Find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the exact number of calories your body burns each day.
Units
Sex
Your Results
—kcal
Your TDEE (Maintenance Calories)
Calories needed to maintain your current weight
Lose Weight
—
kcal/day · ~0.5 kg/week
Maintain
—
kcal/day
Gain Muscle
—
kcal/day · lean bulk
Your BMR
—kcal
Basal Metabolic Rate
Calories burned at complete rest (Mifflin-St Jeor)
Suggested Macros (Maintenance)
Protein
—
g/day
Carbs
—
g/day
Fat
—
g/day
These are estimates based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — the most accurate formula for the general population. Individual results vary based on muscle mass, genetics, and health status.
What Is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. It's made up of four components:
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) — energy used for basic life-sustaining functions like breathing, circulation, and cell production. This accounts for 60–75% of your total burn.
TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) — energy used to digest, absorb, and process nutrients. Roughly ~10% of total calories.
NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) — energy burned through daily movement that isn't formal exercise: walking, fidgeting, standing, household chores.
EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) — energy burned through deliberate exercise. Together with NEAT, activity accounts for 15–30% of TDEE.
Did you know? The average sedentary adult burns 1,800–2,200 kcal/day just existing — breathing, digesting, and maintaining body temperature.
TDEE vs BMR — What's the Difference?
BMR is what you'd burn if you lay in bed all day doing absolutely nothing — no eating, no moving, no scrolling your phone. TDEE is your BMR plus everything else: walking to the kitchen, your workout, even digesting food.
The distinction matters because most people accidentally eat at their TDEE when they think they're eating at their BMR. If your BMR is 1,600 but your TDEE is 2,200, eating 1,600 kcal creates a 600-calorie deficit — which may be too aggressive for some people.
Did you know? A study by Levine et al. (1999) found that NEAT (fidgeting, standing, walking) can vary by up to 2,000 kcal/day between individuals — more than most gym sessions burn.
Understanding Activity Multipliers
Your TDEE is calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor. Choosing the right level is critical — most people overestimate their activity.
Activity Level
Multiplier
Description
Example
Sedentary
1.2
Little or no exercise
Desk job, no workouts
Lightly Active
1.375
Light exercise 1–3 days/week
Walking, light gym
Moderately Active
1.55
Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week
Regular gym-goer
Very Active
1.725
Hard exercise 6–7 days/week
Athlete, physical job
Extra Active
1.9
Very hard exercise + physical job
Elite athlete, military
How to Use Your TDEE
Once you know your TDEE, you can set a calorie target based on your goal:
Maintain weight: eat at your TDEE.
Lose weight: eat 300–500 kcal below your TDEE. A deficit larger than 1,000 kcal/day is rarely sustainable and risks muscle loss.
Gain muscle: eat 200–500 kcal above your TDEE (a "lean bulk") to support muscle growth while minimising fat gain.
Pro tip: Tracking your actual intake for 2 weeks while your weight stays stable gives you the most accurate personal TDEE — more precise than any formula.
Track Your Calories Automatically
MacroLog uses AI to log meals from photos, voice, and barcodes — no manual entry needed.