How to Calculate TDEE: A Step-by-Step Guide

Updated 5 Oct 2026 in Health & Fitness

Estimates total daily energy expenditure.

Health numbers are most useful when you track them consistently. A quick calculation turns everyday measurements into something you can act on, whether that is planning meals, training for a run or preparing for a clinic visit.

What you need

• Sex
• Weight (kg)
• Height (cm)
• Age
• Activity level

Step by step

1. Enter the sex.
2. Enter the weight (kg).
3. Enter the height (cm).
4. Enter the age.
5. Enter the activity level.
6. The results update as you type, or press Calculate.
7. Read the daily calories to maintain weight first, then the supporting figures below it.

The formula

TDEE = BMR × activity factor.

Worked example

For example, with these inputs:

• Sex: Male
• Weight (kg): 65
• Height (cm): 168
• Age: 35
• Activity level: Light (1–3 days/week)

the calculator returns:

• Daily calories to maintain weight: 2,104 kcal

A second example

Now change the inputs to:

• Sex: Male
• Weight (kg): 81.25
• Height (cm): 168
• Age: 35
• Activity level: Light (1–3 days/week)

the calculator returns:

• Daily calories to maintain weight: 2,327 kcal

Practical tips

• Healthy 365 and wearables give useful data, but treat their calorie figures as approximate.
• Measure at the same time of day, ideally in the morning, for consistent readings.
• Asian BMI cut-offs are lower than WHO's, so a 'normal' international BMI can still mean moderate risk.
• Singapore's heat and humidity raise fluid needs, especially when exercising outdoors.

Background

Simple measurements such as weight, height and waist circumference are widely used to screen for health risks because they are cheap and easy to repeat. They are not diagnoses, but tracked over time they show whether lifestyle changes are working.

Programmes such as the National Steps Challenge and the Healthy 365 app have made tracking activity common. Turning those numbers into distance, pace or calories helps set realistic goals for events like IPPT or a 10 km run.

Singapore's tropical climate means you lose more fluid through sweat, even when you are not exercising. Thirst, urine colour and how you feel are good guides, and needs rise during outdoor activity or heat waves.

Related calculations

• Calories Burned Calculator: Estimates calories burned with MET values.
• BMI Calculator (Asian Cut-offs): Singapore's Health Promotion Board uses lower BMI cut-offs for Asians because health risks rise at lower BMIs.
• BMI Calculator (WHO): Calculates BMI with the international WHO categories.
• BMR Calculator: Estimates calories your body burns at rest.

Want to skip the arithmetic? The free TDEE Calculator does all of this instantly and updates as you type.

Run your own numbers: TDEE Calculator