{
  "id": "tdee",
  "version": "d3be206f77ec",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "TDEE Calculator",
  "question": "What is my TDEE?",
  "summary": "Estimates total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), the calories an adult burns in a day, as basal metabolic rate times an activity factor, and shows it at every activity level.",
  "category": "health",
  "subcategory": "nutrition",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/health/tdee-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/health/tdee-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "TDEE = BMR × activity factor, with BMR from Mifflin-St Jeor (10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5, or − 161 for women) or the revised Harris-Benedict.",
  "assumptions": [
    "The formulas are for adults (Mifflin-St Jeor was fitted on people aged 19 to 78). They are not for children, pregnancy or breastfeeding.",
    "Activity factors: sedentary 1.2, light 1.375, moderate 1.55, very active 1.725, extra active 1.9.",
    "The activity part (rounded TDEE − rounded BMR) also holds the energy used to digest food.",
    "This is an estimate for planning, not medical advice."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "sex": {
        "title": "Sex",
        "description": "Sex at birth, which the body formulas use.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "male",
          "female"
        ]
      },
      "age": {
        "title": "Age",
        "description": "Your age in whole years.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 18,
        "maximum": 100
      },
      "height": {
        "title": "Height",
        "description": "Your height without shoes.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0.9,
        "maximum": 3
      },
      "weight": {
        "title": "Weight",
        "description": "Your body weight.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "mass",
        "minimum": 25,
        "maximum": 700
      },
      "activity": {
        "title": "Activity",
        "description": "How active you are in a usual week, which sets the multiplier on your BMR.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "sedentary",
          "light",
          "moderate",
          "very",
          "extra"
        ]
      },
      "formula": {
        "title": "BMR formula",
        "description": "The equation for basal metabolic rate: Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) or the revised Harris-Benedict (1984).",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "mifflin",
          "harris"
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "tdee": {
      "label": "Your TDEE",
      "description": "Total daily energy expenditure: BMR × activity factor, in calories a day.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "bmr": {
      "label": "BMR (calories at complete rest)",
      "description": "Basal metabolic rate: the calories a day your body uses at rest.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "activity": {
      "label": "Added by activity",
      "description": "The calories a day that activity adds to your BMR: TDEE − BMR, each rounded to a whole calorie first.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "sedentary": {
      "label": "If sedentary (× 1.2)",
      "description": "TDEE with the sedentary factor, 1.2.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "light": {
      "label": "If lightly active (× 1.375)",
      "description": "TDEE with the light activity factor, 1.375.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "moderate": {
      "label": "If moderately active (× 1.55)",
      "description": "TDEE with the moderate activity factor, 1.55.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "very": {
      "label": "If very active (× 1.725)",
      "description": "TDEE with the very active factor, 1.725.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "extra": {
      "label": "If extra active (× 1.9)",
      "description": "TDEE with the extra active factor, 1.9.",
      "format": "number"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "sex": "female",
      "age": 30,
      "height": 1.651,
      "weight": 68.0388555,
      "activity": "light",
      "formula": "mifflin"
    },
    "outputs": {
      "tdee": 1926.737388125,
      "bmr": 1401.263555,
      "activity": 526,
      "sedentary": 1681.5162659999999,
      "light": 1926.737388125,
      "moderate": 2171.95851025,
      "very": 2417.179632375,
      "extra": 2662.4007545
    },
    "text": "Your TDEE is about 1,927 calories a day: 1,401 at rest plus 526 from activity."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "sex": "female",
        "age": 30,
        "height": 1.651,
        "weight": 68.0388555,
        "activity": "light",
        "formula": "mifflin"
      },
      "expect": {
        "tdee": 1926.737388125,
        "bmr": 1401.263555,
        "activity": 526,
        "sedentary": 1681.5162659999999,
        "moderate": 2171.95851025,
        "very": 2417.179632375,
        "extra": 2662.4007545
      },
      "source": "Mifflin et al. 1990 and the activity factors; hand calculation in content.mdx"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "sex": "male",
        "age": 25,
        "height": 1.83,
        "weight": 80,
        "activity": "very",
        "formula": "mifflin"
      },
      "expect": {
        "bmr": 1823.75,
        "tdee": 3145.96875,
        "activity": 1322
      },
      "source": "Mifflin et al. 1990 and the 1.725 activity factor; hand calculation in content.mdx"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "sex": "male",
        "age": 50,
        "height": 1.75,
        "weight": 90,
        "activity": "sedentary",
        "formula": "harris"
      },
      "expect": {
        "bmr": 1850.0670000000005,
        "tdee": 2220.0804000000003,
        "extra": 3515.1273000000006
      },
      "source": "Roza and Shizgal 1984 (revised Harris-Benedict) and the activity factors; hand calculation in content.mdx"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-247. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241",
    "Roza AM, Shizgal HM. The Harris Benedict equation reevaluated: resting energy requirements and the body cell mass. Am J Clin Nutr. 1984;40(1):168-182. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/40.1.168",
    "Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(5):775-789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2005.02.005",
    "FAO/WHO/UNU. Human energy requirements (2004), section 5.3.1, Classification of physical activity levels (PAL = TEE ÷ BMR). https://www.fao.org/4/y5686e/y5686e07.htm",
    "Westerterp KR. Diet induced thermogenesis. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2004;1(1):5. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-1-5"
  ],
  "related": [
    "calorie",
    "calorie-deficit",
    "macro",
    "bmi"
  ],
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-09-28",
      "note": "Added by activity is the rounded TDEE minus the rounded BMR, so the sentence parts add up."
    }
  ]
}