TDEE Calculator
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) to determine your daily calorie needs.
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About TDEE
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories you burn each day. Understanding your TDEE is essential for effective weight management, whether your goal is to lose, maintain, or gain weight.
TDEE Components:
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The calories your body needs at complete rest for basic functions like breathing, circulation, and cell production (60-70% of TDEE).
- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): Calories burned digesting and processing food (10% of TDEE).
- Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT): Calories burned during intentional exercise.
- Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): Calories burned during non-exercise activities like walking, fidgeting, and daily tasks.
Activity Levels Explained:
- Sedentary (1.2): Little or no exercise, desk job (e.g., office worker with no additional physical activity).
- Lightly Active (1.375): Light exercise 1-3 days/week (e.g., walking, light gardening, or yoga a few times per week).
- Moderately Active (1.55): Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week (e.g., jogging, cycling, or weight training several times per week).
- Very Active (1.725): Hard exercise 6-7 days/week (e.g., daily intense workouts or physically demanding job).
- Extremely Active (1.9): Very hard exercise, physical job or training twice a day (e.g., professional athletes, very physically demanding jobs).
Using Your TDEE:
Once you know your TDEE, you can adjust your calorie intake based on your goals:
- Weight Maintenance: Consume calories equal to your TDEE.
- Weight Loss: Consume fewer calories than your TDEE (typically 10-25% less).
- Weight Gain: Consume more calories than your TDEE (typically 10-20% more).
Understanding Your TDEE
Your TDEE is influenced by several factors, including age, gender, weight, height, and activity level. Understanding these factors can help you make more informed decisions about your nutrition and exercise.
Factors Affecting TDEE
- Age: Metabolism typically slows with age, reducing TDEE by approximately 1-2% per decade after age 20.
- Gender: Men generally have higher TDEEs than women of similar size due to greater muscle mass and less body fat.
- Body Composition: Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, so individuals with more muscle mass have higher TDEEs.
- Hormones: Thyroid hormones, cortisol, and other hormones can significantly impact metabolic rate and TDEE.
- Environmental Factors: Temperature, altitude, and stress can all affect energy expenditure.
Tracking and Adjusting
While TDEE calculators provide a good starting point, individual metabolism varies. For best results:
- Track your calorie intake accurately using a food diary or app
- Monitor your weight changes over 2-4 weeks
- Adjust your calorie intake based on actual results
- Recalculate your TDEE periodically as your weight, activity level, or goals change
For more personalized guidance on nutrition and exercise, consider consulting with a registered dietitian or certified fitness professional.