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TDEE Calculator

Most people underestimate their calorie burn by 20–40%. Get your real number in seconds.

Health GoalsTDEEMacrosBMRProteinHydration
ft
in
175 lb
Total Daily Energy Expenditure
2,713
calories per day · BMR 1,750
Fat loss
2,306
−15%
Maintenance
2,713
0%
Muscle gain
3,120
+15%
What this means
Your body burns 2,713 calories every day — even before exercise. This is the real number to plan around, not the generic 2,000 calorie label.
Common mistake
Most people eat 300–500 calories below their TDEE on weekdays and 800+ above on weekends. Net result: no progress. Track your weekly average, not the daily snapshot.
Your next step
Now find your macro split — protein, carbs, and fats — based on this number.

Track this every day — automatically

Phoenix Tracker Pro turns this number into a daily plan, logs your meals from a photo, and shows your weekly streak.

What is TDEE, really?

TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure — is the total number of calories your body uses in a 24-hour period. It is the sum of four components: your basal metabolic rate (BMR) — what you'd burn lying in bed all day — plus the thermic effect of food, non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) like walking, fidgeting, and standing, and finally exercise activity. For most people, BMR is 60–70% of the total, NEAT is 15–25%, food digestion is around 10%, and structured exercise is surprisingly small — often less than 10%.

Why "2,000 calories a day" is wrong for almost everyone

The 2,000 kcal label on every nutrition panel is a regulatory average from the 1990s, not a target. A 5'10" 175 lb man who lifts three times a week burns roughly 2,700 calories per day. A 5'4" 130 lb woman with a desk job burns closer to 1,750. Using one number for everyone is why generic diet plans fail — the calorie ceiling is either too low (binge cycles) or too high (no fat loss).

How this calculator works

We use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for BMR — the most accurate predictive formula for the general population — then multiply by an activity factor (1.2 for sedentary up to 1.9 for very active) and add a bonus for your job (sitting, standing, physical, or athlete). Mifflin-St Jeor has a mean error of roughly 5% versus indirect calorimetry, the lab gold standard.

Three rules to use your TDEE correctly

  • Average over 7–14 days. Daily intake will fluctuate. Your weekly average is the only number that drives the scale.
  • Don't cut more than 20%. Deeper deficits crash metabolism, sleep, and training output. Slow loss sticks.
  • Recalculate every 10–15 lb change. A smaller body burns less. Update your numbers as you progress.

Frequently asked questions

TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure — is the total number of calories your body uses in 24 hours. It's your BMR (calories burned at rest) plus digestion, daily movement (NEAT), and structured exercise. It's the real target for planning fat loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.