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Easy TDEE Calculator

/ 2 min read

A pound of flesh is about 3,500 calories. If you track the calories you eat over a given period of time and know how much weight you’ve lost or gained over that period of time, you can come to a relatively accurate estimate of how many calories you’re burning on a daily basis. The technical term for that value is your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE.

The formula to calculate your TDEE based on weight change is:

TDEE=Total Calories Consumed(Weight Change in lbs×3500)Number of Days\text{TDEE} = \frac{\text{Total Calories Consumed} - (\text{Weight Change in lbs} \times 3500)}{\text{Number of Days}}

Here’s a calculator:

In I pounds.
During that time I calories per day.

Your estimated TDEE is: -- calories per day

When someone tells you to eat $X$ calories to lose $Y$ pounds per week, what they’re doing is essentially:

Calories per Day=TDEE(Desired Weekly Weight Loss in lbs×35007)\text{Calories per Day} = \text{TDEE} - (\text{Desired Weekly Weight Loss in lbs} \times \frac{3500}{7})

Notes

The calculator will automatically update your estimated TDEE based on your inputs. For the most accurate results:

  • The calculator is in good ole American pounds 🇺🇸
    but I am very confident that you can handle the conversion if you need to
  • Tracking your calories and weight for at least 2-3 weeks will make this more accuate. Things like water weight fluctuations can affect short-term results.
  • Be consistent with your weigh-ins (same time of day, same conditions). Every morning before getting dressed is a great time.
  • Be as accurate as possible with your calorie tracking. It probably goes without saying, but the more accurate you are with tracking, the more accurate the calculators results.