What is a good TDEE for your height and weight?
After calculating your TDEE, most people's first question is: is this number normal? Here is how to interpret your result, what typical ranges look like, and when a low or high TDEE is something worth addressing.
A typical TDEE ranges from 1,600 to 3,000+ kcal/day depending on body size and activity level. Most sedentary adults fall between 1,800–2,400 kcal. There is no single 'good' TDEE — what matters is knowing your number so you can set your calorie intake accurately relative to it.
Average TDEE by body type and activity
| Profile | Typical TDEE |
|---|---|
| Small woman, sedentary (55kg, 160cm) | 1,550–1,750 kcal |
| Average woman, sedentary (65kg, 165cm) | 1,700–1,950 kcal |
| Tall woman, sedentary (75kg, 175cm) | 1,900–2,150 kcal |
| Small man, sedentary (70kg, 170cm) | 1,900–2,150 kcal |
| Average man, sedentary (80kg, 178cm) | 2,100–2,400 kcal |
| Tall man, sedentary (90kg, 185cm) | 2,300–2,600 kcal |
Add 300–600 kcal for light activity, 600–900 kcal for moderate activity, and 900–1,400 kcal for very active lifestyles. An elite endurance athlete can have a TDEE above 4,000 kcal/day.
What makes a TDEE high or low?
Four variables drive the vast majority of TDEE variation:
- Body size — taller and heavier people burn more calories at rest. Weight has the strongest influence.
- Muscle mass — muscle is metabolically active tissue. A muscular person burns significantly more at rest than a person of the same weight with higher body fat.
- Age — BMR decreases roughly 1–2% per decade after 30, primarily due to muscle loss.
- Activity level — the activity multiplier (1.2 to 1.9) applied to your BMR is the most variable factor and the one most commonly misjudged.
The activity multiplier problem
Most people overestimate their activity level. "Moderately active" in the Mifflin-St Jeor framework means structured exercise 3–5 days per week — not walking to the car and having a standing desk. Research suggests the majority of people who think they are "moderately active" are closer to "lightly active" in practice.
If your TDEE seems high and you are not losing weight eating at what you think is a deficit, try dropping one activity level and recalculating. A sedentary multiplier of 1.2 vs a moderate multiplier of 1.55 can be a difference of 500+ kcal/day for an average-sized adult.
Is a low TDEE a problem?
A genuinely low TDEE — one that is much lower than expected for your body size and activity — can sometimes indicate thyroid issues, very low muscle mass, or the metabolic adaptation that comes from extended periods of under-eating. If your calculated TDEE is lower than 1,400 kcal as a woman or 1,600 kcal as a man at any meaningful activity level, it is worth discussing with a doctor.
More often, a "low" TDEE simply reflects a smaller frame, lower activity than estimated, or normal age-related metabolic change. It is not a disorder — it just means you have less calorie headroom to work with.
Can you increase your TDEE?
Yes, two ways:
- Build muscle — the most durable method. Resistance training over months and years meaningfully raises your resting metabolic rate. Muscle tissue burns roughly 13 kcal per kg per day at rest vs 4.5 kcal for fat.
- Increase activity — more movement raises your TDEE immediately. NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) — fidgeting, walking, taking the stairs — can account for 200–500 kcal/day difference between two people of otherwise identical stats.
Crash dieting has the opposite effect — it causes the body to reduce BMR as a survival adaptation, making long-term weight management harder. This is why a moderate deficit with adequate protein and resistance training produces better outcomes than severe restriction.