Complete Guide to TDEE and Energy Balance
Calculating your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the single most important step in taking control of your body composition. Whether you want to lose fat, build muscle, or maintain your current weight, everything starts with your maintenance calories.
The Pillars of TDEE
Your daily calorie burn is composed of four main components:
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The energy your body needs just to stay alive (60-75% of total).
- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): The energy used to digest and process nutrients (approx. 10%).
- Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT): The energy burned during structured workouts (5-10%).
- Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): The energy used for everything else—walking, fidgeting, standing (15-30%).
TDEE for Body Transformation
Once you know your maintenance calories, you can apply the principle of Energy Balance:
- Calorie Deficit: Eat 300-500 calories below your TDEE to trigger fat loss.
- Maintenance: Eat exactly your TDEE to stay the same weight while potentially undergoing body recomposition (building muscle and losing fat simultaneously).
- Calorie Surplus: Eat 200-400 calories above your TDEE to fuel Hypertrophy and minimize fat gain during a "bulking" phase.