food (TEF), the calories you burn during deliberate exercise (EAT), and the calories burned through everyday non-exercise movement (NEAT).
How accurate is this TDEE calculator?
Our TDEE calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation by default, which is the formula recommended by the American Dietetic Association as the most accurate predictive equation for the general population. We also offer the Harris-Benedict and Katch-McArdle formulas. While any equation is an estimate (typical ±10% accuracy), real-world maintenance can be refined over time using our Adaptive TDEE tool, which uses your actual weight and intake data.
Why should I calculate my TDEE?
Knowing your TDEE is the foundation of any successful nutrition plan. To lose weight, eat consistently below your TDEE. To gain muscle, eat slightly above it. To maintain your current weight, match it. Without an accurate TDEE estimate, you are guessing.
How many calories should I cut to lose weight?
A safe and sustainable deficit is typically 15–25% below TDEE, which usually means 1 to 2 lb (0.45–0.9 kg) of fat loss per week. Larger deficits accelerate fat loss but increase the risk of losing lean muscle, fatigue, and rebound binge eating. Our calculator suggests sensible targets for mild, moderate, and aggressive weight loss.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the energy your body would burn at complete rest in a thermoneutral environment — it is roughly 60–75% of TDEE. TDEE adds the calories you spend digesting food, exercising, and moving around throughout the day. TDEE is the number that matters for diet planning.
What activity level should I choose?
Be honest and conservative. Most people overestimate their activity. Sedentary = desk job, no workouts. Light = 1–3 sessions/week or a job that involves walking. Moderate = 3–5 quality sessions/week. Very = 6–7 hard sessions/week. Extra = manual labor plus daily training. If unsure, pick one level lower for a safer estimate.
Does the calculator store my data?
No. All calculations run inside your browser. We do not collect your weight, height, age, sex, or results, and nothing is sent to any server. Your privacy is protected by design.
Is it really free?
Yes — every calculator is 100% free with no sign-up, no paywall and no app to install. We support the site through unobtrusive advertising.
Can I hit my TDEE on a vegetarian diet?
Absolutely — we actively recommend a vegetarian, plant-forward approach. You can comfortably hit 150–200 g of protein per day from foods like paneer, tofu, tempeh, soya chunks, lentils, chickpeas, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, eggs (if you eat them), nuts and seeds. See our vegetarian TDEE & macros guide for sample 1,800, 2,200, and 2,600 kcal meal plans.