Case 1
- Sex
- Male
- Age
- 30
- Weight
- 80kg
- Height
- 180cm
- Activity level
- Moderate — PAL 1.55
2,759kcal/d
Open with these valuesTDEE Calculator
2,759kcal/d
Result: 2,759 kcal/dTotal daily energy expenditure is your resting metabolism multiplied by an activity factor. The resting part is measured science; the factor is a rough bracket you choose, so treat the result as a starting point and correct it against your weight over a few weeks.
The numbers at a glance
Held fixed: Sex Male, Age 30, Weight 80.0 kg, Activity level Moderate — PAL 1.55.
| Height (cm) | Result (kcal/d) |
|---|---|
| 150.0 | 2,468 |
| 160.0 | 2,565 |
| 170.0 | 2,662 |
| 180.0Your value | 2,759 |
| 190.0 | 2,856 |
| 200.0 | 2,953 |
| 210.0 | 3,050 |
Worked examples
Case 2
- Sex
- Female
- Age
- 35
- Weight
- 65kg
- Height
- 165cm
- Activity level
- Light — PAL 1.375
1,850kcal/d
Open with these valuesCase 3
- Sex
- Female
- Age
- 25
- Weight
- 58kg
- Height
- 170cm
- Activity level
- Very active — PAL 1.725
2,340kcal/d
Open with these valuesHow it's calculated
TDEE = (10·kg + 6.25·cm − 5·years ± c) × PAL
- StepEnter sex, age, weight and height.
- StepPick the activity level that matches a normal week, not a good one.
- StepRead the daily calorie estimate.
- ResultTrack your weight for two weeks and adjust the number by what happens.
What this number means
Total daily energy expenditure is an estimate of everything you burn in a day: the resting metabolism plus the movement on top of it. It is a starting point rather than a finished answer, and it is built in two steps of very different quality. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation supplies the resting part from sex, age, weight and height. For the preset example, a 30-year-old man of 80 kg and 180 cm, that is 10 × 80 + 6.25 × 180 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 1780 kcal a day. Multiplying by the activity factor you pick — 1.55 for moderate — gives 2759 kcal. That factor moves the answer more than any other field: the same body comes to 2136 kcal a day at 1.2 and 3382 at 1.9, while changing only the sex constant moves the example from 2759 to 2502. The half to distrust is the factor. The resting equation was fitted to measured metabolism, and an individual can still sit a few hundred calories either side of it; the ladder from 1.2 to 1.9 is a convention from the nutrition literature rather than something measured, which is why the table above names the factor behind each label. The way to check the number is the scale: hold the level for two or three weeks, weigh under the same conditions, and if the weight moves, adjust the intake rather than the formula.
The activity factor is the weaker half
The resting equation is fitted to measured metabolism; the ladder from 1.2 to 1.9 is a convention from the nutrition literature. The same 30-year-old man of 80 kg and 180 cm comes to 2136 kcal a day at 1.2 and 3382 at 1.9.
Check it on the scale, not in the formula
Hold the level for two or three weeks and weigh under the same conditions. If the weight moves, adjust the intake rather than the formula.
Fitted to a population, not to you
The resting equation was fitted to a population, and an individual can still sit a few hundred calories either side of it. The result is a starting point.
Commonly misread
I picked the level of my best training week.
Pick the level that matches a normal week, not a good one. Between 1.2 and 1.9 the preset example moves from 2136 to 3382 kcal a day.
TDEE and BMR are two names for the same number.
The resting metabolism is what the body burns doing nothing; the total multiplies it by the activity factor. For the preset example that is 1780 against 2759 kcal a day.
The number tells me how much to eat to lose weight.
It estimates what you burn now; it is not a target. Anything beyond that is a separate decision.
Reference table
| Activity level | Factor | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Desk job, little or no exercise |
| Light | 1.375 | Light exercise 1–3 days a week |
| Moderate | 1.55 | Moderate exercise 3–5 days a week |
| Very active | 1.725 | Hard exercise 6–7 days a week |
| Extra active | 1.9 | Physical job or two sessions a day |
Questions
What is TDEE and how does it differ from BMR?
The resting metabolism is what the body burns doing nothing; total daily energy expenditure multiplies it by an activity factor. The resting part is a measured equation, the factor is a bracket you pick.
Which activity level should I choose?
The table above lists the factor behind each one, from 1.2 to 1.9. For a 30-year-old man of 80 kg and 180 cm that is the difference between 2136 and 3382 kcal a day, so the choice matters more than any other field.
How accurate is the result?
The resting equation is fitted to a population and an individual can sit a few hundred calories either side of it. The activity factor is the coarser half — treat the number as a starting point and correct it against your weight over a few weeks.
Why does sex change the result so much?
The equation adds a constant for men and subtracts a larger one for women. With everything else identical, the default example moves from 2759 to 2502 kcal a day.
How do I check the number against reality?
Eat at the calculated level for two or three weeks and weigh yourself under the same conditions. If the weight holds, the estimate was right for you; if it moves, adjust the intake rather than the formula.
Sources and last check
Information, not medical advice.