A TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator estimates the total number of calories a person burns in a day, including basal metabolic rate (BMR), physical activity, and the thermic effect of food. It typically calculates your BMR using formulas like the Mifflin-St Jeor equation based on weight, height, age, and gender, then multiplies that value by an activity level factor to estimate total calories burned daily.
How TDEE Is Calculated
- Step 1: Calculate BMR
- For men: BMR=10×weight(kg)+6.25×height(cm)−5×age(years)+5\text{BMR}=10\times \text{weight(kg)}+6.25\times \text{height(cm)}-5\times \text{age(years)}+5BMR=10×weight(kg)+6.25×height(cm)−5×age(years)+5
- For women: BMR=10×weight(kg)+6.25×height(cm)−5×age(years)−161\text{BMR}=10\times \text{weight(kg)}+6.25\times \text{height(cm)}-5\times \text{age(years)}-161BMR=10×weight(kg)+6.25×height(cm)−5×age(years)−161
- Step 2: Determine Activity Level Multiplier
- Sedentary: 1.2
- Lightly active: 1.375–1.5
- Moderately active: 1.55–1.7
- Very active: 1.725–1.9
- Extra active: 1.9–2.4
- Step 3: Multiply BMR by Activity Level
- Example: BMR 1400 × activity factor 1.6 = TDEE 2240 calories
What TDEE Represents
- It includes calories burned by:
- Basic body functions (breathing, circulation) – the BMR
- Physical activity (exercise and daily movement)
- Thermic effect of food (calories burned digesting food)
This calculation helps estimate how many calories to consume to maintain, lose, or gain weight based on individual activity and metabolism levels.
