TDEE Calculator for Healthy Adults
This TDEE calculator estimates the calories a typical healthy adult uses in a day. It works out resting energy (BMR) from your height, weight, age and sex, then multiplies it by an activity factor.
Estimate your daily energy use
Example person shown (a woman aged 35, 165 cm, 65 kg, lightly active); replace the values with your own.
Enter your height, weight and age to see an estimate.
This is an estimate for a typical healthy adult, not a personal target. Individual needs can differ by hundreds of calories a day. Children and teenagers, pregnancy, breastfeeding, medical conditions and athletes are outside this tool: ask a doctor or registered dietitian.
How does the TDEE calculator work?
The TDEE calculator estimates BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by an activity factor to get total daily energy expenditure in kilocalories (kcal) a day. Pounds, feet and inches are converted exactly first (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg, 1 in = 2.54 cm).
BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) + 5 for men, or − 161 for women
TDEE = BMR × activity factor
The page shows both values rounded to the nearest 10 kcal, with the exact figure underneath. The men or women choice only selects the constant in the formula.
Worked example: woman, 35, 165 cm, 65 kg
BMR = 10 × 65 + 6.25 × 165 − 5 × 35 − 161 = 650 + 1,031.25 − 175 − 161 = 1,345.25, shown as about 1,350 kcal a day. The table applies each activity factor to that BMR and shows the result to the nearest 10 kcal.
| Activity level | Factor | TDEE (nearest 10 kcal) |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | 1,610 |
| Lightly active | 1.375 | 1,850 |
| Moderately active | 1.55 | 2,090 |
| Very active | 1.725 | 2,320 |
| Extra active | 1.9 | 2,560 |
For lightly active, the exact TDEE is 1,345.25 × 1.375 = 1,849.72 kcal, which is the 1,850 shown above.
What is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation based on?
The equation comes from a 1990 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Mifflin, St Jeor and colleagues. It used resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry in 498 healthy adults aged 19 to 78, including normal-weight and obese people. The study reported that its weight, height, age and sex equation explained about 71% of the variation (R² = 0.71) and that the older Harris-Benedict equations overestimated measured energy expenditure by about 5%. It is a prediction for groups of healthy adults. This tool also accepts ages 18 and 79 to 100, which lie outside the ages studied, so treat those results with extra caution.
Where do the activity factors come from?
A StatPearls clinical review describes the usual method: estimate BMR with a formula such as Mifflin-St Jeor, then multiply by an activity factor that ranges from 1.2 for sedentary to 1.9 for very active. The in-between steps used here (1.375, 1.55, 1.725) are the widely used five-level convention. We could not confirm those three values on an authoritative page we opened, so read the activity labels as rough guides only, not as measured categories.
Who is this estimate not for?
This TDEE calculator is for healthy adults only. It shows no result under age 18. Children and teenagers, pregnancy, breastfeeding, medical conditions, medicines that change energy use and athletes in heavy training are outside it. The tool does not set calorie targets, deficits or surpluses and does not suggest what to eat. A doctor or registered dietitian can advise you on your own situation.
Tips for using your estimate
- Choose the activity level for a normal week. A very active day does not make you a very active person.
- Keep the rounding in mind. The page rounds to 10 kcal, but the real uncertainty is far larger than that.
- Read food labels per serving. Our nutrition label calculator scales label values to the portion you ate.
- Check height and weight context. The adult BMI calculator uses the same measurements.
- Plan food spending separately. The recipe cost calculator works out what a meal costs.
For background reading, see our guides on sustainable weight loss and the risks of rapid weight loss. Used as a simple reference, the TDEE calculator shows how height, weight, age and activity feed into an estimate of daily energy use.
Sources used for this page
- 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. Supports the equation, the 498 healthy adults aged 19 to 78, R² = 0.71 and the roughly 5% overestimate by Harris-Benedict.
- Management of Weight Loss Plateau, StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf). Supports multiplying BMR from an equation such as Mifflin-St Jeor by an activity factor ranging from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active).
Frequently Asked Questions
TDEE is total daily energy expenditure: the calories a body uses in a day, including resting needs and movement. This tool first estimates BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by an activity factor from 1.2 to 1.9. It is an estimate for a typical healthy adult, not a measurement of your own body.
It is an estimate. The equation was built from measurements on a group of healthy adults, and the activity factor is a rough guide to how much you move. Your own energy use can differ from the result, sometimes by hundreds of calories a day. Treat the number as a starting reference, not a precise figure or a target.
Pick the level that best matches an ordinary week, not your busiest day. Sedentary means little or no exercise. Each step up adds more exercise days or a more physical job. If you are between two levels, the lower one is often the closer fit for a desk-based week. The labels are rough guides, not strict rules.
No. It shows an estimate of energy use only. It does not set calorie goals, deficits or surpluses, and it does not suggest what to eat. If you want advice on food or weight, a doctor or registered dietitian can look at your age, health and circumstances and give guidance that fits you.
It is for healthy adults aged 18 to 100. It does not cover children and teenagers, pregnancy, breastfeeding, medical conditions, medicines that affect energy use, or athletes in heavy training. Their needs can be quite different. Ask a doctor or registered dietitian about your own situation instead of relying on this estimate.