TDEE, total daily energy expenditure, is the amount of energy in calories you burn per day. TDEE is best calculated by factoring in your BMR, or basal metabolic rate, and your activity level. BMR is the amount of calories you would burn per day at rest.
Your total daily energy expenditure includes all the energy you burn sleeping, working, exercising, and even eating. It is important to know your TDEE when trying to set up a proper bulking or cutting diet.
Your TDEE is often referred to in fitness articles as your calorie maintenance level. This is the amount of calories that is required per day to keep you are your current weight. After you know your total daily energy expenditure you can either add calories per day to gain bulk, or lower calories to cut fat.
Calculate Your TDEE
To calculate your TDEE, simply input your height, weight, age and current activity level. If you are not sure how active you are, use these guidelines.
- No exercise - You are very sedentary. You have a desk job and get little to no exercise per day.
- Light exercise - Light exercise or performing a sport 1-3 times per week.
- Moderate exercise - Moderate exercise or performing a sport 3-5 times per week.
- Heavy exercise - Hard exercise or performing a sport 6-7 times per week.
- Extreme exercise - Intense daily exercise and/or difficult physical labor.