How Many Calories Do You Burn Per Day?
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. Understanding TDEE is crucial for weight loss, gain, or maintenance.
Understanding TDEE
TDEE = BMR + Activity + Exercise + Thermic Effect of Food. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) accounts for 60-75% of daily burn — the calories your body needs just to stay alive. Physical activity adds 15-30%, and digesting food adds about 10%.
Calculating BMR
Mifflin-St Jeor Formula (most accurate): Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) - 5 × age - 5. Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) - 5 × age - 161.
Activity Multipliers
Sedentary (desk job): BMR × 1.2. Lightly active (1-3 days/week exercise): BMR × 1.375. Moderately active (3-5 days/week): BMR × 1.55. Very active (6-7 days/week): BMR × 1.725. Extra active (athlete): BMR × 1.9.
Using TDEE for Goals
Weight loss: Eat 500 calories below TDEE (lose ~0.5 kg/week). Weight gain: Eat 500 above TDEE. Maintenance: Eat at your TDEE. Don't go below BMR — it's unhealthy and counterproductive.