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Your calories a day.
TDEE calculator: your total daily energy expenditure
By the NexLife Medical Team · Medically reviewed by Adam Kennah, MD · Updated
TDEE is the calories you burn in a day: BMR × 1.2 to 1.9. For a moderately active woman of 40, 5 ft 7 in and 200 lb, that’s 2,495 calories.
- 1.2 to 1.9: the five activity factors, sedentary to very active
- 500 a day less for about 1 lb a week, a simplification
- The floor: about 1,200 calories a day for women, 1,800 for men
Your TDEE, at a glance
- Formula
- BMR × activity factor, from 1.2 to 1.9
- Example
- 2,495 a day: woman, 40, 5 ft 7 in, 200 lb, moderate
- To lose about 1 lb a week
- 500 a day less; a simplification, as loss slows
- The floor
- About 1,200 a day for women, 1,800 for men
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Key takeaways
- TDEE is what you burn in a day. It’s your BMR times an activity factor, and it’s your maintenance calories.
- Five factors: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 active, 1.9 very active. They’re conventional estimates.
- An example: a moderately active woman of 40, 5 ft 7 in and 200 lb burns about 2,495 calories a day.
- To lose weight, eat under it. The calculator’s rule: 500 a day less for about 1 lb a week, 1,000 for about 2.
- It can run high. Each level up adds about 280 calories a day in our example, and TDEE falls as you lose.
- On a GLP-1, mind the floor. Below about 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,800 for men, nutrient needs get hard to meet.
Free calculator
What is your TDEE?
Enter your sex, age, height, weight and activity. You’ll see your TDEE and the calories a day to lose about 1 or 2 lb a week.
An estimate, not a measurement: the activity factors are conventional, the formula can’t see muscle, and real weight loss is usually slower than the 500-calorie rule. If a target falls below about 1,200 calories a day (women) or 1,800 (men), it says so.
The formula
What is TDEE?
Your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE, is the calories you burn in a day, which makes it your maintenance calories: eat about that much and your weight holds steady.
| Part | Formula |
|---|---|
| BMR, women | 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161 |
| BMR, men | 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5 |
| TDEE | BMR × activity factor: 1.2, 1.375, 1.55, 1.725 or 1.9 |
The BMR part is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation from 1990. The National Cancer Institute’s ADOPT toolkit lists the same kind of estimate for total energy expenditure: the Mifflin-St Jeor equation with a physical activity level. The activity factors themselves are conventional estimates, not measurements.
Worked example: a woman of 40, 5 ft 7 in and 200 lb has a BMR of 1,609.8. She exercises 3 to 5 days a week (moderate), so her TDEE is 1,609.8 × 1.55 = 2,495 calories a day.
Step by step
How do you calculate your TDEE?
Five steps from your BMR to your daily calories, worked for one example: a woman of 40, 5 ft 7 in and 200 lb.
- Work out your BMR. Use Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age, then +5 for men or −161 for women. Our example’s BMR is 1,609.8 calories a day.
- Pick your activity level. Go by a usual week, not your best one. She exercises 3 to 5 days a week, so she’s moderate: a factor of 1.55.
- Multiply the two. 1,609.8 × 1.55 = 2,495 calories a day. That’s her TDEE, the calories that keep her weight steady.
- Subtract for weight loss. The calculator takes off 500 a day for about 1 lb a week, or 1,000 for about 2: 1,995 or 1,495 for her. Both rest on a simplification.
- Check the floor, then recheck. Below about 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,800 for men, nutrient needs get hard to meet; ask your provider first. Recalculate as your weight changes.
Activity levels
What are the activity multipliers for TDEE?
Five conventional factors: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 active and 1.9 very active.
| Activity level | What it means | Factor | Woman | Man |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Little or no exercise | 1.2 | 1,932 | 2,131 |
| Light | Exercise 1 to 3 days a week | 1.375 | 2,213 | 2,442 |
| Moderate | 3 to 5 days a week | 1.55 | 2,495 | 2,753 |
| Active | 6 or 7 days a week | 1.725 | 2,777 | 3,063 |
| Very active | Hard daily exercise or a physical job | 1.9 | 3,059 | 3,374 |
Calories a day. Both examples are 40, 5 ft 7 in and 200 lb, with BMRs of 1,609.8 (woman) and 1,775.8 (man). Totals are worked from those unrounded numbers, as the calculator does.
Each level up adds 0.175 times your BMR: about 280 calories a day for the woman and 310 for the man. So the level you pick matters.
