TDEE Calculator: How to Find Your Daily Calorie Needs for Any Goal

Last Updated : December 11, 2025

A glass digital bathroom scale with a blue measuring tape coiled on top.

TDEE Calculator

Gender:

Age:

Height *

Weight *

Activity Level:

One of the biggest frustrations I hear from my clients is figuring out their daily caloric needs. By using something like a TDEE calculator, it can simplify things and help you fast-track your results.

After all, you don’t know what you don’t know.

A TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure, calculator uses your specific details to estimate (yes, it’s still an estimate) how many calories you burn each day. It looks at age, body weight, height, gender, activity level, and body fat percentage.

In this article, we will dive deeper into what TDEE means and how to use it to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your current weight. The steps are simple, and the numbers it provides give you clear targets. If you want control over nutrition and weight management, start here.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, making changes to your nutrition plan, or adding any new supplements to your current regimen.

What Is TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)?
The Core Components of TDEE
How to Calculate Your TDEE
Adjusting TDEE for Different Fitness Goals
Factors That Affect Your TDEE
Using a TDEE Calculator Effectively
How Nutrition Supports Your TDEE Goals

What Is TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)?

TDEE is the total number of calories your body burns in a full day. It includes everything, from breathing and digesting food to walking the dog and doing any sort of exercise. Think of it as your daily energy budget.

TDEE has four main parts: basal metabolic rate (BMR), physical activity, the thermic effect of food (TEF), and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). All of these parts matter whether you are lifting weights or sitting on the couch all day.

Experts calculate TDEE by using formulas like the Mifflin-St. Jeor Equation or the Harris-Benedict equation. Your needs change with age, body mass index, muscle level, and daily movement.

If you have more lean body mass and train with resistance often, your TDEE will be higher than if you are sedentary. Once you know this number by using one of the formulas or a TDEE calculator, you can plan your nutrition for fat loss, muscle growth, or weight maintenance with far less guesswork.

The Core Components of TDEE

Your daily burn comes from what you use at rest and what you use while moving. Tools like the NutraBio TDEE calorie calculator turn exercise science into clear targets you can use at the grocery store and in the gym to help you get the best results in the quickest timeframe.

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)

BMR is the energy your body needs at rest. It powers your brain, heart, lungs, and other organs. Common equations include Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict, and Katch-McArdle.

These methods use age, gender, height, and weight. Younger people or those with more muscle tend to have a higher BMR. Your BMR is the base of every calorie estimate. It is the starting point to help you lose weight, gain weight, or support weight maintenance.

As a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist, I leverage BMR (and TDEE) to help understand the calorie needs of my clients.

Physical Activity Level

Activity level tells the TDEE calculator how much you move. Pick the category that matches your week. Then apply the matching multiplier.

Sedentary, little or no exercise = 1.2
Light Exercise, 1 to 3 days per week = 1.375
Moderate Exercise, 3 to 5 days per week = 1.55
Heavy Exercise, 6 to 7 days per week = 1.725
Extra Active, hard daily training or physical job = 1.9

Choose the level that fits your job and training sessions.

For example, an office worker with limited training should stick with Sedentary. Someone who lifts and does interval training most days should pick a higher setting.

This number is important. One time, a client lied to me and put themselves at the wrong level, and it stalled progress for weeks. The right level helps save time and frustration.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

TEF is the energy your body uses to digest food. It is about 10% of your total energy intake on most days. Protein has the highest thermic effect. Your body burns 20−30% of protein calories just to process them. Carbs use about 5-10%. Fats use about 0−3%.

Larger meals and higher protein choices can raise TEF. Age, body composition, and metabolic health also affect it. People with more muscle (such as lifters and bodybuilders) often show a stronger thermic response.

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

NEAT is the energy you burn from daily movement that is not sleep, eating, or planned exercise. It includes things like pacing on phone calls, fidgeting, standing while working, household chores, and taking the stairs.

These small actions add up more than you think.

Low NEAT often shows up when people struggle with obesity and skip structured workouts like cardio or weightlifting. Gender, age, and body mass influence NEAT levels. If you add steps, stand more, or take brief walks during the day, you can raise total calorie burn without a single workout.

How to Calculate Your TDEE

Start with BMR using a standard formula, then apply an activity multiplier, then adjust for your goal. The NutraBio TDEE calculator will do the math in seconds, so your targets are clear.

Step 1: Find your BMR using formulas like Mifflin-St Jeor or Harris-Benedict

Begin by using a formula or a BMR calculator to determine your resting metabolic rate. As an example, let’s use the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula.

For men, their BMR equals:

(10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) + 5.

For women, use the same math, but at the end subtract 161 rather than adding 5.

Many coaches (like me) use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation because it often lands within around 10% of what you would achieve in a lab setting.

If you know your lean body mass from a body composition test or a BMI calculator estimate, you can try Katch-McArdle, too.

BMR = 370 + 21.6 × lean body mass in kg.

Step 2: Multiply by your activity factor (sedentary to highly active)

Next, select your activity factor. This number reflects how much you move during a typical week.

If you have a desk job and rarely train, use 1.2.
For light training 1−3 days each week, use 1.375.
If you train 3−5 days, multiply by 1.55.
Training most days fits 1.725.
Intense daily training or a physical job fits 1.9.

Multiply your BMR by this factor to get your TDEE. Picking the correct level protects you from overshooting, which can stall weight loss or slow muscle growth.

Step 3: Adjust for goals: Add or subtract calories based on desired results

Once you figure out your TDEE, you can manipulate the numbers to suit your individual goals.

