Understanding your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is vital for achieving fitness goals like building lean muscle, losing body fat, or maintaining a healthy weight.
TDEE is the total number of calories your body burns each day, and it includes four components that contribute to your overall energy expenditure. In this blog, we’ll examine these four components and discuss how you can calculate your TDEE and adjust your caloric intake to meet your fitness goals.
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the energy your body requires to perform essential functions like breathing, digesting food, and regulating body temperature. It represents most of your TDEE (around 60-70%) and is affected by factors like age, sex, body weight, and lean body mass. I recommend finding an InBody Body Composition Scan in your area to gain an accurate BMR by visiting www.inbody.com. - Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
The Thermodynamic Effect of Food (TEF) is the amount of energy your body expends to digest, absorb, and process the food you eat. It accounts for around 10-15% of your TDEE and is influenced by factors like meal frequency, macronutrient composition, and the type of food you eat. - Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) refers to the energy your body burns during everyday activities like walking, standing, and fidgeting. It accounts for around 15-20% of your TDEE and can vary significantly from person to person depending on their job, lifestyle, and habits. To increase your NEAT, you can make small changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, standing instead of sitting, or pacing while you talk on the phone. - Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT)
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) is the energy you burn during structured exercise like weightlifting, cardio, or sports. It can account for anywhere from 5-20% of your TDEE, depending on the type and intensity of your workouts. To increase your EAT, you can incorporate more exercise into your daily routine or increase the intensity of your existing workouts.
Now that you better understand the four components that make up your TDEE, you can use this information to calculate your daily caloric needs. Add your BMR, TEF, NEAT, and EAT to get your total daily energy expenditure or if you wear a wearable such as an Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, or another wearable device, these devices calculate it for you. You can adjust your caloric intake to meet your fitness goals.
To lose body fat, you’ll need to create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn. The best practice for you to sustain this long-term is to deduct 500 calories per day to burn 1 lb of fat per week.
To build lean muscle, you must consume slightly more calories than you burn (a slight calorie surplus) and prioritize protein intake to support muscle growth. You’ll need to consume roughly the same number of calories you burn each day to maintain your weight.
In conclusion, understanding your TDEE is essential for achieving your fitness goals. Considering the four components of your total energy expenditure, you can calculate your daily caloric needs and adjust your diet and exercise routine accordingly. Whether you’re looking to build lean muscle, lose body fat, or maintain weight, tracking your TDEE is a valuable tool for reaching your fitness aspirations.