If you count calories to gain or lose weight, you need to know how many calories your body uses daily by using a TDEE Calculator. Once you calculate how many calories your body needs to live, breathe, walk, talk, and exercise, you can use this number to calculate the number of calories you need to add or reduce each day to reach your diet and fitness goals. We know this number as your Total Daily Energy Expenditure or TDEE, the total number of calories your body burns daily.

Why is calculating your TDEE critical?

You can use this information to bring a more scientific and reliable approach to weight and body fat loss or to eat correctly to add muscle mass. Once you understand your TDEE and calorie requirements, ensure you understand how to calculate and track your calorie intake to match. If you consume fewer calories than your TDEE, you will lose weight, and if you were to go over, you will gain weight. Alternately, you can maintain the same calorie intake while increasing your activity level (exercise) to burn body fat. 

How do you use the TDEE calculator?

To use the TDEE calculator, you must input your age, gender, pounds, and height in inches. You will also need to identify and choose your activity level:

• Sedentary – Little to no exercise or a desk job.
• Lightly Active – Light exercise 1-3 days/week.
• Moderately Active – Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week.
• Very Active – Heavy exercise 6-7 days/week.
• Extremely Active – Extreme exercise, hard labor, and training twice daily.

For example, a 30-year-old male, 70 inches tall, who weighs 200 pounds and is sedentary, requires 2249 calories to maintain his current body weight. However, if that same man increased his activity level to “Moderately active,” he would burn, on average, 2,904 calories, an additional 600+ calories. 

Does physical activity accompany TDEE?

Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) should be considered when calculating your BMI since it includes your daily movement. Even if you’re a couch potato, you’re still moving about the home since eating, bathing, and doing errands. Don’t mistake the TDEE for your REE; your total daily energy consumption would be if you did nothing.

TDEE Increment Methods

Daily metabolism and total daily energy expenditure are two distinct concepts. Regardless, when talking about raising or lowering their metabolism, they usually mean increasing or decreasing the number of calories their body burns and utilizes daily.

Unfortunately, no medication, superfood, or dietary supplement currently exists that can do this. Given your BMR and daily movement makeup, there are only two ways to alter your TDEE: lose weight or increase your physical activity. So, building muscle and going out more often allows you to consume more calories while still maintaining weight.

How to use your TDEE numbers

Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE, is the total number of calories your body burns in one day. Once you know your TDEE, you will design your weight loss (or weight gain) program more effectively. For example, eat more to gain weight, eat less (or increase your activity level) to lose weight.