TDEE Calculator — Toolbox — LifeLedgerX
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TDEE Calculator

Total Daily Energy Expenditure — how many calories your body actually burns each day. The number that governs weight management.

NutritionMovement

Your energy inputs

Your BMRkcal/day
Activity Level
Sedentary — little to no regular movement
Lightly Active — light movement a few days per week
Moderately Active — moderate movement most days
Very Active — intense movement or physical job
Extra Active — very intense daily movement or highly physical job

Don't know your BMR? Use the BMR Calculator first

What this means

What to consider

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Medications that may affect your result

Thyroid medications (levothyroxine, liothyronine) directly affect your BMR — the largest component of TDEE. Hypothyroidism slows metabolic rate; treatment restores it. If your dose has recently changed, your TDEE may be shifting.

Beta-blockers (metoprolol, atenolol, propranolol) reduce heart rate and can lower exercise capacity. This may reduce the exercise component of your TDEE, though the overall impact is modest since exercise is already the smallest slice.

Your baseline may differ from the general population. Discuss with your healthcare provider.

About this tool

Formula

TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier. Multipliers: Sedentary 1.2, Lightly Active 1.375, Moderately Active 1.55, Very Active 1.725, Extra Active 1.9. Based on the Harris-Benedict activity factors widely used in clinical and sports nutrition.

Component Breakdown

The stacked bar shows estimated TDEE composition: BMR (~60–70%), TEF (~10%), NEAT (~15–20%), Exercise (~5–10%). These are population averages — individual variation is significant, particularly in NEAT.

Limitations

Activity multipliers are broad averages — individual variation is significant. Less accurate for people with metabolic conditions affecting energy expenditure (thyroid disorders, PCOS, lipodystrophy). Activity descriptions are written to be movement-inclusive — not exercise-centric. People who use wheelchairs, manage chronic fatigue, or are in rehabilitation can select the tier that best matches their daily energy output.

Sources

Harris-Benedict activity factors. Levine JA, Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2002. Westerterp KR, Diet-induced thermogenesis, Nutrition & Metabolism, 2004.

Educational tool only. Not for diagnostic purposes. Consult a healthcare provider for medical decisions.