HOW TO USE A TDEE CALCULATOR (2024)

On a mission to build some serious muscle mass? Embarking on a long overdue fat loss journey? Attempting a recomp to get lean and add size simultaneously?

Then pay attention, because we’re about to give you the secret to success no matter what your goals are!

No matter what your goals are (fat loss, muscle gain, better performance, etc), it all comes down to your diet. You can do all the training you want to, but if your nutrition habits aren’t aligned with your goals, you’ll never achieve the results you’re truly seeking.

That’s why it’s absolutely crucial you know what your TDEE is and how to put it to work for you!

What is TDEE?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the total sum of calories you burn in a given day comprised of four key factors:

  1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
    The number of calories your body each day just to keep you alive, with zero physical activity. Think of this as your “survival” level of calories.

  2. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
    The number of calories your body expends processing all of the foods you eat in a given day.

  3. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
    The number of calories burned during the day, not including exercise. This constitutes actions like walking to the kitchen, tapping your foot, doing the laundry, etc.

  4. Thermic Effect of Activity (TEA)
    The number of calories burned from exercise (activity performed with greater energy output than normal daily tasks). This includes all manner of weightlifting, cardio, HIIT, sprints, etc.

So, simplifying things a bit:

TDEE = BMR + TEF + NEAT + TEA

Add those together and you have the required number of calories you need on a daily basis to MAINTAIN your weight!

Calculating TDEE

Thanks to the advances of modern technology, you no longer have to pull out a piece of paper, pencil, and trusty calculator to compute your TDEE. But, just for the fun of it, here is how you would go about calculating your BMR:

  • Women BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in yrs)

  • Men BMR = 66 + (13.7 X weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in yrs)

As an example, let’s take a 35 year old male, 6 feet tall, 180 lbs.

Age: 35

Height: 6’0” = 182.88cm

Weight: 180 lbs = 81.65kg

Plugging these number into the BMR equation gives:

BMR = 66 + (13.7 x 81.65) + (5 x 182.88) - (6.8 x 35)

BMR = 66 + 1118.61 + 914.4 - 238

BMR = 1861.01

This is the absolute minimum number of calories you body would burn if you simply laid in bed all day long.

Now, to calculate your TDEE, you must then take your BMR and multiply it by an “activity factor” which are numbers based off empirical data to help estimate how many calories you burn in a given day taking all of your non-BMR numbers into account. Here are the tried and true Katch-McArdle multipliers:

  • Sedentary (little to no exercise & work a desk job) = 1.2

  • Lightly Active (light exercise 1-3 days / week) = 1.375

  • Moderately Active (moderate exercise 3-5 days / week) = 1.55

  • Very Active (heavy exercise 6-7 days / week) = 1.725

  • Extremely Active (very heavy exercise, hard labor job, training 2x / day) = 1.9

Going back to our previous example, let’s assume our 35 year old male trains 4 days per week following an upper / lower split with no other cardio or HIIT training during the week. That classifies him as “Moderately Active”. To calculate his approximate TDEE, we multiply 1.55 times his BMR, which is:

TDEE = 1.55 x BMR

TDEE = 1.55 x 1861.01

TDEE = 2884.57

So, our example guy would need to consume roughly 2880 just to maintain his current weight. However, if you’re looking to alter your body composition (i.e. gain muscle, lose fat) you need to alter your intake to accomplish your goals.

Putting TDEE to Work!

How do we put TDEE to work for us in pursuing our fitness goals?

Simple. If you’re wanting to lose fat, you need to eat less than your TDEE. This forces your body to pull from its fat stores to compensate for the calories you’re not ingesting each day. But, if you’re looking to gain muscle mass, you need to eat ABOVE your TDEE.

Fat Loss

Now, we generally recommend that if you’re pursuing fat loss, to employ a 20% deficit. In our example male, this would work out to:

20% of TDEE = 0.20 x 2880 = 576

Calorie intake for weight loss: 2800 - 576 = 2,304

Once you have this number, you’ll then set your macros, which we recommend setting at:

Protein 0.8 - 1 per pound of bodyweight

Fat: 0.3 - 0.4 grams per pound of bodyweight

Carbs: The remaining number of calories you have left.

