What Is TDEE? Learn How To Calculate Your Perfect Calorie Intake (2024)

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the number of calories your body burns each day. It’s calculated using your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), activity level, and how much energy your body uses to digest food.

As a gym veteran with over 16 years of experience, a day doesn’t go by where I don’t remind my personal training clients about the importance of understanding their calorie requirements and following a personalized diet and training plan to achieve their fitness objectives.

In this article, you’ll learn what TDEE is and how to calculate it accurately. You’ll also discover how TDEE impacts weight loss and fitness goals. We have a lot to cover, so sit tight and read on.

Introduction To TDEE

I won’t lie; fitness jargon can get confusing and complicated quickly.

Understanding and tracking calories, metabolic rate, thermogenesis, and energy expenditure might feel overwhelming, especially for beginners. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Most of these concepts are interrelated. Once you grasp the basics, you have the key to the others.

So, what is TDEE?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is how much energy (calculated in terms of energy) your body needs each day to carry out the most basic bodily functions, like digestion, plus the amount of physical activity you do each day.

Due to its nature, your TDEE varies daily, depending on the types of tasks you must do that particular day.

Think of TDEE as your body’s daily calorie budget. You consume a particular amount of calories (a unit of energy) and then expend it to carry out different tasks. Remember, lying on the sofa and watching TV is also a ‘task.’

Irrespective of your fitness goal (weight loss or building muscle), you must master TDEE to ensure you’re moving in the right direction.

Here are some of the benefits of understanding TDEE:

• Revamp Your Diet: Knowing the impact of each food and activity allows you to tweak your calorie intake to meet your goals.
• Make Informed Choice: I have noticed that most of my clients start eating mindfully once they internalize how certain foods can affect their physique.
• Follow a Personalized Training Program: Most people spend countless hours on the treadmill because they are clueless about how many calories they must expend. Your mindset shifts once you know how many calories you need to burn daily.

What is TDEE?

No two people will have the same TDEE, as it depends on multiple factors like age, gender, and body composition and is influenced by your fitness objectives.

The uniqueness of TDEE is also why most people never see results following a vanilla training and diet program they might find on the internet. This should bring home the importance of learning about TDEE.

Components of TDEE

Nothing works in isolation, and this is the same with TDEE. To understand TDEE, you must learn about how the body uses the calories you consume through food. Here are the four components of TDEE:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

BMR is the amount of energy your body burns while at rest.

Your body is burning energy even when you are sleeping or reading this article. That said, how much energy your body burns while at rest depends on multiple factors, including age, gender, height, and weight.

BMR makes up the biggest chunk of TDEE.

Although our super-convenient TDEE calculator (linked below) factors in your BMR, here is a calculator to help determine your standalone BMR:

Want to learn more about BMR and how it can impact your fitness? Check out our detailed BMR article here.

Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT)

This comprises energy burned during structured training programs.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) burns more calories than low-intensity steady state (LISS) cardio. Picking the right type of workout can help fast-track your progress. Working with a personal trainer to develop a training program can boost your progress.

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

As the name implies, NEAT refers to the calories you burn throughout the day while doing non-exercise-related activities.

NEAT activities include walking the dog, doing chores, mowing the lawn, and even fidgeting. This should come as a reminder that burning calories isn’t just about hitting the gym. Doing small physical tasks throughout the day goes a long way in helping burn calories.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

Eating and digesting food also requires energy. TEF is the increase in metabolic rate after eating a meal. It usually represents about 10% of the caloric intake of healthy adults eating a mixed and balanced diet. Furthermore, protein-rich foods have a TEF of 20-30% compared to 5-10% for carbohydrates and 0-3% for fats. (1)

How is TDEE Calculated?

As you must have realized by now, TDEE is a reliable way to calculate your daily energy expenditure.

So, many people have come up with different formulas to calculate TDEE. Two of the most popular formulas include:

Mifflin-St Jeor Equation

This formula is considered the most accurate method of calculating TDEE. It is also what we use in our TDEE calculator. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation was developed to calculate the number of calories your body burns at rest. However, it was later modified and designed to multiply your BMR by an activity factor to determine TDEE.

It doesn’t end here. The Mifflin-St Jeor for men and women involves:

Katch-McArdle Equation

This formula is favored by bodybuilders and other athletes who are interested in body composition, as it factors in lean body mass. Since lean body mass burns more calories than fat mass, this equation can produce more precise results for folks with a higher muscle mass.

Calculating TDEE manually can be a hassle, and the chances of making an incorrect calculation are very high.

You must use a TDEE calculator to get the most precise results.

TDEE Calculator

Here is one of the most tested (and reliable) TDEE calculators you can find online

With all said and done, you must remember that TDEE calculations are estimates.

TDEE numbers can vary depending on an individual’s metabolism, body composition, and even daily activity variations.

Learn about the intricacies of calculating TDEE in our in-depth guide here!

How To Use TDEE To Achieve Your Goals

Understanding TDEE shouldn’t only be left to nutritionists.

Most quit their fitness journey before achieving their objectives. Usually, a high gym churn rate is attributed to a lack of motivation and conviction. However, the biggest culprit is wrong expectation setting.

Many beginners start with such audacious goals that they get nowhere near them in the first few months.

This eventually results in dissatisfaction, burnout, and quitting the fit lifestyle.

Learning how TDEE works can help you set realistic fitness goals. Here is how it can help you with your fitness goals:

• Weight Loss: To lose weight, you must enter a calorie deficit, meaning you must burn more calories in a day than you consume. Knowing your TDEE allows you to set a viable daily calorie goal for yourself.
• Muscle Gain: This is the inverse of weight loss. You must enter a calorie surplus (eating more daily calories than you expend) while following a high-protein diet and a regimented training program to build muscle tissue.
• Maintenance: Your calorie intake should be almost the same as your TDEE to stay at the same weight. The good news is that maintaining weight is usually easier than shedding the spare tire or building muscle.

