Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)
Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is everything you burn in a day: resting metabolism, the energy cost of digesting food, exercise and all incidental movement.
Also called TDEE, maintenance calories, daily energy expenditure
TDEE is BMR scaled by activity. The usual multipliers run from about 1.2 for a sedentary day to 1.9 for heavy training plus physical work.
Someone with a BMR of 1,364 kcal who trains four times a week might land near 2,100 kcal a day. Eating below that creates a deficit; eating above it creates a surplus. Roughly 7,700 kcal of deficit is a kilogram of body fat, which is why a 500 kcal daily deficit is the familiar half a kilo a week.
Every figure is an estimate with a margin of error, so treat the first number as a hypothesis. Track weight over two to three weeks and adjust intake until the trend matches the goal.
Common questions
How accurate is a TDEE estimate?
Usually within 10–15% for an individual. Track weight and intake for a few weeks and adjust, since the equation describes a population average.
Should I eat below my TDEE to lose weight?
A moderate deficit of 300–500 kcal a day is the usual starting point. Very large deficits tend to cost muscle and are hard to sustain.