TDEE Calculator: Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (2024)

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Updated: Jan 9, 2024, 6:26am

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TDEE Calculator: Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (1)

Table of Contents

  • TDEE Calculator Methodology
  • What Is Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)?
  • How Is TDEE Calculated?
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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If you’re looking for an accurate estimate of how many calories your body burns daily, consider calculating your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE. Using science-backed calculation methods, TDEE estimates the amount of energy (or number of calories) your body burns over a 24-hour period, factoring in how much energy it uses while at rest, your typical level of physical activity and the thermic effect of food metabolism.

You can get an accurate estimate of your TDEE by using the Forbes Health TDEE Calculator below, which was created under the guidance of Forbes Health Advisory Board members. Select the gender that most closely matches your hormonal makeup and enter your age, height, weight and activity level to see an estimate of how calories your body burns daily.

TDEE Calculator Methodology

The Forbes Health TDEE Calculator estimates the number of calories your body burns daily based on your basal metabolic rate (BMR)and an activity multiplier that reflects how much you exercise in a given week and the thermic effect of food. It utilizes the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to provide these calculations, as the American Council on Exercise (ACE) suggests it’s the most accurate method for estimating basal metabolic activity.

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What Is Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)?

Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) estimates how many calories your body burns daily by accounting for three major contributing factors: your basal metabolic rate (BMR), your activity level and the thermic effect of food metabolism.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) estimates the number of calories your body burns over a 24-hour period while at rest. For your body to be truly “at rest,” your digestive system must be inactive, which typically requires a 12-hour fasting period, and your external environment needs to be a neutral temperature. BMR comprises the largest portion of most people’s TDEE.

Activity Level

The more you move your body on a regular basis, the more energy it consumes to maintain its baseline. People who exercise regularly or maintain a very active job or lifestyle generally burn more calories daily than someone who exercises less often and maintains a fairly sedentary job or lifestyle.

The Forbes Health TDEE calculator uses the following ranges to help determine the appropriate activity multiplier for you:

  • Sedentary: Little or no exercise
  • Lightly active: Exercise one to three days a week
  • Moderately active: Exercise three to five days a week
  • Active: Exercise six to seven days a week
  • Very active: Hard exercise six to seven days a week

Thermic Effect of Food

The thermic effect of food is the amount of energy your body uses to metabolize the food you eat. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation used in the calculator above accounts for this estimated contribution to your body’s daily calorie burn.

How Is TDEE Calculated?

There are several equations you can use to calculate your TDEE, but the Forbes Health TDEE Calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation because experts from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) consider it to be the most accurate. It first estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR) based on your gender, age, height and weight inputs. Then, it determines the appropriate activity multiplier based on your activity level input, providing an estimate of your TDEE.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best TDEE calculator?

There are multiple formulas commonly used to calculate BMR, including (but not limited to) the revised Harris-Benedict equation, the Katch-McArdle equation and the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Activity multipliers are then used to determine TDEE. Today, experts consider the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to be the most accurate, which is why we use it in our calculator tool above.

Should I eat my TDEE to lose weight?

No, your TDEE is the amount of energy your body burns on a daily basis and therefore the amount of energy you must consume to maintain your current weight. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories (or less energy) than your TDEE. Use our free calorie calculator to determine a safe and sustainable way to reach your weight goal.

Is it necessary to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure?

TDEE can be a helpful tool for anyone looking to estimate how many calories their body burns on a daily basis so they can approach their health and wellness goals effectively. Regardless of whether you’re looking to gain weight, lose weight or maintain your current weight, understanding your body’s baseline is a vital starting point.

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Alena HallEditor

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Jessica is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience in both lifestyle and clinical health topics. Before Forbes Health, Jessica was an editor for Healthline Media, WW and PopSugar, as well as numerous health-related startups. When she isn't writing or editing, Jessica can be found at the gym, listening to a health or true crime podcast, or spending time outside. She also really enjoys bread (even though she's not supposed to eat it).

TDEE Calculator: Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (2024)

FAQs

How do you calculate total daily energy expenditure? ›

Calculating TDEE using the formula TDEE = BMR x Activity Factor involves two steps:
  1. Step 1: Calculate your BMR using the following formula. BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (years) + 5. ...
  2. Step 2: Multiply your BMR by your activity factor to calculate your TDEE.

What is the most accurate TDEE calculator? ›

There are several equations you can use to calculate your TDEE, but the Forbes Health TDEE Calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation because experts from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) consider it to be the most accurate.

