TDEE represents the total amount of energy your body requires daily to maintain its current weight. It accounts for both your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)—the calories your body needs to perform basic functions like breathing and digestion—and the energy expended through physical activities. Knowing your TDEE allows you to adjust your caloric intake effectively. If you consume fewer calories than your TDEE, you create a calorie deficit, which leads to weight loss. However, consuming more than your TDEE results in weight gain. This makes TDEE a very important factor for achieving your fitness goals, be it bulking to gain muscle, cutting to lose weight, or maintaining your current weight.
Exercise levels
Your TDEE depends on your activity level, which is categorized into different exercise levels:
- Sedentary: Little to no exercise, mainly desk work or minimal movement throughout the day.
- Lightly active: Engages in light exercise or sports 1–3 times per week.
- Moderately active: Exercises or plays sports 3–5 days a week.
- Very active: Engages in intense workouts or physical labor 6–7 days per week.
- Super active: Highly intense daily exercise or physically demanding job (e.g., athletes, construction workers).
TDEE & Calorie Calculator
How TDEE is calculated
TDEE is calculated by first determining your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) using formulas like the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, which factors in your age, weight, height, and gender. Once your BMR is established, it is multiplied by an activity factor that corresponds to your exercise level. This provides an estimate of your total daily calorie expenditure, or TDEE.