TDEE calculator

Total daily energy expenditure is the number that keeps your weight steady. Pick how active you are and see it next to every other level, so you can compare them.

Your details

Your everyday energy (TDEE)

1,880

kcal a day, a bit active

Mostly sitting1,643 kcal
A bit active (you)1,883 kcal
Fairly active2,123 kcal
Very active2,362 kcal
Physical job plus training2,602 kcal

Eating around this keeps your weight roughly where it is. Real life wobbles by a few hundred kcal a day, and that is fine.

The working

BMR times an activity factor

We start with your Mifflin-St Jeor BMR, then multiply by a factor for activity. The factors are the ones most dietitians use:

Activity	Factor
Mostly sitting	1.2
A bit active (1 to 3 days)	1.375
Fairly active (3 to 5 days)	1.55
Very active (6 or 7 days)	1.725
Physical job plus training	1.9

For a 40 year old woman at 5 ft 5 in and 11 st who is a bit active: 1,369 × 1.375 = 1,883 kcal, shown as 1,880.

Activity levels

Most of us overestimate our activity

Studies that measure energy use directly find people often pick a level higher than they really are. If you are not sure, go one level lower and see how your weight does over a month. Steps are a decent clue: under about 5,000 a day is closer to mostly sitting.

What it is for

Your maintenance number

Eating around your TDEE keeps your weight roughly steady. The NHS guide figures of 2,000 kcal for women and 2,500 for men are simple averages of this same idea. Wanting to change weight? The deficit and surplus calculators start from here.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Day to day changesA busy Saturday and a sofa Sunday are very different days.
Exercise watchesWearables often overestimate calories burned, sometimes by a lot.
PregnancyEnergy needs change in pregnancy; see the pregnancy calorie advice instead.

Questions

Common questions

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is energy at complete rest. TDEE adds everything else: moving, exercise and even digesting food. TDEE is the one that matters for planning meals.

Should I eat back exercise calories?

Your TDEE already includes the exercise you listed, so no need to add it again. If you do a big one off session, a bit extra that day is sensible.

How accurate is TDEE?

Within about 10% for most people, which can be 200 kcal or so. Use it as a starting point and adjust based on how you feel and how your weight trends.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

If food feels hard

If eating, weight or food is on your mind a lot, you are not alone. Your GP can help, and Beat has a free helpline on 0808 801 0677 (England, weekdays 3pm to 8pm).