TDEE calculator

Find out how many calories your body actually uses in a day, then see the deficit I would coach you with.

Find my TDEE ✦

Already know your numbers? Go straight to the meal plans

Your daily calorie target How you eat Anything to avoid See my plan · $37 →

So what is a TDEE?

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TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure, which is a fancy way of saying how many calories your body burns in a normal day. It is made up of three things:

Just being youbreathing, your heart, your brain (your BMR)

Digestingbreaking down the food you eat

Movingworkouts, walks, chasing kids, all of it

If you eat right at your TDEE, your weight holds steady, which is why it is also called your maintenance. Eat a little under it and that is a deficit, and that is how weight loss happens. The trick is keeping that deficit small enough that you can actually live with it.

We will find yours below, and then I will give you the deficit numbers I coach with and recommend, so you can see what a healthy, sustainable deficit looks like for you.

Sex (the formula uses it)

Age

Weight (lb)

Height

How active is a normal week?

Not sure? Pick the lower one. Most of us guess higher than we really move.

Goal weight (lb, optional, sets your protein)

How do you eat? (pick one)

Anything to avoid? (pick any)

These are preferences, not safe for celiac or a food allergy.

0your TDEE: the calories you burn in a normal day

0gdaily protein

0 ozdaily water (half your body weight in oz)

The deficit numbers I coach with

Here is your TDEE turned into the numbers I actually use with clients. Your meal plan below is built on the highlighted one.

What this could look like over time

An estimate. The line flattens because your maintenance drops a little as you lose. Real weigh-ins bounce around with water, salt, sleep and your cycle, so look at the trend over a few weeks.

your simple day

Eat this, on repeat.

Same meals every day is totally fine. Fewer decisions, and the math is already done.

easy swaps (about the same)

Waffles ⇄ Greek yogurt bowl with berries and a little granola
Salmon ⇄ 4 oz chicken or shrimp
Rice ⇄ protein pasta (I like Hero)
Protein shake ⇄ a Greek yogurt cup and a piece of fruit

Want this built around your real life?

In coaching we use your actual week of eating and adjust from there, with a coach and me in your corner.

Apply for coaching →

These are estimates using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, and food numbers are approximate. This isn't medical advice. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing a health condition, please check with your doctor first.