How to Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) After Knowing Your BMR

Introduction

Knowing your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the first step to understanding how many calories your body needs at rest. But to maintain, lose, or gain weight, you need to know your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This article explains the simple process to calculate TDEE after you have your BMR.

What Is TDEE?

• TDEE is the total number of calories you burn each day.
• It includes your BMR plus calories burned through physical activity and daily tasks.
• TDEE helps you adjust your calorie intake to meet your fitness or health goals.

How to Calculate Your TDEE

1. Start with your BMR
   Use the BMR number you calculated from the previous article or your own method.
2. Choose your Activity Level
   Select the activity multiplier that best describes your lifestyle:
   • Sedentary (little or no exercise): Multiply BMR by 1.2
   • Lightly active (light exercise 1-3 days/week): Multiply BMR by 1.375
   • Moderately active (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week): Multiply BMR by 1.55
   • Very active (hard exercise 6-7 days/week): Multiply BMR by 1.725
   • Extra active (very hard exercise or physical job): Multiply BMR by 1.9
3. Calculate TDEE
   Multiply your BMR by the chosen activity factor.
   Example:
   if BMR = 1600 calories and activity level is moderately active (1.55):
   TDEE = 1600 × 1.55 = 2480 calories/day

Why Is TDEE Important?

• It tells you how many calories you burn daily including activity.
• Use TDEE to create a calorie deficit for weight loss or surplus for muscle gain.
• Tracking TDEE helps manage your nutrition precisely.

What To Do Next

• Use your TDEE to plan meals and adjust calorie intake.
• Combine with macronutrient tracking for best results.
• Recalculate your TDEE when your weight or activity level changes.

Related Articles

Learn more about calculating BMR in our previous article.

Stay tuned for our upcoming detailed guide on TDEE calculators and meal planning.