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TDEE Calculator | All Rights Reserved 2025

TDEE Calculator

Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure to optimize your nutrition and fitness goals

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Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is:

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This is the estimated number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.

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What is TDEE? A Complete Guide to Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Understanding your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is a fundamental step in managing your weight, whether your goal is to lose fat, build muscle, or maintain your current weight. But what exactly does this term mean?

Defining TDEE: Your Body’s Total Energy Burn

TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure, represents the total number of calories your body burns in a single day. This includes everything from basic biological functions to your daily workout. While your TDEE can fluctuate daily, it can be accurately estimated by combining three key metabolic components:

  1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
  2. Thermic Effect of Activity (TEA)
  3. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

Let’s break down each component to understand how they contribute to your daily calorie needs.

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Your Body’s Idle Calorie Burn

Your BMR is the number of calories your body requires to perform life-sustaining functions at complete rest. This includes breathing, circulating blood, regulating body temperature, and cell production. Essentially, it’s the energy you would burn if you stayed in bed all day. It accounts for the largest portion (typically 60-70%) of your total TDEE.

2. Thermic Effect of Activity (TEA): Calories Burned from Movement

The TEA encompasses all calories burned through physical movement. This is the second largest factor in your TDEE and is divided into two categories:

  • Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT): Calories burned during deliberate exercise like running, weightlifting, or swimming.
  • Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): Calories burned from all other activities, including walking, typing, gardening, and even fidgeting. NEAT can vary significantly from person to person.

3. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): The Energy Cost of Digestion

TEF is the energy your body expends to digest, absorb, and process the nutrients from the food you eat. While it makes up a smaller portion of your TDEE (roughly 10%), the type of food you eat matters. For instance, protein has a significantly higher thermic effect than carbohydrates or fats, meaning your body burns more calories processing it.

How to Calculate Your TDEE

Calculating your TDEE involves estimating your BMR and then multiplying it by an activity multiplier that accounts for your TEA.

Step 1: Calculate Your BMR
The most accurate equations use factors like age, gender, height, and weight. Two popular formulas are:

  • The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation: Often considered the most reliable for most people.
  • The Katch-McArdle Formula: Can be more accurate for those who know their body fat percentage, as it considers lean muscle mass.

Step 2: Apply an Activity Multiplier
Once you have your BMR, multiply it by an activity factor that best describes your lifestyle:

  • Sedentary (little to no exercise): BMR x 1.2
  • Lightly active (light exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
  • Moderately active (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
  • Very active (hard exercise 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.725
  • Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job): BMR x 1.9

The Final Calculation:
TDEE = BMR x Activity Multiplier

While some advanced calculations may factor in TEF separately, the standard method of using an activity multiplier with your BMR provides a highly practical and effective estimate for determining your daily caloric needs.

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