Understanding Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is important for anyone trying to eat a balanced diet.
TDEE is the total number of calories your body uses in a day. It includes a few key parts:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):
This is the amount of energy (calories) your body needs to keep working when you're not doing anything, like breathing and keeping your heart beating. BMR makes up about 60-75% of your TDEE.
Physical Activity Level (PAL):
This part covers all the movements and exercises you do each day. It can change a lot depending on your lifestyle. For example, you might be sedentary (not much movement) or very active (training hard several times a week). PAL usually makes up around 15-30% of TDEE.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF):
This is the energy your body needs to digest and process the food you eat. TEF typically adds about 5-10% to your total daily calorie use.
To create a helpful diet plan, you should calculate your TDEE using this formula:
TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor
The activity factor is based on how active you are and ranges from 1.2 (for those who are sedentary) to 1.9 (for those who are very active).
Let’s say we have a 30-year-old woman who weighs 150 pounds and is 5'6" tall. We will calculate her BMR using a simple equation:
BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) - 5 × age (years) - 161
First, we need to change her measurements to metric:
Weight: 150 lbs = 68 kg
Height: 5'6" = 167.64 cm
Now we can plug in the numbers:
BMR = 10 × 68 + 6.25 × 167.64 - 5 × 30 - 161 = 1,396 kcal/day
If she exercises moderately (Activity Factor of 1.55):
TDEE = 1,396 × 1.55 = 2,166 kcal/day
Knowing your TDEE helps you adjust what you eat based on your goals:
Weight Loss: To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your TDEE. A good way to do this is to cut back by 500-750 calories each day. This can help you lose about 1-1.5 pounds a week safely.
Weight Maintenance: To keep your weight the same, eat the same number of calories as your TDEE.
Weight Gain: To gain weight, especially muscle, aim to eat 250-500 extra calories each day.
Keeping a balance between the calories you take in and the calories you use is key for a good diet plan:
Caloric Surplus: This means you are eating more calories than you burn. It can help you gain weight, especially if you’re doing strength training.
Caloric Deficit: This means you’re burning more calories than you eat. It’s important for losing fat, but be careful with long-term deficits because they can slow down your metabolism.
In short, knowing about TDEE and what it includes can help you make better choices about what you eat. By adjusting your calorie intake to match your TDEE, you can reach your weight goals more effectively. This understanding allows you to make informed decisions about your diet, helping you stay healthy for the long term.
Understanding Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is important for anyone trying to eat a balanced diet.
TDEE is the total number of calories your body uses in a day. It includes a few key parts:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):
This is the amount of energy (calories) your body needs to keep working when you're not doing anything, like breathing and keeping your heart beating. BMR makes up about 60-75% of your TDEE.
Physical Activity Level (PAL):
This part covers all the movements and exercises you do each day. It can change a lot depending on your lifestyle. For example, you might be sedentary (not much movement) or very active (training hard several times a week). PAL usually makes up around 15-30% of TDEE.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF):
This is the energy your body needs to digest and process the food you eat. TEF typically adds about 5-10% to your total daily calorie use.
To create a helpful diet plan, you should calculate your TDEE using this formula:
TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor
The activity factor is based on how active you are and ranges from 1.2 (for those who are sedentary) to 1.9 (for those who are very active).
Let’s say we have a 30-year-old woman who weighs 150 pounds and is 5'6" tall. We will calculate her BMR using a simple equation:
BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) - 5 × age (years) - 161
First, we need to change her measurements to metric:
Weight: 150 lbs = 68 kg
Height: 5'6" = 167.64 cm
Now we can plug in the numbers:
BMR = 10 × 68 + 6.25 × 167.64 - 5 × 30 - 161 = 1,396 kcal/day
If she exercises moderately (Activity Factor of 1.55):
TDEE = 1,396 × 1.55 = 2,166 kcal/day
Knowing your TDEE helps you adjust what you eat based on your goals:
Weight Loss: To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your TDEE. A good way to do this is to cut back by 500-750 calories each day. This can help you lose about 1-1.5 pounds a week safely.
Weight Maintenance: To keep your weight the same, eat the same number of calories as your TDEE.
Weight Gain: To gain weight, especially muscle, aim to eat 250-500 extra calories each day.
Keeping a balance between the calories you take in and the calories you use is key for a good diet plan:
Caloric Surplus: This means you are eating more calories than you burn. It can help you gain weight, especially if you’re doing strength training.
Caloric Deficit: This means you’re burning more calories than you eat. It’s important for losing fat, but be careful with long-term deficits because they can slow down your metabolism.
In short, knowing about TDEE and what it includes can help you make better choices about what you eat. By adjusting your calorie intake to match your TDEE, you can reach your weight goals more effectively. This understanding allows you to make informed decisions about your diet, helping you stay healthy for the long term.