Maintenance calories: BMR × activity factor.
Source: Mifflin × ACSM activity multipliers.
What does TDEE mean?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the number of calories your body burns in 24 hours, your basal metabolic rate plus everything you do on top of it. It is the number most weight plans are built around. Eat below it and you lose weight, eat above it and you gain, eat at it and you stay the same.
TDEE is calculated by multiplying your BMR (from the Mifflin–St Jeor equation) by an activity multiplier developed from ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) guidelines. The multipliers range from 1.2 for completely sedentary individuals to approximately 1.9 for professional athletes or people with highly physical jobs who also exercise twice daily.
The activity categories here are broad approximations. Research shows that most people overestimate their activity level. If you work at a desk but walk to the office, you are probably "light" rather than "moderate." Tracking your actual step count for a week can help you pick the right category.
TDEE also changes as your weight changes: losing 10 kg typically reduces TDEE by 100–200 kcal/day, which is one reason weight loss slows over time and why recalculating every few months is useful.
Reference ranges (activity multipliers)
| Activity level | Multiplier | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Desk job, minimal walking, no formal exercise |
| Lightly active | 1.375 | Light exercise 1–3 days/week |
| Moderately active | 1.55 | Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week |
| Very active | 1.725 | Hard exercise 6–7 days/week |
| Extremely active | 1.9 | Physical job + twice-daily training |
When should you see a doctor?
TDEE calculations are safe for general use. However, if you plan to eat well below your TDEE (more than a 1,000 kcal/day deficit), you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you have a history of eating disorders, or you have any metabolic condition, you should work with a registered dietitian or doctor rather than relying solely on a self-calculated estimate.