Going back to the example male eating at a 20% deficit, his daily macros would be:

  • Protein: 1g / lb x 180 lbs = 180g (Calories = 180g x 4 calories / g of protein = 720)

  • Fat: 0.4g / lb x 180 lbs = 72g (Calories = 72g x 9 calories / g of fat = 648)

  • Carbs are determined by subtracting out protein and fat macros from your daily calorie allotment then dividing by 4 to get the number of carbs you eat per day

    Carb Calories = 2,304 - 720 - 648

    Carb Calories = 936

    Now divide 936 by 4 to get your total grams of carbs for the day:

    936 / 4 = 234g Carbohydrates

In order for our 180 lb male to eat at a 20% deficit and still fulfill his nutritional requirements so as not to lose muscle while dieting, he would need to eat the following macro breakdown on a daily basis:

Protein: 180g

Fats: 72g
Carbs: 234g

Eating at this deficit should result in losing 1-2 lbs per week. If you are not losing at least 0.5 lbs per week, consider subtracting another 100 calories from your allotment and calculating your macros. If your are losing more than 2 lbs per week, add 100 calories back into your diet. Losing too much weight too fast can lead to muscle loss...exactly what you DON’T want when dieting!

Muscle Gain

If you’re wanting to add some size to your frame, you need to consistently eat above your TDEE. To minimize fat gain while trying to bulk up, you only need to employ a moderate caloric surplus.

Once you’ve calculated your TDEE, add an additional 200-300 calories to your caloric intake and calculate your macros using the information outlined above. If you find you’re not gaining at least 0.5 lb / week, add another 100 calories to your intake each day. If you’re gaining over 1 lb per week, dial back your intake by 150-200 calories. Gaining too much weight too fast increases your chances of adding unnecessary fat, which just means you’ll have to spend longer cutting down the line.

Takeaway

As we’ve stated several times throughout this piece, TDEE calculators are an estimate or approximation. That means they give you a rough idea of how many calories you’re burning each day. Some people have faster metabolisms than others, and might be burning more calories each day than the calculator says. This is why it’s imperative for you to track your macros and weight diligently.

If you’re trying to gain weight and already eating 200-300 calories over your TDEE, but not seeing the scale number go up, you’re probably one of the lucky few blessed with a fast metabolism. So, you’ll probably need to eat 400-500 calories over your TDEE to actually start building muscle.

All TDEE calculators are helpful for getting a general idea of what your daily nutritional requirements are, and can be extremely useful in getting a proper mass-gaining or fat loss diet set up. Once you’ve got a grasp on the estimated amount of calories you need per day, you can start to fine tune your required calorie intake based off changes in your weight and tape measurements.

HOW TO USE A TDEE CALCULATOR (2024)

FAQs

What is the most accurate way to calculate TDEE? ›

A much more accurate method for determining TDEE is to determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR) using multiple factors, including height, weight, age, and sex, then multiply the BMR by an activity factor to calculate TDEE.

How do you use a TDEE calculator? ›

Calculating TDEE using the formula TDEE = BMR x Activity Factor involves two steps: Step 1: Calculate your BMR using the following formula. So your BMR is 1536.25 calories per day. Step 2: Multiply your BMR by your activity factor to calculate your TDEE.

What activity level should I put on a TDEE calculator? ›

There are 5 selections you can make: Sedentary, Light Exercise (1-2 days per week), Moderate (3-5 days per week), Heavy (6-7 days per week), and Athlete (2x per day). Actual scientists came up with these figures, and until a better way is proven (by scientists), this is what my calculator will use.

How many calories below your TDEE should you eat to lose weight? ›

Your TDEE represents the number of calories required to maintain your current weight. To lose weight, you typically aim for a calorie intake that's 10-20% lower than your TDEE. This ensures a gradual and sustainable rate of weight loss, generally recommended at about 0.5 to 1 kilogram (1 to 2 pounds) per week.

