TDEE Calculator
Total Daily Energy Expenditure - what you actually burn in a day.
Updated October 2026
Calculated in your browser with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Your inputs are not saved unless you choose to sign up. AI estimates, not medical advice.
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Every number on this page (calorie targets, macro splits and any suggested meal plan) is produced by formulas (Mifflin-St Jeor for basal metabolic rate, standard activity multipliers) or, for AI-generated meal plans, by a language model applying those same formulas. On meal-plan pages the carbohydrate figure for each meal is calculated by difference: total calories minus protein and fat calories, divided by 4. It is not measured or estimated on its own, so read it as an arithmetic balance and not as an independent nutritional analysis of the dish. None of it is individualized medical or nutritional advice, and none of it has been reviewed by a registered dietitian, physician or other licensed healthcare professional.
Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian what is right for you before starting a new diet, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a diagnosed medical condition, take prescription medication, or have a history of disordered eating. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, ask your clinician before raising protein.
Mealyno never recommends a calorie target below your calculated Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the minimum energy your body needs at complete rest. Even the most aggressive weight-loss setting is clamped at that floor.
Calorie and BMR estimates use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990).
Generated: October 2026
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a full day, combining your Basal Metabolic Rate (the energy spent just staying alive) with everything on top of that: digestion, daily movement, and exercise. TDEE - not BMR - is the number you should compare your food intake against when you are trying to lose, maintain, or gain weight, because it reflects your actual life, not just your resting physiology.
This calculator starts from the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR equation, then applies one of five standard activity multipliers, from sedentary (little to no structured exercise) up to very active (a physically demanding job combined with hard training). This five-bucket model is the same one used by most TDEE tools online, and it is a reasonable first estimate - but it is also where most calculators stop, and where they start to drift from reality for anyone whose day does not fit neatly into one bucket.
The differentiator here, and the same logic that powers Mealyno's in-app daily targets, is that this calculator also accepts your average daily step count and your weekly workout frequency, duration and intensity as optional extra inputs. Rather than folding a vague guess about "how active you are" into a single dropdown, it shows you separately how much additional energy your logged steps and workouts represent on top of your activity-level TDEE - useful if you track steps on a phone or watch and want a truer picture without switching your whole activity bracket up a level.
TDEE is not static: it moves as your weight, age and activity change, so it is worth recalculating every few months, especially after a significant weight change. Once you have a TDEE figure you trust, the calorie calculator below turns it into a concrete daily target for your specific goal - a deficit for weight loss, a surplus for muscle gain, or maintenance - with the same BMR-floor safety check applied throughout.
How the calculation works
- BMR is calculated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (see the BMR calculator for the formula).
- Activity-level TDEE = BMR x multiplier, where sedentary = 1.2, light = 1.375, moderate = 1.55, active = 1.725, and very active = 1.9.
- Steps and workouts, if you provide them, are shown as a separate additional-burn estimate rather than folded silently into the headline number, so you can see exactly where each calorie is coming from.
Worked example
Start with the same 80 kg, 178 cm, 30-year-old man. His BMR is 1,768 kcal. A moderate activity level (3 to 5 days of exercise a week) uses a multiplier of 1.55, so his TDEE is 1,768 x 1.55 = 2,740 kcal per day.
If he tracks steps and workouts, the calculator shows the extra burn from those as a separate line rather than adding it to the headline number. That keeps the estimate honest: you can see how much of it comes from the activity bracket and how much from your own logged data.
For a 35-year-old woman with 65 kg, 165 cm and light activity (1 to 3 days a week), BMR is 1,345 kcal and the multiplier is 1.375, so TDEE = 1,345 x 1.375 = 1,850 kcal per day. Moving her up one activity level would change the multiplier to 1.55 and the result to about 2,085 kcal, which is why picking an honest bracket matters.
What to do with this number
TDEE is where maintenance sits: eating around it should keep weight roughly stable. To lose or gain weight you move the target up or down, which the calorie calculator does with a BMR-floor safety check. Watch your weight trend for two to three weeks before you change anything.
To see food at this level, open the plan nearest to it. For the example, 2,740 kcal is closest to the 2500 kcal plan, and the protein calculator can set a daily protein range for it.
Keep in mind what the number is: a formula-based estimate for a healthy adult, worked out in your browser and not reviewed by a doctor or dietitian. Use it to plan, then watch how you feel and how your weight trends over a few weeks, and adjust. If anything about it looks wrong for your situation, or you have a medical condition, ask a clinician before you change what you eat.
TDEE calculator questions
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the energy you use at complete rest. TDEE adds digestion, daily movement and exercise on top, so it is always higher. TDEE is the number to compare your food intake with.
Which activity level should I pick?
Pick the one that matches a typical week, not your best week. Sedentary means little or no structured exercise, moderate means three to five days a week, and very active means a physical job plus hard training. If you sit between two, pick the lower one.
How are steps and workouts counted?
They are optional and shown as a separate extra burn on top of the activity-level result. They are not silently folded into the headline number, so you can see where each part comes from.
Is my TDEE the same every day?
No. It moves with your weight, age and how much you move. Treat it as an average, and recalculate after a significant weight change.
Why does my watch or tracker show a different number?
Wearables use their own estimates of movement and heart rate, while this calculator uses a formula and one of five standard multipliers. Both are estimates. The best check is your own weight trend over two to three weeks.
Can I use my TDEE to lose weight?
Use it as the starting point. A calorie target for weight loss sits below TDEE, and the calorie calculator sets it with a floor at your BMR. If you have a medical condition or take medication, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian first.
Do I add my steps and workouts to my TDEE myself?
No. The calculator shows them as a separate extra burn so you can see the size of each part. Whether to count them toward your daily target is your choice, and many people prefer to leave them out of the target and let them act as a margin.
How long should I track before I trust the number?
Two to three weeks of stable eating and regular weigh-ins tell you more than any formula. If your weight holds steady, your intake is close to your real TDEE.
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