If you’re between two levels, the lower one is less likely to overstate what you burn.
For weight loss
How do you use your TDEE to lose weight?
Eat less than your TDEE: the calculator shows 500 calories a day under it for about 1 lb a week, and 1,000 under for about 2.
Those paces come from the common rule of about 3,500 calories a pound. For our moderately active example woman, that means 1,995 calories a day for about 1 lb a week, or 1,495 for about 2.
Mind the floor
Below about 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,800 for men, nutrient needs get hard to meet, a 2025 joint advisory says. If our example woman were sedentary, 1,000 under her TDEE would be 932 a day, so the calculator warns her. For a man her size and age at moderate activity, 1,000 under is 1,753, below his 1,800.
Expect it to slow
Real loss is usually slower than the simple math. A 2011 Lancet analysis by Hall and colleagues found the 3,500-calorie rule “ignores dynamic physiological adaptations to altered body weight,” and that a lasting change in what you eat takes about a year to bring half of its eventual effect. Your TDEE also falls as you lose: 20 lb lighter, our example’s moderate TDEE drops from 2,495 to 2,355.
For a pace and a goal date, use the calorie deficit calculator; for a calorie plan to a goal weight, the NIH’s Body Weight Planner.
Accuracy
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
It’s an estimate with two moving parts: the BMR formula underneath and the activity factor you pick.
The BMR part
A 2005 systematic review found Mifflin-St Jeor predicted resting metabolic rate within 10% of measured in more people, with and without obesity, than any other equation tested. Even 10% counts: at moderate activity, a 10% miss on our example’s BMR moves her TDEE by about 250 calories a day.
The activity part
The factors are conventional estimates, and the levels are broad: light, moderate and active count days of exercise a week, not how long or how hard you go.
Why it can run high
Two ways. Pick a level above your usual week and you add about 280 calories a day per level in our example. And a TDEE worked out at your starting weight runs high once you’ve lost weight, because TDEE falls as you lose.
The real test is your scale: if your weight holds steady over several weeks at a given intake, that intake is close to your TDEE.
On a
How do you use your TDEE on a GLP-1?
As your baseline: TDEE is what you burn, not what you eat, so eating less on a
- What lowers it is weight loss. Recalculate as your weight changes, so your targets keep up.
- Watch the floor. Below about 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,800 for men, nutrient needs get hard to meet. Ask your provider before you go that low.
- Put protein first. The 2025 joint advisory’s practical target is 80 to 120 g a day. If you feel full fast, eat the protein on your plate first.
- Keep moving. Strength training helps protect muscle while you lose; the advisory says protein alone likely isn’t enough.
- Your provider decides your dose. Calorie numbers don’t set it. Every NexLife plan includes a personalized nutrition plan and a 1:1 coaching call.
Your next numbers:
BMR calculator
Your calories at rest, with the formula worked by hand.
Calorie deficit calculator
How much to eat for a steady pace, and about when you’d reach your goal.
Protein calculator
Grams a day and per meal, including for weight loss on a
GLP-1 .
In their words
What do researchers, the NIH and Zepbound’s label say about TDEE?
Four primary sources behind this page, in their own words.
The BMR inside every TDEE here comes from one 1990 equation. For women, Mifflin and colleagues wrote it as:
“REE (females) = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) - 161”
Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al., A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals, Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51:241-247 (abstract)
How much can you trust that starting number? A 2005 systematic review of the equations found:
“The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is more likely than the other equations tested to estimate RMR to within 10% of that measured”
Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C, Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review, J Am Diet Assoc 2005 (abstract)
A TDEE is a snapshot at today’s weight. To plan calories toward a goal weight by a date, the NIH offers a planner:
“The Body Weight Planner allows users to make personalized calorie and physical activity plans”
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH), About the Body Weight Planner
Zepbound doesn’t replace the calorie math. Its label says:
“Administer ZEPBOUND in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.”
Eli Lilly and Company, Zepbound (tirzepatide) prescribing information, revised August 2026
Vial math
How many units is your tirzepatide or semaglutide dose?
On a compounded vial, the units depend on its strength. Here are the label doses at example strengths, with the math to check your own.
