Calculate your daily calorie needs.

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It combines your basal metabolic rate (the energy you burn at rest) with the calories burned through daily activity, exercise, and digesting food. Knowing your TDEE gives you a realistic calorie target for losing, maintaining, or gaining weight.

To lose weight, you eat fewer calories than your TDEE. A deficit of roughly 500 calories per day is a common, sustainable starting point that supports gradual fat loss without extreme restriction. Pairing a modest deficit with adequate protein and regular movement helps preserve muscle while you lose fat. A licensed provider can help you set a safe target.

TDEE calculators give a solid estimate based on age, sex, height, weight, and activity level, but real-world energy expenditure varies day to day. Treat the number as a starting point: track your weight over 2–3 weeks and adjust your intake up or down based on actual results rather than assuming the estimate is exact.

GLP-1 medications work mainly by reducing appetite and slowing gastric emptying, which makes it easier to stay in a calorie deficit — they help you eat less, rather than burning extra calories. Your TDEE still defines your maintenance level; the medication helps you comfortably eat below it. Any treatment plan should be supervised by a licensed provider.