TDEE Calculator: How Many Calories Do You Actually Burn?

Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It includes everything: breathing, walking, digesting food, exercising, even sleeping. Knowing this number is the foundation of any weight loss, weight gain, or maintenance plan.

Calculate Your TDEE

Use the TDEE Calculator. Enter your age, height, weight, and activity level. You'll get a number somewhere between 1,600 and 3,500 calories depending on your size and how active you are.

What to Do With Your Number

To lose weight: Eat 300-500 calories below your TDEE. This creates a deficit that burns fat. A 500-calorie daily deficit equals about 1 pound of fat loss per week.

To gain weight/muscle: Eat 200-300 calories above your TDEE. This surplus, combined with strength training, builds muscle.

To maintain: Eat at your TDEE. Your weight stays roughly the same.

Why Activity Level Matters So Much

A 180-pound man who sits at a desk all day might have a TDEE of 2,200. That same man, if he works construction and hits the gym, might have a TDEE of 3,200. That's a 1,000-calorie difference. Picking the wrong activity level throws off everything.

Be honest with yourself. "Lightly active" means you walk a bit and maybe exercise 1-3 times per week. "Very active" means hard training 6-7 days per week or a physically demanding job. Most desk workers are "sedentary" or "lightly active."

TDEE vs BMR

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories you burn doing absolutely nothing. Just existing. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor. Never eat below your BMR for extended periods. That's where your body goes into conservation mode and things get unhealthy.