Tirzepatide
| Dose | mL at 25 mg/mL | Units (U-100) | On the label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 0.1 mL | 10 units | Starting dose, for 4 weeks |
| 5 mg | 0.2 mL | 20 units | A maintenance dose |
| 7.5 mg | 0.3 mL | 30 units | A step up |
| 10 mg | 0.4 mL | 40 units | A maintenance dose |
| 12.5 mg | 0.5 mL | 50 units | A step up |
| 15 mg | 0.6 mL | 60 units | The maximum, and a maintenance dose |
The math: mL = dose ÷ strength (mg per mL), and units = mL × 100. At 25 mg/mL, 10 mg is 10 ÷ 25 = 0.4 mL, or 40 units.
Semaglutide
| Weeks | Weekly dose | At 2.5 mg/mL | At 5 mg/mL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 0.25 mg | 0.1 mL (10 units) | 0.05 mL (5 units) |
| 5 to 8 | 0.5 mg | 0.2 mL (20 units) | 0.1 mL (10 units) |
| 9 to 12 | 1 mg | 0.4 mL (40 units) | 0.2 mL (20 units) |
| 13 to 16 | 1.7 mg | 0.68 mL (68 units) | 0.34 mL (34 units) |
| 17 onward | 2.4 mg | 0.96 mL (96 units) | 0.48 mL (48 units) |
The math: mL = dose ÷ strength (mg per mL); units = mL × 100. At 2.5 mg/mL, 1 mg is 1 ÷ 2.5 = 0.4 mL, or 40 units. At 5 mg/mL, the same 1 mg is 0.2 mL, or 20 units.
25 mg per mL is an example only: it’s the strength of the 15 mg multi-dose vial on Zepbound’s label (15 mg per 0.6 mL). Read the strength on your own vial’s label; your provider sets your dose, in steps at least 4 weeks apart. Every step: the tirzepatide dosage chart. Both strengths are examples only. The same dose is a different number of units at a different strength, so read the strength on your own vial’s label. Your prescription sets your dose and schedule, which may differ from these label steps. Every step: the semaglutide dosage chart.
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Tirzepatide
Weekly and dual-action. Care, coaching and shipping included. On a 12-month plan; $169/mo month to month.
Check my eligibilityCompounded, not FDA-approved · Not prescribed? No charge for medication
12-month plan $119/mo
Semaglutide
Weekly
Compounded, not FDA-approved · Not prescribed? No charge for medication
Compounded, not FDA-approved. A licensed provider prescribes it only when it offers a significant difference for you. Vials shown are illustrations. Always use the strength on your pharmacy’s label. Every plan and price · Price Match Guarantee† terms
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TDEE questions
Fair questions about NexLife
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- No. You pay the same at every dose.
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What is TDEE?
TDEE, total daily energy expenditure, is the calories you burn in a day: your resting burn (BMR) times an activity factor. It’s also your maintenance calories. A woman of 40, 5 ft 7 in and 200 lb who exercises 3 to 5 days a week burns about 2,495 calories a day.
How do you calculate TDEE?
Work out your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiply it by your activity factor: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 active or 1.9 very active. For a woman of 40, 5 ft 7 in and 200 lb, that’s 1,609.8 × 1.55 = 2,495 calories a day at moderate activity.
What activity level should I choose for TDEE?
The one that matches a usual week: sedentary for little or no exercise, light for 1 to 3 days a week, moderate for 3 to 5, active for 6 or 7, and very active for hard daily exercise or a physical job. Between two levels? The lower one is less likely to overstate what you burn.
Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?
Yes. TDEE is the calories you burn in a day, so eating that many keeps your weight about steady; that’s what maintenance calories means. A calculator’s TDEE is an estimate, so the real test is your scale: if your weight holds steady over several weeks at an intake, that’s close to your true maintenance.
How far below my TDEE should I eat to lose weight?
The calculator shows 500 calories a day under your TDEE for about 1 lb a week and 1,000 under for about 2, using the 3,500-calories-a-pound rule. It’s a simplification: real loss slows as you lose. Below about 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,800 for men, nutrient needs get hard to meet.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
It’s an estimate. The BMR underneath, from Mifflin-St Jeor, came within 10% of measured in more people than any other equation in a 2005 review, yet a 10% miss on a 1,610 BMR moves TDEE by about 250 calories a day at moderate activity. The activity factors are conventional estimates, and your TDEE falls as you lose weight.
Why am I not losing weight eating under my TDEE?
Your TDEE estimate may be too high: the activity level may overstate your usual week, the formula can miss by 10% or more, and your TDEE falls as you lose. The body adapts too, so loss slows over time. Track your weight over several weeks, recalculate, and talk with your provider if nothing changes.
