• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
X
  • Start Here
    • Transform Your Body
    • Weightlift for weight loss
    • How to lose 20 pounds in 3 months
    • Clean Eating for Beginners
    • The Obesity Code summary
  • Workouts
    • Strength Training for Men Over 50
    • 5×5 Workout for Over 50
    • Calisthenics Workout Plan for Beginners
    • Bodybuilding over 50 workout routine + PDF
    • The Best at Home Dumbbell Workout
    • 3×5 workout program
  • Exercises
    • Deadlifts
      • Deadlift muscles worked
      • Benefits of deadlifts
    • Squats
      • Squat muscles worked
      • Benefits of squats
    • Bench Press
      • Bench Press Muscles & Benefits
    • Chin-Ups / Pull-Ups
      • Pull Ups benefits, muscles worked
      • Neutral grip pull-ups muscles worked
    • Push-ups
      • Pushup muscles worked
      • Benefits of pushups
      • Exercises to Improve Pushups
  • Body Transformation
    • Getting Fit at 50 before and after photos
    • How deadlifts change your body
    • 12-week body transformation plan
    • Swimming body transformation
    • How Rucking Changes Your Body
  • Equipment
    • Weightlifting
      • Elbow Sleeves
      • Knee Sleeves
      • Gifts for Weightlifters
      • Bumper Plates
      • Dumbbells
      • Weight Benches
      • Cable Machines
      • Best shoes for squats & deadlifts
      • Deadlift bars
      • Best lifting straps
    • Calisthenics
      • Weighted Vests
      • Resistance Bands
      • Power Towers
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein Powders
      • Supplements for Men Over 50
      • Multivitamins for Men Over 50
      • Best Budget Probiotics
    • Cardio
      • Best Air Bikes
      • Rowing Machines Under 500
      • Walking Shoes for Men
      • Compact Treadmills
      • Treadmills for a Heavy Person
      • Recumbent Bikes
      • Budget Ellipticals

Hashi Mashi

Fitness Tips for Your Mind and Body

  • Start Here
    • Transform Your Body
    • Weightlift for weight loss
    • How to lose 20 pounds in 3 months
    • Clean Eating for Beginners
    • The Obesity Code summary
  • Workouts
    • Strength Training for Men Over 50
    • 5×5 Workout for Over 50
    • Calisthenics Workout Plan for Beginners
    • Bodybuilding over 50 workout routine + PDF
    • The Best at Home Dumbbell Workout
    • 3×5 workout program
  • Exercises
    • Deadlifts
      • Deadlift muscles worked
      • Benefits of deadlifts
    • Squats
      • Squat muscles worked
      • Benefits of squats
    • Bench Press
      • Bench Press Muscles & Benefits
    • Chin-Ups / Pull-Ups
      • Pull Ups benefits, muscles worked
      • Neutral grip pull-ups muscles worked
    • Push-ups
      • Pushup muscles worked
      • Benefits of pushups
      • Exercises to Improve Pushups
  • Body Transformation
    • Getting Fit at 50 before and after photos
    • How deadlifts change your body
    • 12-week body transformation plan
    • Swimming body transformation
    • How Rucking Changes Your Body
  • Equipment
    • Weightlifting
      • Elbow Sleeves
      • Knee Sleeves
      • Gifts for Weightlifters
      • Bumper Plates
      • Dumbbells
      • Weight Benches
      • Cable Machines
      • Best shoes for squats & deadlifts
      • Deadlift bars
      • Best lifting straps
    • Calisthenics
      • Weighted Vests
      • Resistance Bands
      • Power Towers
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein Powders
      • Supplements for Men Over 50
      • Multivitamins for Men Over 50
      • Best Budget Probiotics
    • Cardio
      • Best Air Bikes
      • Rowing Machines Under 500
      • Walking Shoes for Men
      • Compact Treadmills
      • Treadmills for a Heavy Person
      • Recumbent Bikes
      • Budget Ellipticals
Home » TDEE Calculator: Know Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure

TDEE Calculator: Know Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Last updated February 6, 2025 by Rich "Hashi Mashi" NASM-CPT

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Introduction to TDEE Calculator

Smart Weight Loss

You never want only to lose body weight.

You always want to burn fat.

By burning fat, you will change your body composition and the shape of your body.

If you only lose weight, and much of that weight is water weight or from muscle tissue, then you could be worse off than when you started.

Once you know your TDEE, you know the total calories your body needs to support your basic metabolism and your activity level, including exercise, lifestyle, and occupation.

Therefore, a construction worker will have a much higher TDEE than an office worker.

How do you best calculate your TDEE?

The Harris-Benedict Formula and the Mifflin-St Jeor Formula (sometimes referred to as the Mifflin Formula) are two widely accepted methods for calculating Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is a crucial component of determining Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

1. Harris-Benedict Formula (1919)

  • The original formula was developed early in the 20th century.
  • Revised in 1984 to reflect updated metabolic data.
  • It is still valid but considered less accurate than newer formulas like Mifflin-St Jeor for today’s populations.

2. Mifflin-St Jeor Formula (1990)

  • Developed as a more accurate replacement for Harris-Benedict.
  • It accounts for modern data on body composition and activity levels.
  • It is widely used today and considered more precise.

The Mifflin-St Jeor Formula is generally more accurate and widely recommended by experts, including:

  • American Dietetic Association
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

It’s preferred for calculating TDEE because:

  • It better reflects modern populations.
  • Research shows it predicts resting energy expenditure more accurately.

TDEE Calculator










Your Total Daily Caloric Need: 0 calories

Why you want to use your TDEE and not rely on your BMR

If you only use your BMR, you risk eating too little.

For example, if you are a 200-pound man whose BMR is 2000 calories, and you cut 500 calories daily to lose one pound a week.

