What is TDEE?
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It combines the energy you'd burn at complete rest (your BMR) with the energy used by everyday movement, exercise, and digesting food. Knowing your TDEE is the single most useful number for controlling your weight: eat below it and you lose fat, eat above it and you gain weight.
How this calculator works
LeanGauge uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the formula most dietitians consider the most accurate for the general population. It first estimates your Basal Metabolic Rate from your sex, age, height, and weight, then multiplies it by an activity factor to arrive at your TDEE.
Losing or gaining weight
A deficit of about 500 calories per day leads to roughly 0.45 kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week. Our calorie deficit calculator lets you dial in a faster or slower pace. For muscle gain, a modest surplus of 250–350 calories supports growth while limiting fat gain.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
Equations like Mifflin-St Jeor are estimates, typically accurate within about 10%. Use your result as a starting point: track your weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust if the scale isn't moving as expected.
Should I eat back the calories I burn from exercise?
No — your activity level already factors exercise into your TDEE. Eating those calories back usually double-counts them and stalls fat loss.
Why is protein set so high?
Higher protein preserves muscle in a deficit, keeps you fuller, and has a higher thermic effect. Around 1.6–2.2 g per kg of bodyweight is well supported by research for active people.