Updated June 17, 2026
Find your calorie target
Enter your numbers and get a calorie target based on the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body uses each day, combining your resting metabolism with all movement and activity. Eat below your TDEE to lose weight, at your TDEE to maintain, and above it to gain muscle. Knowing your TDEE is the practical starting point for any calorie-based nutrition plan.
What makes up your TDEE?
| Component | What it includes | Approx. share of TDEE |
|---|---|---|
| BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) | Calories burned at complete rest | 60-70% |
| NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity) | Walking, fidgeting, daily movement | 15-30% |
| Exercise Activity (EAT) | Intentional workouts | 5-15% |
| TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) | Energy used to digest food | ~10% |
BMR is calculated from height, weight, age and sex using equations like Mifflin-St Jeor. Activity multipliers scale it up from there. All of these are estimates; actual TDEE varies from person to person and day to day.
How to calculate your TDEE to lose weight
Use the calorie deficit calculator, which applies the Mifflin-St Jeor formula to estimate your BMR and then multiplies by your activity level. Once you have your TDEE, subtract 500 calories to target roughly 1 pound of loss per week. Do not subtract more than 1,000 calories without medical guidance.
Should you eat under your TDEE to lose weight?
Yes. Eating below your TDEE creates a calorie deficit, and a sustained calorie deficit is what drives fat loss. How far below matters. A 500-calorie deficit is manageable for most people. A much larger deficit can cause muscle loss, fatigue and micronutrient gaps, and tends to trigger metabolic adaptation that slows progress over time.
Do you subtract 500 calories from TDEE?
TDEE minus 500 calories is the standard starting point. If the TDEE estimate is accurate, it produces roughly one pound of fat loss per week. You do not have to start there. A 250 to 300 calorie deficit is gentler and often easier to sustain, particularly if the larger cut feels hard to maintain.
What is my TDEE if I walk 10,000 steps a day?
10,000 steps adds roughly 250 to 500 calories of activity above a fully sedentary baseline, depending on your weight and pace. A BMR of 1,500 calories with a light-to-moderate activity level puts TDEE somewhere in the 1,900 to 2,100 range. Use the "lightly active" or "moderately active" setting in the calculator for a closer estimate.
Find your calorie target
Enter your numbers and get a calorie target based on the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.