You will eat too little if you are a 200-pound construction worker who needs 2500 calories a day.

Now, you are eating 1000 calories less than what you need, and your body cannot get sufficient fuel from the food you are eating.

You will not be a happy camper but rather a typical person suffering to lose weight through self-starvation.

Therefore, you want to use your TDEE as your baseline.

BMR and TDEE Calculator

The BMR is based on your height, weight, and gender.

And your TDEE is based on your BMR plus your activity level, for example, whether you are lightly active or moderately active on a daily basis.

Once you know your TDEE, you can easily devise a meal plan of the real foods (as opposed to processed foods) you like which will result in weight loss.

For example, if your body needs 2000 calories on a daily basis, and you reduce your calorie intake by 200 a day, which can be one slice of bread, your body needs to draw on your fat stores because you created a caloric deficit of 200 calories.

If you decide to walk 2 miles a day and burn an additional 200 calories, you will preferably achieve the same caloric deficit of 200 calories without reducing the amount of food you eat.

Burning off your fat while keeping your meal plan the same is the best way to lose weight and change your body composition.

Add a simple 30-minute walk to your routine, and over time, you will burn off the fat.

Do you think a simple walk to lose 20 pounds is a far-fetched idea?

Pat Brocco is a perfect example.

Pat was a 605-pound man who finally decided to take action to lose weight.

What did he do?

Before every meal, he walked to his local Walmart and back, for a mile each way, a total of 2 miles.

So he walked a 6 miles daily instead of sitting on the couch.

As you will find out, once you start burning calories through movement, you do not want to load up on junk food.

Starving yourself of food is never the solution.

The best solution for easy weight loss is to start moving, and there is nothing simpler than walking.

Back to the former ‘Fat Pat’.

Within two years, Fat Pat lost 200 pounds.

He lost two hundred pounds from walking.

Most likely, you do not need to lose 200 pounds, but if you do, fear not.

Just get up, start walking, and change the type of food you eat from processed to real.

 
tdee calculator is not as good as walking more image credit Delish

TDEE is not better than walking – Just ask Possible Pat Brocco – Image Credit Delish.com

TDEE Calculator – Final Thoughts

What is a TDEE Calculator?

It is an effective tool to help you lose weight or gain muscle mass.

To sum up, TDEE estimates your average Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

Once you know your TDEE, all you have to do is reduce or increase your calories by ten percent and then measure your progress with a body composition scale.

What’s Next

Of course, you do not need to know your TDEE to achieve your ideal weight, but it is useful, especially when you want to add muscle mass.

Therefore, if you need to lose 20 pounds or more, use this free guide to help you lose weight even without knowing your TDEE:

  • How to Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months Using 5 Simple Steps

Top 10 Related Posts:

  • Lean Bulk Macros Guide: How to Build Muscle Without Getting Fat
  • 1 Rep Max Deadlift Calculator + Squat, Bench in 5 Easy Steps
  • How Many Calories Does a 30-Minute Walk Burn – Fit Apprentice
  • (Opens in a new browser tab)Calories Burned Squats Calculator in 3 Easy Steps(Opens in a new browser tab)(Opens in a new browser tab)(Opens in a new browser tab)

See recommended body composition scales for more fitness gear options.

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Filed Under: Diet and Weight Loss

About The Author

Rich Hashimashi AuthorRich "Hashi Mashi" is a NASM-CPT, CNC and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. At 55, he lost 75 pounds in 6 months, and discovered if you change your body, you can change your life. Ready to reignite your fitness? Start Your Body Transformation Journey Here.

Get Your FREE Body Transformation Guide

Primary Sidebar

Body Transformation Guides

  • Body Transformation: the Ultimate Guide
  • Strength Training for Men Over 50 + Workout
  • Minimalist Training Home Workout Guide
  • 8-Week Bodybuilding Over 50 Routine + PDF
  • 12-Week Body Transformation Workout Plan

Recent Posts

  • Best Shoes for Squats and Deadlifts: Top 7 for 2025
  • Best Weighted Vests for Fitness Workouts in 2025
  • 5 Best Deadlift Shoes On The Market In 2025
  • 5 Best Deadlift Shin Guards on the Market in 2025
  • The 5 Best Budget Power Racks for Home Workouts

Footer

Change Your Body

Recent Posts

  • Best Shoes for Squats and Deadlifts: Top 7 for 2025
  • Best Weighted Vests for Fitness Workouts in 2025
  • 5 Best Deadlift Shoes On The Market In 2025
  • 5 Best Deadlift Shin Guards on the Market in 2025
  • The 5 Best Budget Power Racks for Home Workouts
  • 5 Best Budget Recumbent Exercise Bikes for Home in 2025
  • 26 Best Gifts for Weightlifters in 2025
  • 6 Best Minimalist Training Shoes for Lifting and Running in 2025
  • 8 Best Walking Shoes for Overweight Men in 2025
  • Why Use Deadlift Slippers + The 10 Best In 2025

Change Your Life

Change Your Life

  • Body Transformation
  • Clean Eating
  • Diet and Weight Loss
  • Equipment
  • Exercises
  • Motivation
  • NASM Certification
  • Pushups
  • Squats
  • Workouts

Follow Hashi Mashi

Pinterest   Facebook

The Fit Apprentice® is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Never Give Up

Remember when you were
in shape back in the day?

Do you think that transforming your
physique is a pipe dream?

You are in the right place if you want
to learn how to get fit, change your
body, and change your life.

But do not know where to start.

Here is how...
Start Here
  • About
  • Privacy policy
  • Affiliate link disclosure
  • Terms of use
  • Contact

Hashimashi.com's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.



Copyright © 2012–2025 The Fit Apprentice® Blog powered by hashimashi.com - Hosted on BigScoots
DMCA.com Protection Status