How much should I eat to lose weight in TDEE? ›

To lose weight, aim to consume 10-20% fewer calories than your TDEE. For example, if your TDEE is 2,000 calories, you might aim for a daily intake of 1,600 to 1,800 calories.

What is the normal range for total daily energy expenditure? ›

There is no standard for the number of calories you should expend during a day. Many factors are involved, including body size, age, gender, and most importantly your level of physical activity. The average daily energy expenditure is 3000 kcal for men and 2100 kcal for women between the ages of 19 and 22 years.

What is considered heavy exercise for TDEE? ›

There are 5 selections you can make: Sedentary, Light Exercise (1-2 days per week), Moderate (3-5 days per week), Heavy (6-7 days per week), and Athlete (2x per day). Actual scientists came up with these figures, and until a better way is proven (by scientists), this is what my calculator will use.

What is my activity level in TDEE? ›

Figure out how many hours of each activity you do and multiply it by the calories burned. Add up all of the calories burned per activity. Then divide that number to get your activity level per day. Now to calculate your TDEE, take your BMR x 1.2 and add your activity level per day to it.

Do you lose weight on BMR or TDEE? ›

BMR is a component of your TDEE, but it is NOT the amount of calories you should eat to lose weight. BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to "keep the lights on" and ensure you live to fight another day. To lose weight, you need to eat about 15-20% less than your TDEE.

How many calories for 10,000 steps? ›

Calories burned by 10,000 steps

Most people burn around 30-40 calories per 1,000 steps, which means they will burn around 300-400 calories by walking 10,000 steps. But this is just an estimate. Though every step you take burns calories, the exact amount is highly individualised.

How can I increase my TDEE without exercise? ›

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to boost your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and not all of them require a formal workout. Simply moving around more, taking the dog on an extra walk, or even scrubbing the bathtub can help boost your TDEE.

Does walking increase your TDEE? ›

So, as you can see, if you walk every day you are contributing 15% to TDEE! And just by focusing on improving daily movement, you'll have a greater impact on improving your energy balance equation to help you lose weight!

Is 1400 calories a starvation diet? ›

For most people, 1,400 calories a day is not enough. This amount is simply too low and not sustainable. Following a low-calorie diet can cause the following side effects, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones)

What happens if you eat less than your TDEE? ›

When you consistently consume fewer calories than you burn, your body will have to start pulling from your stored fat for its energy needs. Aka weight loss. Let's imagine that your TDEE is 2,500. This means you'd want to consume around 2,000 calories a day to lose around a pound per week.

What are three nutrients to get less of? ›

Saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars are nutrients listed on the label that may be associated with adverse health effects – and Americans generally consume too much of them. They are identified as nutrients to get less of.

What is the average energy expenditure for a woman? ›

Total energy expenditure estimated from the 7-d PAR, and RMR was 2021 ± 320 kcal/d (men: 2321 ± 272; women: 1889 ± 241, kcal/d; P < 0.0001). PAR TDEE was positively correlated with mean TDEE at baseline (R2 = 0.60, P < 0.0001; Figure 2B) but was ∼400 kcal/d (or 17%) lower on average than the mean TDEE at baseline.

How to find your true TDEE? ›

How TDEE Is Calculated. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is an estimation of how many calories you burn per day when exercise is taken into account. It is calculated by first figuring out your Basal Metabolic Rate, then multiplying that value by an activity multiplier.

What is the formula for energy expenditure? ›

Energy expenditure (calories/minute) = . 0175 x MET (from chart) x weight (in kilograms) (To find out your weight in kilograms, simply divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.) the same time period.

How do I calculate my daily energy usage? ›

  1. Formula for Estimating Energy Consumption.
  2. (Wattage × Hours Used Per Day) ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption.
  3. Estimating Annual Cost to Run an Appliance.
  4. Examples:
  5. Window fan: (200 Watts × 4 hours/day × 120 days/year) ÷ 1000. ...
  6. Personal Computer and Monitor: ...
  7. Wattage.
  8. Typical Wattages of Various Appliances.

How do you measure energy expenditure? ›

Energy expenditure can be estimated by measuring macronutrient or oxygen consumption, or heat production or carbon dioxide production.

What is the method of total energy expenditure? ›

Total energy expenditure (TEE) is composed of the energy costs of the processes essential for life (basal metabolic rate (BMR), 60–80% of TEE), of the energy expended in order to digest, absorb, and convert food (diet-induced thermogenesis, ~10%), and the energy expended during physical activities (activity energy ...

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