How to calculate TDEE: the simple formula + worked example
Step-by-step TDEE calculation using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, with a worked example for a 30-year-old man and woman.
1 May 2026
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the number of calories you burn in a 24-hour day — your basal metabolic rate plus everything else (work, walking, exercise, fidgeting, digesting food). It is the anchor number for any goal: cut, maintain, or bulk. Get TDEE wrong and every macro target downstream is wrong too.
The formula
Step 1 — calculate BMR using Mifflin-St Jeor:
Men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
Women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
Step 2 — multiply by an activity factor:
- Sedentary (desk job, no exercise): × 1.2
- Lightly active (1-3 sessions/week): × 1.375
- Moderately active (3-5 sessions/week): × 1.55
- Very active (6-7 hard sessions/week): × 1.725
- Athlete (twice-daily training): × 1.9
Worked example: 30-year-old man, 80kg, 180cm, moderately active
BMR = 10 × 80 + 6.25 × 180 − 5 × 30 + 5
BMR = 800 + 1,125 − 150 + 5 = 1,780 cal/day
TDEE = 1,780 × 1.55 = 2,759 cal/day
Worked example: 30-year-old woman, 65kg, 165cm, moderately active
BMR = 10 × 65 + 6.25 × 165 − 5 × 30 − 161
BMR = 650 + 1,031 − 150 − 161 = 1,370 cal/day
TDEE = 1,370 × 1.55 = 2,124 cal/day
What the formula gets wrong
Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate of the common BMR formulas, but real metabolic rate varies ±10% from the formula due to genetics, NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis like fidgeting), and metabolic adaptation if you have been dieting for a while.
The fix: use the formula as a starting point, eat at the calculated maintenance for 2-3 weeks while tracking accurately, and check your scale weight. If weight is stable, your real TDEE matches the formula. If you are losing or gaining, adjust by 200 cal in the appropriate direction.
Common questions
Should I use my goal weight or current weight?
Current weight, always. Use your actual current weight to get a real baseline. Updating the calculator as you cut/bulk gives you a more accurate moving target.
What if I'm a runner doing 60+ miles a week?
The "Very active" or "Athlete" multiplier still under-estimates for high-volume endurance athletes. Add 100-300 calories for extreme training loads, then verify with scale weight stability.
Why does gender matter so much?
The +5 (men) versus −161 (women) constant is a 166-calorie BMR difference. This reflects average lean body mass differences. For a transgender or non-binary user, pick the formula that better matches your current lean body mass — it is a calculation parameter, not a personal identity declaration.
If typing into a calculator is faster than doing the math by hand, our free TDEE calculator handles the formula plus the macro split automatically.
Put this into practice
TDEE & Macro Planner
The interactive tool that applies everything in this guide to your specific numbers. Free for 30 days, no card required.
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