How do you use a TDEE calculator on a GLP-1 ?
The same way: enter your current weight and activity, and recalculate as your weight changes. The number comes from your body and activity, not from what you eat, so eating less widens the gap below it. Watch the floor: below about 1,200 calories a day (women) or 1,800 (men), nutrient needs get hard to meet.
Does NexLife help with calories and nutrition?
Yes. Every plan includes a personalized nutrition plan and a 1:1 coaching call. Compounded tirzepatide is $139 a month on the 12-month plan, or $169 month to month; compounded semaglutide is $119 on the 12-month plan or $139 month to month. Questions come to NexLife 24/7.
Important safety information
Compounded tirzepatide and semaglutide are not FDA-approved, and the FDA hasn’t reviewed them for safety, effectiveness or quality. A provider prescribes them only when they offer a significant difference for you compared with an FDA-approved product. Both medicines may cause thyroid tumors, including cancer: don’t use either if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
Read the full safety information
In studies with rodents, both medicines caused thyroid tumors; it isn’t known whether they cause them in people. Tell your provider if you notice a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath. Serious side effects can include inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), gallbladder problems, low blood sugar (especially with insulin or sulfonylureas), kidney problems from dehydration, severe stomach problems, serious allergic reactions, vision changes in people with type 2 diabetes, and a faster heart rate. Tell your care team before any surgery or procedure that uses anesthesia or deep sedation. Don’t combine either medicine with other
Tirzepatide can make birth control pills less effective: switch to a non-oral method, or add a barrier method such as condoms, for 4 weeks after you start and for 4 weeks after each dose increase. Both medicines may harm an unborn baby. Semaglutide should be stopped at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy. Tell your provider right away if you’re pregnant, planning to be, or breastfeeding.
This is a summary, not the complete safety information. Read the full Prescribing Information for FDA-approved tirzepatide (Zepbound) and semaglutide (Wegovy), and talk with your provider. You can report side effects to the FDA at
† NexLife Price Match Guarantee: for new NexLife members switching from a licensed U.S. telehealth provider or clinic with an active prescription for compounded tirzepatide or semaglutide. We match your regular all-in monthly price there (medication plus any required membership, program or visit fee, on a month-to-month plan); first-month offers, coupons, referral credits and prepaid multi-month rates aren’t matched. Proof from the last 60 days required. A licensed provider must determine that treatment is right for you. Not open to people with Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE coverage. Full terms.
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Who wrote and checked this page
Leads the NexLife Medical Team, which writes and medically reviews NexLife’s guides, including this one.
Checked the formula against Mifflin and colleagues (1990) and the National Cancer Institute’s ADOPT toolkit, the weight-loss notes against Hall (2011) and the 2025 joint advisory, and every example against the calculator’s own math.
- Every fact, sourced. Each price and rule links to the page it comes from.
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Your calories, plus a plan.
Compounded tirzepatide is $139 a month on the 12-month plan or $169 month to month, and semaglutide $119 or $139 on the same plans, with a personalized nutrition plan and a 1:1 coaching call included.
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Compounded medications aren’t FDA-approved. A provider prescribes one only when it offers a significant difference for you.
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Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-247.
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(5):775-789.
- National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. REE-Mifflin St.Jeor equation, Total EE, Physical Activity Level (PAL). ADOPT toolkit.
- Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, Chow CC, Wang YC, Gortmaker SL, Swinburn BA. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826-837.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH). Body Weight Planner.
- Mozaffarian D, Agarwal M, Aggarwal M, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association and The Obesity Society. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2025;33(8):1475-1503.
- Eli Lilly and Company. Zepbound (tirzepatide) prescribing information.
- Eli Lilly and Company, via Drugs@FDA. ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection, for subcutaneous use: prescribing information, revised 02/2026.
- Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) prescribing information.
- Novo Nordisk. Wegovy dosing schedule.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA’s concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA alerts health care providers, compounders and patients of dosing errors associated with compounded injectable semaglutide products.
- LegitScript. LegitScript certification record for NexLife.us.
- NexLife. Compounded tirzepatide plans.
- NexLife. Compounded semaglutide plans.
- Ro: weight loss program pricing. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Hims: Zepbound KwikPen. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Hims: Wegovy pill and pen, with membership. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Mochi Health: FAQs (membership and medication prices). Checked November 1, 2026.
- Embody: compounded tirzepatide, one-month supply. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Embody: compounded semaglutide, one-month supply. Checked November 1, 2026.