TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) Calculator
TDEE: —
Are you trying to get the right nutrition for your fitness or body goals? Then you should know your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which tells you how many calories you burn during the day. If you eat more than this number, you will start to gain weight. If you eat less than this number, you will start to lose weight.
This calculator gives you a personalized estimate based on your age, your body type, and your daily activity level. That last factor is the most important! If you are active on your feet all day and exercise vigorously 5 times a week, your calorie burn will be completely different than someone who sits at a desk all day and only exercises 3 days a week.
What Is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It refers to the total energy a person uses throughout the day. TDEE is difficult to measure with absolute accuracy because it varies from day to day. Instead, people usually estimate it using a person’s basal metabolic rate (BMR), activity level, and the thermic effect of food.
Basal Metabolic Rate:
BMR is the rate at which a person burns energy while resting in a normal environment with an inactive digestive system. Simply put, it is the minimum amount of energy the body needs to keep essential organs functioning.
Activity level:
Activity level refers to how much movement a person does. This includes exercise and all the small activities throughout the day, such as chores at work or daily routines. These factors are often grouped into thermic effect of activity and non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which covers energy used for anything other than sleeping, eating, or structured exercise.
Thermic Effect of Food:
Thermic effect of food, also known as specific kinetic energy, is the energy required by the body to digest and utilize food. It is sometimes taken as 10% of daily calorie intake, but this number can vary depending on the type of food. For example, protein has a much higher thermic effect than fat because it requires more effort from the body to break it down.
How Is TDEE Calculated?
TDEE is calculated by adding the factors described above. The process usually begins with an estimate of basal metabolic rate (BMR), which uses formulas designed for this purpose. These formulas take into account details such as age, gender, height, and weight.
Some well-known equations for calculating BMR include the Mifflin-St. George equation, the Harris-Benedict equation, and the Ketch-McArdle formula. Most give similar results, but the Ketch-McArdle formula may be more accurate for lean people because it includes lean body mass.
After finding BMR, it is multiplied by an activity factor based on exercise level and whether the person has a desk job or is physically active.
Other factors, such as the thermic effect of food, can also be added, but many calculations omit it because it affects total and activity levels less than BMR.
Benefits of the TDEE Calculator
The TDEE Calculator offers many useful benefits for anyone looking to maintain their weight or improve their overall well-being:
- Set personalized calorie goals: It helps you find accurate daily calorie needs based on your specific body type and activity routine.
- Manage weight effectively: When you understand your energy balance, you can create a clear plan to lose, gain, or maintain weight without making unwise choices.
- Nutrition: It guides you to make smart food decisions that match your weight goals and support better health.
- Increase workout performance: You can match your workout intensity to your calorie needs and properly fuel your exercise sessions.
- Track progress and adjust plans: It allows you to follow your improvements and update your eating and workout plans to reach your goals.
By knowing their TDEE, people can take charge of their fitness journey and make better decisions about their daily diet and exercise habits.
What Is The TDEE formula?
You can find your TDEE using your BMR and an activity multiplier. The above calculator follows the same method to give you your TDEE or maintenance calories based on what you need.
TDEE = BMR x Activity Multiplier
To get your BMR, you need details like weight, height, gender, and age.
BMR = 6.25 x height (cm) + 10 x weight (kg) – 5 x age (y) + s
Here, S stands for gender value, which is -161 for women and 5 for men. This activity multiplier is a general estimate, so your full TDEE result may be inaccurate if you choose a workout level that does not match your actual daily movement or training load.
Is The TDEE Calculator Accurate?
The TDEE calculator gives you an estimate of your daily calorie burn. Your calories change every day, so it’s never a perfect number. However, for most people, it’s still accurate enough to guide smart eating habits. Start with the TDEE calculator to track your daily intake, then gradually adjust your calories up or down based on how your weight changes over time.
If you want to understand the fundamentals of nutrition and learn how to align your meals with your fitness goals, check out Bodybuilding.com’s Foundations of Fitness Nutrition course.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How often should I calculate my TDEE?
You should check your TDEE every 6-8 weeks or whenever you notice a big change in your weight or activity pattern. If you gain or lose about 10% of your body weight, this is a good time to update it. Also, if you switch to a new exercise routine or your daily movement goes up or down, recalculate it. Women can also see changes due to hormonal changes, so reviewing TDEE every few months can help.
Q2. Can TDEE calculations be used for specific health conditions?
TDEE can guide calorie needs for many health conditions. It helps manage conditions like diabetes, thyroid problems, cancer recovery, and pregnancy by giving a clear picture of daily energy needs. However, you should speak with a healthcare professional before using TDEE for any medical condition to make sure you are following the right plan.
Q3. How do I adjust my TDEE to lose or gain weight?
To lose weight, eat fewer calories than your TDEE. Cutting 500-1000 calories per day will usually result in a loss of about 0.5 to 1 kg of calories per week. To gain weight, eat more than your TDEE and aim for an additional 250-500 calories per day so that you can steadily and safely gain weight.
Q4. How does my activity level affect my TDEE?
Your activity level has a big impact on your TDEE. People who are inactive throughout the day burn fewer calories than those who are very active. When you properly assess your daily movement and select the appropriate activity factor in the calculator, you get a more accurate idea of how many calories your body actually needs.
