Knowing what your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is can help you take control of your weight. That’s because your TDEE tells you how many calories you burn in a day. When you know how many calories you burn then you can also figure out how many fewer calories you should consume to lose weight.

If you’re wondering, ‘What is TDEE?’, you’ve come to the right place. Up next we’re going to show you how to calculate TDEE with the TDEE formula. We’re also going to share the differences between TDEE vs BMR and explain what you need to do for TD weight loss.

What Is TDEE?

Your TDEE number represents the amount of energy your body needs every day. That number includes the energy you need for physical activities like running, hiking and even playing with your kids in the park. The TDEE meaning also includes the energy your body needs for your inner processes.

Your inner processes include breathing, blinking, cell regeneration, sleep, digestion and all of the other things that go on inside of you. When you figure out your TDEE number you find out how many calories your body uses on average every day. When you consume fewer calories than your TDEE number, you can lose weight.

Factors Included In TDEE

Your TDEE takes into account your weight, height, sex as well as your activity level. The thermic effect of the foods you consume also can affect your TDEE.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Your BMR takes into account your age, sex, weight and height. It represents the number of calories your body uses regardless of whether or not you get off the couch. Even while you think you are doing nothing, your body is working at helping you breathe, think, blink, digest and thousands of other things.

All of your body’s standard processes require fuel to run. Your BMR number tells you exactly how much fuel in the form of caloric energy your body needs.

Physical Activity

We’ve established that your body uses energy even when you are not physically doing anything. Now, the second part of figuring out your TDEE is to add in the number of calories you expend when you are physically active.

There are different levels of activity of course. If you are working out several hours a day, then you’re on one end of the spectrum and if you don’t leave your house much then you’re on the other end. However, there are quite a few activity levels in between to choose from.

Going for planned walks, swimming, hiking, and dancing are all considered physical activities. Determining your average activity every day will give you a pretty good idea of your TDEE.

Thermic Effect Of Food (TEF)

Did you know that some of the foods you eat help you burn calories? It’s true, and it’s called the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). The more complex the food you consume, the more difficult it is for your body to break it down, extract the nutrients, and digest it. The more difficult it is, the more calories your body uses to make it happen, which means you burn more calories.

This thermic effect can last for several hours after you consume certain foods. High protein foods are one of the most difficult for your body to break down, which means you get a high TEF from them. Good protein choices include lean beef and chicken as well as complex carbohydrates like beans and lentils.

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

In addition to exercise and everyday body functions, you also spend energy on a third thing. That thing includes all of the movements you do in a day. This includes everything from playing with your kids to cleaning. Both of those things require energy as do many others like cooking, walking, and climbing the stairs.

These types of things can also help you burn energy and the more vigorously you do them, the more energy you burn.

How to calculate TDEE