Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Use the total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) calculator to find the calories your body burns each day.

TDEE Calculator

How to Use the Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator

Calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) by entering your age, gender, weight, height, and activity level. The information you get will be the total calories your body needs to function. This includes your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the number of calories you burn sitting still. Lastly, you’ll see how many calories you burn at different activity levels.

How to Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure

The amount of calories you burn each day is your TDEE. This consists of three main components:

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR): This is your resting metabolism or the number of calories your body requires to function at complete rest.

The thermic effect of food (TEF): when you eat, you also burn some calories. The thermic effect of food is the energy used while eating which includes chewing, swallowing, digesting, etc. This is influenced by the number of calories you consume and the types of foods you eat. That is, the more you eat, the higher your TEF will be.

The thermic effect of physical activity (TEPA): TEPA is the calories used during physical activity and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). NEAT encompasses the energy used doing everyday activities.

Use TDEE to find caloric needs

Calculating your TDEE is useful to measure daily calories burned for weight loss.

Total daily energy expenditure and weight loss

If you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you burn. By measuring your TDEE, you can determine how many calories you need to eat each day to maintain a calorie deficit.

Calories are Energy

“Calories out” is the energy exerted through all of your physical activities. Conversely, “calories in” is every single thing you consume.

Your TDEE is the number of calories you burn. To determine how many calories you should eat, you need to figure out your weight goals.

To maintain current weight

By multiplying your BMR by your activity factor, you’ll get your TDEE. This is an estimate of the total number of calories you should eat each day to maintain your current weight. If you are at your ideal weight, you can use that number as your daily calorie needs.

Cut Calories Slowly To Maintain A Healthy Weight

Don’t cut your calories too much if you are trying to lose weight. If you lose weight too quickly, this can actually decrease your lean body mass and basal metabolic rate. This will subsequently decrease your TDEE. An extreme calorie deficit will make weight loss more difficult. And it can make you regain weight more likely if you increase caloric intake.