Your guide to understanding TDEE, macros, and how to achieve your fitness goals with our calculator.
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It's the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period, including all activities. Your TDEE is the sum of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), and your Physical Activity Level (PAL). Knowing your TDEE is the first step to creating an effective diet plan for weight loss, gain, or maintenance.
BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. It's the number of calories your body needs to perform its most basic, life-sustaining functions, such as breathing, circulation, and cell production, while at complete rest. BMR is the largest component of your TDEE.
Most calculators use a single formula and a vague activity multiplier (e.g., "lightly active"). FindTDEE.com is more precise because it:
1. Uses a weighted average of multiple scientific formulas (Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict, Katch-McArdle) for a more reliable BMR estimate.
2. Allows you to input specific daily activities, their duration, and intensity, calculating a true Physical Activity Level (PAL) instead of using a generic multiplier.
3. Considers body composition (body fat percentage), as muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue.
It's a good practice to recalculate your TDEE every 4-6 weeks, or whenever you have a significant change in your weight (around 5-10 lbs / 2-5 kg), activity level, or daily routine. As your body changes, so do its energy needs.
Absolutely. To gain weight, you need to consume more calories than your TDEE (a calorie surplus). Our calculator provides specific calorie and macronutrient targets for a "Bulk" or "Lean Bulk," helping you gain muscle mass while minimizing fat gain.
Macronutrients are the nutrients your body needs in large amounts: Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fat. Each provides energy in the form of calories. Our calculator helps you determine the optimal ratio of these macros to support your specific fitness goal, whether it's fat loss, muscle gain, or athletic performance.
Body fat percentage gives a more complete picture of your body composition than weight alone. If you provide your body fat percentage, our calculator can use the Katch-McArdle formula, which is considered more accurate for individuals who know their body composition because it's based on lean body mass. If you don't know it, our calculator can provide a visual estimate, but for best results, we recommend getting it measured professionally.