Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is roughly how many calories you burn in a day. It builds on your BMR — the energy your body uses at rest — multiplied by an activity factor for everything you do on top of that. TDEE is your maintenance level: eat that much and weight tends to hold steady. It is a useful starting estimate for planning, but it is not a diet prescription — real expenditure varies, and any calorie target (especially a deficit) is best set with a professional.
Reviewed: June 20, 2026 · Author: Naveen P N, Founder — AI Calculator · Verified against: the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Not medical advice.
The TDEE equations
BMR captures the calories needed just to keep you alive at rest — breathing, circulation, organ function — and depends mainly on weight, height, age and sex. The activity factor scales that up to account for movement and exercise. Multiplying the two gives total daily burn. Because most people overestimate their activity, choosing the lower bracket when unsure tends to give a more realistic maintenance figure.
Worked example — a moderately active adult
Scenario: man, 30 years, 80 kg, 180 cm, moderately active.
His resting burn is about 1,780 calories, and at a moderate activity level his TDEE is roughly 2,759 — that is his maintenance intake. A gentle 15% adjustment gives about 2,345 for slow loss or 3,173 for slow gain. Change the activity level and the picture shifts: sedentary lands near 2,136, while extra active climbs to about 3,382. Whatever the target, it should stay at or above the BMR (1,780 here) unless a professional is guiding a different plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Total calories burned per day = BMR × activity factor. It's your maintenance level.
Mifflin-St Jeor BMR × activity (1.2–1.9). ♂ 30/80/180 moderate → 1780 × 1.55 ≈ 2,759.
Desk job 1.2; 1–3 days 1.375; 3–5 days 1.55; 6–7 days 1.725; physical job 1.9. If unsure, go lower.
Eat below TDEE to lose, above to gain — a gentle 10–20%. Don't go below BMR unsupervised.
A good estimate, not exact. Track weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust; consult a professional for medical needs.