To lose weight, I recommend starting slowly and not dropping 1,000 calories just to see progress. I advise my clients to cut around 250−500 calories per day from their maintenance calories. That often leads to about 0.5−1 pound lost per week, which is safe for most adults. If your results start to stall, simply remove an additional 250 calories each day and continue.

To gain muscle, add calories above maintenance instead. Again, start small. The last thing you want to do is add 1,000 calories and find the only thing you’re gaining is body fat.

Make sure you’re making protein a priority in every meal. Protein intake matters a lot during fat loss because it protects lean mass. And if you’re trying to build muscle, it’s going to be nearly impossible if you’re not taking in enough protein daily.

Adjusting TDEE for Different Fitness Goals

A woman in athletic wear stretches on a yoga mat in a sunlit gym.

Changing your intake based on your TDEE lets you stay in full control of your results and keep things on track. Precision brings calm, because you know why the scale moves one way or another.

Weight Loss

A practical target is a 10−20% calorie deficit below TDEE. Entering your body fat percentage can improve accuracy, especially if your muscle mass is higher or lower than average.

Utilize the Mifflin-St. Jeor or the Harris-Benedict formulas to get your BMR. Multiply by your activity level, including regular steps and other NEAT. Then set your deficit. If progress stalls for two to three weeks, recheck your activity pick, food tracking, and sleep.

Muscle Gain

For muscle growth, eat more than your TDEE. A common range is 10−15% above maintenance. Use a TDEE calculator that accounts for your activity level, age, and body mass to avoid gaining too much body fat.

Prioritize protein, with solid carbs for training fuel, and some dietary fat for hormone support. Track your meals with a method you trust so every added calorie works for you. Personally, I have all my clients and athletes using MyFitnessPal because it’s easy to use and follow (the free version will work just fine for your needs).

Maintenance

To maintain your current weight, eat near your TDEE. Using the NutraBio TDEE calculator is a great starting point.

For example, a 30-year-old who weighs 150 pounds and trains three times a week might land near 2,100 calories per day. These numbers can shift if your routine changes.

Simply update the numbers as your training and other factors change to ensure you aren’t going to be gaining or losing weight.

Factors That Affect Your TDEE

Several factors come into play when determining your daily burn. Age, height, weight, and gender set the base for basal metabolic rate.

As mentioned earlier, these numbers set the base for determining your basal metabolic rate. The Mifflin-St. Jeor and Harris-Benedict equations use these details to estimate your daily caloric needs.

It’s also important to understand that metabolism often slows slightly with age, and even a few pounds can change your daily target.

Activity level is another big driver. People with active jobs or regular training sessions burn more than those who sit most of the day. You also can’t forget about NEAT. Daily steps, chores, and standing breaks can increase energy expenditure without any sort of structured exercise.

Different seasons and environments can also change your TDEE. In warm months, you may be outdoors more, while colder months may keep you indoors and result in a more sedentary lifestyle.

Your diet and daily nutrition affect the thermic effect of food. About 10% of what you eat may go to digestion, with protein being at the high end. Hormones and certain medications can raise or lower TDEE.

Using a TDEE Calculator Effectively

Start with a reliable tool like NutraBio’s TDEE calculator. Enter your gender, age, weight, height, and activity level. Choose Metric or Imperial so the math stays clean. If you know it, add body fat percentage for a tighter estimate.

Pick an activity level that reflects your typical week, from Sedentary to Athlete. The calculator will show your TDEE and all sorts of helpful information.

Be sure to keep a simple log of your daily calories (and macros) and training for 2−4 weeks before making any big changes to your plan.

How Nutrition Supports Your TDEE Goals

A bright, healthy meal featuring bowls of rice with vegetables and avocado, surrounded by fresh garnishes and lime wedges.

Your macronutrient breakdown is ultimately what shapes your results. Protein, carbs, and fats each play a role. Protein has the highest thermic effect, so digesting it burns more energy than digesting carbs or fats. Eating 100 calories of protein may burn 20−30 calories during digestion.

Use that to your advantage. Build meals around lean protein, then add complex carbs and healthy fats. Examples include grilled chicken, brown rice, and avocado. This mix supports training, recovery, and steady energy intake while you change body composition.

Plan your macros to fit your goal. Cutting calls for higher protein and enough carbs to train well. Bulking adds total calories while holding protein steady. Maintenance keeps a stable mix. Hydration, fiber, and micronutrient-rich foods support digestion, prevent nutrient deficiencies, and support muscle recovery.

You can simplify some of your nutrition by supplementing with quality options like NutraBio Whey Protein Isolate or SuperCarb for recovery and sustained energy.

Conclusion

Knowing your TDEE puts the guesswork to bed. You get a daily calorie target based on your details, not a random number from a chart that doesn’t apply to you.

Start with a proven equation like the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to find your basal metabolic rate, then apply activity and set your goal.

Use tools to simplify things like the NutraBio TDEE calculator. I also recommend you use an app to help track your caloric intake and training each day.

If your results stall, adjust by 5−10% and watch the next two weeks of data.

Total daily energy expenditure is a simple idea with a big payoff. Once you set the right intake according to your details, you can lose weight, gain muscle, or maintain your weight with ease.

FAQs

What’s the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is the base calorie burn at rest, while TDEE includes all daily activity and movement.

How often should I recalculate my TDEE?

Every 1−2 months or whenever your weight, activity level, or fitness goals change.

Can I build muscle while in a calorie deficit?

It’s challenging but possible for beginners; a small deficit with high protein intake can help.

How accurate are TDEE calculators?

They provide a solid estimate, but tracking your progress and adjusting intake over time ensures precision.

What’s the best way to meet my TDEE goals?

Eat balanced meals, track macros, and use supplements to fill any nutritional gaps.