TDEE Calculator

The average TDEE for an adult woman ranges from approximately 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, depending heavily on height, weight, age, and activity level. A sedentary woman of average size might have a TDEE of around 1,700–1,900 kcal, while an active woman — training 4–5 days per week — may reach 2,200–2,600 kcal. There is no single "normal" number; TDEE is individual. Always calculate yours using your actual measurements rather than relying on generic averages.

Men typically have a higher TDEE than women of the same size due to greater lean muscle mass, which elevates basal metabolic rate. A sedentary man of average height and weight generally has a TDEE of around 2,000–2,400 kcal per day. A moderately active man might land between 2,500 and 3,000 kcal, while athletes and those with physically demanding jobs can exceed 3,500 kcal. Individual calculation is far more accurate than any population average.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation used here is the most validated indirect calorimetry formula, accurate to within approximately ±10% for most non-athlete adults. The largest source of error is the activity multiplier — most people overestimate their activity level, which inflates their calculated TDEE. Treat the result as a starting estimate: track your food and body weight for 2–3 weeks, then adjust calories up or down by 100–200 kcal until weight moves in the direction you want.

Yes — your TDEE represents your maintenance calories, meaning eating at this level should result in your body weight staying stable over time. In practice, small day-to-day fluctuations are normal due to water retention, sodium intake, and glycogen levels. Focus on weekly averages rather than daily scale readings. If your weight is consistently rising or falling after 2–3 weeks at your calculated TDEE, adjust by 100–200 kcal in the opposite direction.

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep vital organs functioning. It's the absolute minimum calorie requirement to sustain life. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) adds all the calories burned through physical movement — walking, working out, and all daily activity — on top of BMR. TDEE is always higher than BMR. For most sedentary people, TDEE is roughly 1.2× their BMR; for very active people, it can be nearly 2× BMR.

Yes — and this is one of the most important things to understand about long-term weight management. As you lose weight, your body becomes lighter, which reduces the energy cost of every movement, and your BMR decreases because there is less tissue to maintain. Additionally, metabolic adaptation (often called "metabolic slowdown") can reduce TDEE by an additional 5–15% beyond what weight loss alone would predict. Recalculate your TDEE every 4–6 weeks, or whenever weight loss stalls, and reduce your calorie target accordingly.

For non-athlete adults, the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (used by this calculator) is consistently rated as the most accurate in peer-reviewed literature, outperforming the older Harris-Benedict equation in multiple validation studies. For athletes with very high lean body mass, the Katch-McArdle formula — which uses fat-free mass rather than total body weight — can be more accurate, as it's not skewed by excess body fat. However, Katch-McArdle requires an accurate body fat measurement to use.

Intermittent fasting (IF) affects when you eat, not how much — your TDEE remains the same regardless of your eating window. Calculate your TDEE normally, then apply your calorie deficit (typically TDEE − 300 to 500 kcal) as your daily target, compressed into your eating window (e.g. an 8-hour window for 16:8). Many people find IF easier to sustain because it reduces the number of meals to track, but the underlying calorie math is identical to any other dietary approach.