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Compute Total Daily Energy Expenditure from BMR and activity multiplier (sedentary to extra active) to set kcal targets for cutting, maintenance, or bulking.
Health
Generated on May 23, 2026
Compute Total Daily Energy Expenditure from BMR and activity multiplier (sedentary to extra active) to set kcal targets for cutting, maintenance, or bulking.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in 24 hours, including your basal metabolism, all physical activity (planned exercise and general daily movement), and the thermic effect of digesting and absorbing food. It is the single most important number for any diet plan: eat at your TDEE to maintain weight, eat below it to lose fat, or above it to build muscle. This calculator combines the Mifflin–St Jeor BMR formula with an activity multiplier to produce a personalized TDEE estimate.
Formula
TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier. 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 active, 1.9 extra active.You probably ended up here because a fat-loss plan stalled and you're trying to figure out what your real maintenance number is. Here's the honest math: most people wildly overestimate their activity level. The 'moderate exercise' badge on every calculator assumes 3 to 5 actual workouts a week, not 'I walk a bit and take the stairs sometimes'. If you picked the wrong activity bracket, your TDEE number is too high, your deficit isn't a deficit, and the scale isn't moving — that's the most common reason people think their metabolism is broken when it's working fine. Be honest with the multiplier and the formula works. Once you have TDEE, the playbook is simple: eat at it for maintenance, eat 300 to 500 below it for fat loss (about half a kilo a week, the sustainable rate), eat 200 to 400 above it for slow clean muscle gain. As you lose weight, recalculate every 4 to 5 kilos — your TDEE drops with you because a smaller body needs less fuel. The dieters who never recalculate are the dieters who stall at month three. Pro tip: weekly averages matter, single days don't. A high-calorie wedding day in Lahore balanced by lighter days the rest of the week still lands you on target.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in 24 hours, including your basal metabolism, all physical activity (planned exercise and general daily movement), and the thermic effect of digesting and absorbing food. It is the single most important number for any diet plan: eat at your TDEE to maintain weight, eat below it to lose fat, or above it to build muscle. This calculator combines the Mifflin–St Jeor BMR formula with an activity multiplier to produce a personalized TDEE estimate.
The activity multiplier (also called PAL — Physical Activity Level) scales resting metabolism up to reflect real-world daily movement, planned exercise, and the thermic effect of food. A sedentary person still burns about 20% more than their BMR just through basic activities like walking, fidgeting, and digesting food; an athlete training hard can burn 90% more. Choose the multiplier that matches the sum of your deliberate exercise and your job/home movement level — the honest answer beats a wishful one.
Approximate daily calorie needs at each activity level. Multiply BMR by the factor shown.
| Activity Level | Description | BMR Multiplier | TDEE for BMR 1,500 | TDEE for BMR 1,800 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job, minimal walking | 1.2 | 1,800 | 2,160 |
| Light | Light exercise 1–3 days/wk | 1.375 | 2,063 | 2,475 |
| Moderate | Moderate exercise 3–5 days/wk | 1.55 | 2,325 | 2,790 |
| Active | Hard exercise 6–7 days/wk | 1.725 | 2,588 | 3,105 |
| Very Active | Physical job + daily training | 1.9 | 2,850 | 3,420 |
Average adult TDEE: ~2,000 kcal (women), ~2,500 kcal (men) — the basis of the 'recommended daily calorie' on food labels.
Eating 500 kcal/day below TDEE = ~0.45 kg (1 lb) fat loss per week — the sustainable fat-loss gold standard.
A 60 kg woman running 5 km burns ~300 kcal — recovered by eating 1 medium-sized chocolate bar.
Professional cyclists during Tour de France race at TDEE ≈ 8,000–9,000 kcal/day.
A male with BMR 1,700 at moderate activity (1.55) has a TDEE of approximately 2,635 kcal/day — the maintenance target.
A female with BMR 1,400 at light activity (1.375) has a TDEE of about 1,925 kcal/day — eat this much to hold weight.
For weight loss, eating 500 kcal below TDEE produces roughly 0.45 kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week — the standard sustainable pace.
For muscle gain, eating 300–500 kcal above TDEE combined with strength training delivers slow but clean muscle gain.
A sedentary office worker at 2,000 kcal TDEE can lose 5 kg in 10 weeks by eating 1,500 kcal/day, assuming consistent discipline.
An athlete at 3,500 kcal TDEE must eat consistently enough to fuel training — under-eating causes performance drops and muscle loss.
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