Calculating your TDEE (maintenance calories) is straightforward once you know the TDEE formula and what each input means. This guide explains the method in plain language, walks through a manual calculation, and gives worked examples you can follow — then you can do it instantly with the TDEE Calculator.
What is TDEE?
The TDEE calculation tells you your TDEE (maintenance calories) from a few simple inputs. The figure you are solving for here is the TDEE (maintenance calories).
The TDEE formula
The core formula is:
TDEE (maintenance calories) = (10 × Weight + 6.25 × Height - 5 × Age + Sex) × Activity levelHere is what each input means:
- Weight — a value measured in kg. Example: 70 kg.
- Height — a value measured in cm. Example: 170 cm.
- Age — a value measured in years. Example: 30 years.
- Sex — one of: Male, Female. Example: Male.
- Activity level — one of: Sedentary (little exercise), Light (1–3 days/week), Moderate (3–5 days/week), Active (6–7 days/week), Very active (hard daily). Example: Moderate (3–5 days/week).
How to calculate it step by step
- Write down the weight (for example, 70 kg).
- Write down the height (for example, 170 cm).
- Write down the age (for example, 30 years).
- Choose the sex (for example, Male).
- Choose the activity level (for example, Moderate (3–5 days/week)).
- Apply the formula above to get your TDEE (maintenance calories).
- Double-check the result with the TDEE Calculator.
Worked examples
Example 1
| Input / Output | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 70 kg |
| Height | 170 cm |
| Age | 30 years |
| Sex | Male |
| Activity level | Moderate (3–5 days/week) |
| TDEE (maintenance calories) | 2,507 |
| BMR (resting calories) | 1,618 |
With weight of 70 kg, height of 170 cm, age of 30 years and sex of Male, the TDEE (maintenance calories) works out to 2,507.
Example 2
With weight of 140 kg, height of 170 cm, age of 30 years and sex of Male, the TDEE (maintenance calories) works out to 3,592.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| TDEE (maintenance calories) | 3,592 |
| BMR (resting calories) | 2,318 |
Example 3
With weight of 35 kg, height of 170 cm, age of 30 years and sex of Male, the TDEE (maintenance calories) works out to 1,965.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| TDEE (maintenance calories) | 1,965 |
| BMR (resting calories) | 1,268 |
Tips for an accurate result
- Keep your units consistent — mixing, say, months with years or grams with kilograms is the most common source of error.
- Round only at the very end. Rounding inputs early can shift the final answer noticeably.
- Re-run the numbers whenever an input changes, rather than estimating from an old result.
- These figures are general estimates, not medical advice — check with a qualified professional before acting on them.
Prefer not to do the maths by hand? — the TDEE Calculator does it instantly, for free, with the formula and a worked example built in.
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