Calculate your Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE) and Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) using the Harris-Benedict equation. Enter your gender, age, height, and weight, then select your activity level, stress factor, and body temperature to get your daily caloric requirements in kcal/day.
Total Energy Expenditure (TEE)
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Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE)
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Activity Factor
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Stress Factor
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Temperature Factor
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Combined Correction Factor
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Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE) is the minimum amount of energy your body needs to maintain basic physiological functions — such as breathing, circulation, and cell production — at rest for 24 hours. It is measured in kcal/day and is most accurately calculated under strict resting conditions.
The Harris-Benedict equation uses gender, weight (kg), height (cm), and age (years) to estimate BEE. For men: BEE = 66.5 + (13.75 × kg) + (5.003 × cm) − (6.775 × age). For women: BEE = 655.1 + (9.563 × kg) + (1.850 × cm) − (4.676 × age). These formulas were published in 1919 and remain widely used in clinical nutrition.
Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) accounts for real-world energy needs beyond basic rest. It is calculated as TEE = BEE × activity factor × stress factor × temperature factor. While BEE reflects survival-level energy, TEE reflects the actual daily caloric requirement based on a person's physical activity and clinical condition.
Activity factors multiply BEE to account for physical effort. Bed-ridden patients use a factor of 1.2, lightly active individuals use 1.3, moderately active people use 1.5, and heavily active individuals use 1.75. The more active you are, the higher your total caloric requirements will be.
Clinical conditions like infections, tumors, or surgery increase metabolic demands above the baseline. Stress factors typically range from 1.0 (no stress) to 1.6 (severe infection or peritonitis). Including this factor allows clinicians to tailor nutritional support — especially for hospitalized or critically ill patients.
Fever raises the body's metabolic rate. For each degree Celsius above normal, the temperature factor increases by roughly 0.1 (e.g., 38°C = 1.1, 39°C = 1.2, up to 41°C = 1.4). This is why febrile patients need more calories to support recovery and maintain bodily functions.
Several factors can lower basal metabolic rate, including aging, hypothyroidism, prolonged fasting or malnutrition, and low muscle mass. Caloric restriction over time can also cause the body to adapt by reducing its metabolic rate to conserve energy.
BEE represents the floor of your daily caloric needs — the minimum to sustain life at rest. Your actual daily requirement (TEE) is higher once activity and health factors are applied. Matching your calorie intake to your TEE helps maintain weight; consistently eating below or above TEE leads to weight loss or gain, respectively.