Maintenance energy

TDEE Calculator

Total daily energy expenditure is your resting energy plus everything else you do: walking, working, training and digesting food. It is the number most people mean by maintenance calories.

Your information stays on this device. Nothing you type is sent to a server, saved to an account or added to analytics.

Unit system

Metric (kg, cm)Imperial (lb, ft/in)

Age (years)

Example: 30. Valid range: 14 to 100.

Sex used by the equation

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation includes a sex-based constant. Choose the option that matches the physiology the equation should assume.

FemaleMale

Height (cm)

Example: 175. Valid range: 100 to 250.

Weight (kg)

Example: 70. Valid range: 30 to 300.

Activity level

Choose the level that matches an average week over the last month, not your best week.

SedentaryDesk-based day, little planned exercise, under about 5,000 steps.Lightly activeLight movement most days or 1–3 short training sessions a week.Moderately active3–5 training sessions a week, or a job with regular walking.Very active6–7 sessions a week, or a physically demanding occupation.Extremely activeHard daily training plus manual work, or two sessions a day.

Not sure which activity level to choose?

Answer these three questions. If your answers point to different levels, take the lower one — it is easier to add food later than to unpick an over-generous estimate.

Approximate daily steps

How physical is your occupation?

Planned training sessions each week

Guidance: under 5,000 steps with desk work and no training is sedentary. Desk work with three to four sessions a week is usually lightly to moderately active. Manual work or six-plus sessions is very active. Extremely active describes hard daily training combined with physical work.

Your results

Fill in the form and select Calculate My Results. Your numbers will appear here.

Why we avoid false precision

A calculator can produce four digits, but the underlying inputs do not justify them. That is why we present a central estimate alongside a likely starting range, for example a central estimate of 2,420 kcal with a starting range of 2,300 to 2,540 kcal. Choose a point inside the range, hold it for three weeks and let your weight trend refine it.

Next, read activity multipliers explained or move on to the calorie calculator.

Suggested next calculators

Run every number in the all-in-one fitness calculator
One set of inputs, every number: BMI, BMR, maintenance, target and macros.
Open the bmr calculator
Estimate the energy your body uses at complete rest.
Open the calorie calculator
Turn your maintenance estimate into a daily calorie target.

Relevant guides

How Many Calories Should I Eat Per Day? Calculate, Test and Adjust Your Starting Target
Learn how to estimate your daily calorie target for maintenance, fat loss or weight gain, why a fixed 500-calorie cut does not suit everyone, and how to calibrate your number over 14 days.
BMR vs TDEE: What’s the Difference, and Which Number Should You Use?
BMR is the energy your body burns at complete rest; TDEE adds all movement on top. Neither number is your calorie intake target — that requires choosing a goal. This guide explains the difference clearly.
Is BMI Accurate? What It Measures, What It Misses, and What to Check Next
Understand what BMI actually measures, why it is still used in medicine, its key limitations for athletes and diverse populations, and a practical five-layer framework to interpret your result.