Do calorie calculators overestimate? ›

Just keep in mind that many calorie counters are overestimating what you're actually burning. Remember that how you feel after the workout and your overall health are more important than the exact number of calories you're burning.

Does walking count as exercise in TDEE? ›

Simply moving around more, taking the dog on an extra walk, or even scrubbing the bathtub can help boost your TDEE. TDEE is an estimate of how many calories you burn through your bodily functions and physical activity.

What is the most accurate calorie weight loss calculator? ›

Research has found the Mifflin St. Jeor formula to be more accurate than similar calorie estimation methods such as the Harris-Benedict formula. You should use this calorie calculator in all circumstances except when: You're following the book The Leangains Method. You're on a ketogenic diet.

How many calories do 10,000 steps burn? ›

For more information, visit our medical review board. The idea of walking 10,000 steps a day, around 5 miles on average, is a popular fitness goal. Most people burn around 300 to 400 calories by walking 10,000 steps. Experts recommend gradually increasing steps, aiming for an extra 1,000 steps per day each week.

Does exercise increase TDEE? ›

Right off the jump, TDEE will be improved with a steady strength training and cardio routine. While rest days are critical, a day with scheduled exercise will likely yield a higher TDEE than staying sedentary. While exercise immediately impacts TDEE, it also helps to improve it over the long haul.

Do TDEE calculators overestimate? ›

So, if a TDEE calculator tells you that you're burning 2500 calories/day, there's about a 20% chance that you're actually burning between 1500-2000 calories/day, or 3000-3500 calories/day. Finally, 1.5-2% of people will get errors exceeding 1000 calories/day, resulting in really, really bad recommendations.

Am I lightly active or sedentary? ›

Types of activity levels

Sedentary — You work a desk job with little or no exercise. Lightly Active — You work a job with light physical demands, or you work a desk job and perform light exercise (at the level of a brisk walk) for 30 minutes per day, 3-5 times per week.

How often should I recalculate TDEE? ›

How often should I recalculate my BMR and TDEE? Whenever there are notable changes to body weight. Not every fluctuation in weight means that figures should be recalculated, but significant changes of 5-10% will likely influence TDEE.

What is the most accurate TDEE calculator? ›

There are several equations you can use to calculate your TDEE, but the Forbes Health TDEE Calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation because experts from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) consider it to be the most accurate.

What is the difference between a calorie calculator and a TDEE calculator? ›

On the other hand, a Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) calculator estimates the total calories you burn in a day, including your basal metabolic rate and physical activity. While a calorie counter focuses on intake, a TDEE calculator provides a broader picture of your energy needs.

How to calculate TDEE manually? ›

How Is Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculated?
  1. For men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5 (kcal / day)
  2. For women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) -161 (kcal / day)
Jun 14, 2024

What is the most accurate calorie deficit calculator? ›

Research has found the Mifflin St. Jeor formula to be more accurate than similar calorie estimation methods such as the Harris-Benedict formula. You should use this calorie calculator in all circumstances except when: You're following the book The Leangains Method. You're on a ketogenic diet.

What is the most accurate calorie expenditure device? ›

Garmin's Vivomove Sport Watch is our top overall pick for its accuracy, comfort, ease of use, and so much more. Whether we're tracking our step count, calories burned, or time spent sleeping, we find the metrics to be spot on.

What is the most accurate way to calculate daily calories? ›

A fairly accurate way to calculate your daily calorie needs is to determine basal metabolic rate (BMR) using multiple factors, including height, weight, age and gender, then multiply the BMR by an activity factor to determine your total daily energy expenditure (calories).

Which calorie equation is most accurate? ›

Of these equations, the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation is considered the most accurate equation for calculating BMR with the exception that the Katch-McArdle Formula can be more accurate for people who are leaner and know their body fat percentage.

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