UNDERSTAND THE METHOD
What this calculator estimates
Total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE, is the energy your body uses across a day. This tool uses the 2023 adult DRI estimated energy requirement (EER) equations. EER predicts maintenance energy from age, height, weight, the source equation category, and activity. It is a population estimate, not a direct measurement of your daily burn. No extra activity multiplier is applied.
Choose an activity assumption
Select the category that best describes your usual week, including work, travel, exercise, and time spent sitting. A hard workout does not describe every hour of the day. If two categories seem plausible, compare both. Keep the category name with the result. Do not add exercise calories to the result unless the method explicitly leaves exercise out; many energy models already include activity.
Read the model limits
Prediction error comes from the model as well as uncertain inputs. The 2023 National Academies energy report used doubly labeled water data and found standard errors of predicted expenditure that varied by age and sex group. The report describes uncertainty for an individual. The displayed estimate should therefore be a starting point for observation, not a claim about an exact daily requirement.
Use the next tool only for your next question
If you want to see how a chosen change in energy intake alters arithmetic, open the deficit scenario with this estimate attached. If you only want to compare maintenance assumptions, stay here. Save the model, activity category, date, and input values with any result. If your routine changes, calculate a new scenario rather than editing an old record without a trace.
Common questions
Is TDEE the same as resting metabolic rate?
No. Resting energy use is one part of total daily energy expenditure.
Which activity category is correct?
Use your usual whole week. Compare nearby categories if your routine does not fit one label.
Does the result prove my maintenance intake?
No. It is a model estimate. Repeated observations can help you assess whether the assumption fits.
Sources & limitations
Sources checked September 12, 2026. These notes explain published methods. They have not received an independent clinical review.
- Health Canada lists the 2023 adult EER equations used by this calculator.canada.ca
- TDEE includes basal energy use, food processing, and physical activity; weight-stable adult TDEE approximates estimated energy requirement.nationalacademies.org
- The 2023 prediction equations used doubly labeled water data and reported varying individual prediction error.nationalacademies.org
- The report lists populations and conditions for which general equations need modification or another method.nationalacademies.org