Türkçe
English
Oʻzbek
Русский
What is TDEE, and why does it matter?
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories you burn in a day. It has four parts: your basal metabolism (BMR — the vital functions that keep you alive, like breathing and your heartbeat), physical activity, the thermic effect of food (the energy used to digest what you eat), and non-exercise movement (NEAT). Knowing your TDEE is the foundation of any weight goal: to lose weight you eat below it, to maintain you eat at it, and to gain you eat above it. Without the right starting point, a diet ends up either too aggressive or ineffective.
How is TDEE calculated?
First, your BMR (resting metabolism) is found with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation; then it's multiplied by a factor that matches your activity level:
BMR (female) = 10 × weight + 6.25 × height − 5 × age − 161
TDEE = BMR × activity factor
Sedentary ...... ×1.2
Lightly active ..... ×1.375
Moderately active ...... ×1.55
Very active ....... ×1.725
Extra active ..... ×1.9
Example: a moderately active man, age 30, 175 cm, 75 kg:
BMR = 10×75 + 6.25×175 − 5×30 + 5 = 1,699 kcal · TDEE = 1,699 × 1.55 ≈ 2,634 kcal/day. He might target ~2,240 to lose weight, or ~3,030 to gain.
Method: BMR is calculated with the equation from Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. (1990); the activity multipliers are the common PAL (Physical Activity Level) factors rooted in the Harris–Benedict tradition.
Using your TDEE the right way
The number you get is an estimate; individual differences (muscle mass, genetics, hormones) can shift it by ±10%. To get the most accurate result:
- Track for 2–3 weeks: keep your calorie intake steady, monitor your weight, and adjust the target based on the real change.
- Don't overstate activity: most people pick a higher activity level than they actually have; if you're unsure, choose one tier down.
- Update regularly: your TDEE changes as your weight changes, so recalculate every few kilograms.
Frequently asked questions
BMR is the energy you spend on vital functions while fully at rest. TDEE adds your daily movement, exercise, and digestion on top of that — in other words, the total calories you actually burn in a day. A diet goal is always built on TDEE, not BMR.
The general rule is to create a 10–20% deficit below your TDEE (roughly 300–500 kcal), which gives an average loss of 0.3–0.5 kg a week. The 'light cut' value in this tool (−15%) is a sensible starting point. Very aggressive deficits can lead to muscle loss and a slower metabolism.
Mifflin-St Jeor is one of the most accurate equations available, but it's still an estimate; real expenditure can vary from person to person by ±10%. You'll get the most accurate result by tracking your weight and calorie intake for a few weeks and calibrating the target to match.
Think about your everyday movement, not just your planned workouts. If you work a desk job and train 3–4 days a week, 'moderately active' fits. When in doubt, choose one tier lower; most people overstate their activity and end up calculating more calories than they really burn.
This is the most common mistake, and it inflates your result directly. If you choose a higher activity level than you actually have, your TDEE comes out larger than what you really burn; eat to that number and you may maintain — or even gain — when you expected to lose. Most people overestimate both how hard they train and how much they move during the day. That's why, when unsure, it's safer to pick <b>one tier lower</b>, then track your weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust to the real change.
Yes, it's not a fixed number. Your TDEE shifts as your weight changes: as you lose weight, your body burns less energy, so your TDEE drops (which is why the same deficit produces slower results after a while). Gaining muscle raises your TDEE, and it declines with age. A practical rule: recalculate with every <b>4–5 kg</b> of change, or every few months — otherwise you'll be eating to an old target that no longer applies.