Knowing your Total Daily Energy Expenditure allows you to design a meal plan that suits your body and lifestyle. You can use diet plans like IIFYM or intermittent fasting to avoid shunning your favorite foods from your meal plan.

Keeping cravings at bay is one of the best ways to ensure you stick to your diet in the long term.

Track Your Caloric Intake

I have my personal training clients track their calorie intake using the MyFitnessPal app.

You must consistently assess your diet’s impact on your physique. Increase your calorie deficit if your weight loss is not up to the mark. Conversely, stick to your meal plan and TDEE if the weighing scale needle is budging in the right direction.

How Much Calories Should You Cut To Lose Weight?

This is one of the most frequent questions I get.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can safely lose 1 to 2 pounds weekly by cutting 500 to 1,000 calories from your diet daily (2). That said, you must get your doctor’s clearance before starting a new training or diet plan, especially if you’re dealing with pre-existing medical conditions.

Factors Influencing TDEE

You probably have a friend who doesn’t gain weight, irrespective of how much junk food they eat.

Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the hero here.

Your friend probably has a very high TDEE that helps them burn through the calories. The TDEE is depending on multiple factors, including:

• Age: Older people usually have a slower metabolic rate than their younger counterparts.
• Gender: Men usually have a higher BMR than women due to the male sex hormone testosterone.
• Height and weight: Larger bodies burn more calories in a day to carry out the basic functions than lighter folks.
• Muscle mass: Your body composition plays a significant role in determining your TDEE. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn. (3)
• Activity Levels: Highly physically active folks tend to burn more calorie daily than their sedentary counterparts. Staying active throughout the day is one of the best ways to spike your TDEE.
• Stress: Chronic stress increases cortisol production in the body, which can slow down the metabolism and lead to weight gain. I highly encourage getting professional help if you are struggling with mental issues like stress, anxiety, and depression. (4)
• Genetics: Like most things in fitness, your genetics plays a huge role in your TDEE. Some people are genetically predisposed to burn more calories throughout the day than others. A faster metabolism is one of the biggest reasons the protagonist of our story can eat almost anything and still stay lean.
• Health Conditions: Certain medical conditions like hypothyroidism can cause a slowdown in metabolism, reducing your TDEE. Furthermore, particular medications can also hinder your metabolic rate and result in weight gain. You must talk to your doctor to ensure the medication doesn’t lead to unwarranted side effects.

Common TDEE Misconceptions and Myths

TDEE is among the most misunderstood topics in the health and wellness space.

Here are some of the most common myths and misconceptions that I usually encounter in the gym and online forums:

A low TDEE means your metabolism is bad

This is absolutely not true.

No two people will have the same TDEE. For example, people with smaller frames generally have a lower TDEE than their larger-bodied peers, as they need relatively less energy to perform daily tasks.

Just because your TDEE is lower than a friend’s doesn’t mean your metabolism is messed up.

Your TDEE remains constant

Again, this is not correct.

Whatever you do throughout the day impacts your TDEE. On days when you go extra hard in the gym, your TDEE will spike. On the flip side, if you spend the whole day Netflix and chilling, your TDEE will plummet.

Your TDEE can change daily. You must stay on top of your physical activity levels and calorie intake to ensure you’re working toward your goals.

All TDEE calculators are the same

Each calculator you find online might use a different formula.

You should use a calculator that is transparent about the equations. Our TDEE calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is deemed the most accurate. We also explain each variable of the equation so you can better understand the results.

That said, you can also use different types of calculators and average the results. Remember, TDEE is not a magic number. You must consistently track and adapt it to achieve your fitness objectives.

Eating a particular amount of calories guarantees weight loss

Although the CDC states that cutting 500 to 1,000 calories each day from your diet will result in a 1 to 2 pounds weekly weight loss, this is not set in stone.

Your weight loss (or gain) results can vary on multiple factors, including your age, gender, weight, height, metabolic rate, and activity levels.

Use a calorie-tracking app to monitor your daily food intake and make adjustments to your diet if you are not getting the desired results. Beginners must hire a coach, as it can save a lot of wasted time and effort.

Note: The content on Fitness Volt is for informative purposes only. Do not take it as medical advice to diagnose, prevent, or treat health problems. If you’re suffering from a health issue, are pregnant, or are under 18 years old, you should consult your physician before starting any new supplement, nutrition, or fitness routine.

Conclusion

If you have reached this section, you are now armed with all the knowledge you need to transform your physique.

TDEE refers to the amount of calories you need daily to carry out the most basic bodily functions and daily physical activity. Use our online TDEE calculator to determine your daily caloric needs.

Remember, knowing your TDEE is only one part of the puzzle. You must combine it with a healthy diet and a robust training and recovery program to achieve your fitness goals.

If you have any questions about TDEE, drop them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help.

References

Fitness Volt is committed to providing our readers with science-based information. We use only credible and peer-reviewed sources to support the information we share in our articles.

1. Pesta DH, Samuel VT. A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2014;11(1):53. Published 2014 Nov 19. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-11-53
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2024, February 27). Losing Weight. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/
3. Zurlo, F., Larson, K., Bogardus, C., & Ravussin, E. (1990). Skeletal muscle metabolism is a major determinant of resting energy expenditure. The Journal of clinical investigation, 86(5), 1423–1427. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI114857
4. Kuo, W. C., Bratzke, L. C., Oakley, L. D., Kuo, F., Wang, H., & Brown, R. L. (2019). The association between psychological stress and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 20(11), 1651–1664. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12915

If you have any questions or need further clarification about this article, please leave a comment below, and Vidur will get back to you as soon as possible.