Free calculator
TDEE calculator
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is how many calories you burn in a day: eat that much and your weight stays where it is. Enter your details to see yours, and what to eat to lose fat or build muscle.
Your result
2,050 calories a day keep your weight steady
At rest your body burns about 1,401 kcal a day (your BMR, 150 lb, 5 ft 5 in).
That is below 1,200 kcal. Don’t eat less than 1,200 kcal a day unless a doctor supervises it: to lose weight, move more (steps, strength training) rather than eat less, and ask your doctor or a dietitian for a plan.
| Lose fat, 25% deficit | 1,500 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fit & toned, maintenance | 2,050 kcal |
| Build muscle, +8% | 2,200 kcal |
BindTrue’s fat-loss target never goes below 1,300 kcal a day for women or 1,600 for men, so yours stops there.
Next: plan your deficit or split it into macros.
Your TDEE at every activity level
| Daily activity | Calories a day |
|---|---|
| Sedentary: desk job, little walking, no workouts × 1.2 | 1,700 |
| Mostly sitting, under 5k steps × 1.35 | 1,900 |
| Workouts + 6–8k steps × 1.45 | 2,050 |
| Workouts + 9–10k steps, busy parent × 1.55 | 2,150 |
| Physical job + workouts × 1.7 | 2,400 |
| Very hard training or heavy physical work every day × 1.9 | 2,650 |
BindTrue’s activity levels count your workouts and your steps together, because steps change your daily burn as much as the workouts do.
How your TDEE is calculated
- Resting burn (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Men: 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age + 5. Women: the same, − 161 instead of + 5.
- TDEE = BMR × activity level, from 1.2 for a desk job with no workouts to 1.9 for very hard daily training.
Example: a 30-year-old woman, 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) and 150 lb (68 kg). BMR = 10 × 68 + 6.25 × 165.1 − 5 × 30 − 161 = 1,401 kcal. With workouts and 6–8k steps a day (× 1.45) her TDEE is about 2,050 kcal a day.
How accurate is it?
In a systematic review, the Mifflin-St Jeor equation predicted resting metabolic rate within 10% of the measured value for more people than any other common equation. That still leaves room for your own body: use the number as a starting point, weigh yourself a few mornings a week for 2–3 weeks, and move your calories by 100–200 a day if your weight drifts when you want it steady.
How to use it
- Lose fat: eat below your TDEE. BindTrue’s plans use a 25% deficit; the calorie deficit calculator lets you pick a pace instead.
- Build muscle: eat a little above it (BindTrue uses +8%) and train with progressive overload.
- Either way: get enough protein (protein calculator) and recheck your TDEE after every 10–15 lb (5–7 kg) of change.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241–247. doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(5):775–789. doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2005.02.005
More free calculators
- Calorie deficit calculator How much to eat to lose weight at a safe pace.
- Macro calculator Daily calories, protein, carbs and fat for your goal.
- Protein calculator How much protein you need a day, and per meal.
- One-rep max calculator Estimate your 1RM from any set of 1–12 reps.
For healthy adults 16 and older. This is general information, not medical advice.