Introduction to TDEE Calculator
Of what use is a TDEE calculator? If you are looking for a simple and painless way to lose weight, knowing your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) can solve your problem. In that case, you would agree it is worth taking a look at, right?
After so many years of so many diets, is it not time for you to eat what you like, and still achieve the body transformation you want?
If you plan your meals based on your TDEE, it is guaranteed that you will finally slay the obesity dragon and reach your ideal weight.
What does TDEE stand for?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. And what is your total daily energy expenditure? It is the average number of calories your body burns every day when you factor in your daily activities.
Your activity level is added to the number of calories that you burn at rest which is called your basal metabolic rate (BMR) or resting metabolic rate (RMR).
So, even if you lie in bed watching Netflix for an entire day, your body still needs to consume that amount of calories. Your body still needs a minimum amount of calories to provide energy for:
- respiration
- assimilation of nutrients
- digestion
- growth and repair of body tissue
- all cells and organs of your body to function properly to mention just a few.
The bottom line is, that even when you think you are resting, your body never stops working, and therefore always needs access to energy, every moment, every single day of your life.
Now you understand why even if you do not eat at all an entire day, your body still needs calories. And if you do not move frequently, your body knows that you rarely use your muscle tissue, and will end up taking the calories from your muscles, something that you never want to happen.
Less muscle tissue equals a lower metabolic rate, and a lower metabolic rate means that you burn fewer calories at rest, and your body becomes a fat storage machine, instead of a fat-burning machine.
What is the Mifflin – St Jeor Formula?
There are several popular equations used to determine TDEE. They are:
- Mifflin St-Jeor Equation,
- Harris-Benedict equation, and
- Katch-McArdle Formula
According to the ADA (American Dietetic Association), the most accurate TDEE calculator is the Mifflin-St Jeor. And here is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation:
- For men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age + 5
- And for women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age – 161
This TDEE Calculator courtesy of HashiMashi.com is based on the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula:
To use the TDEE Calculator, enter your:
- sex
- weight in pounds
- height in inches
- age in years
- and activity level (an activity level of 1 will tell you your basal metabolic rate (BMR))
Smart Weight Loss
You never want to just lose weight. You always want to burn fat. By burning fat, you will change your body composition and the shape of your body. If you only lose weight, and much of that weight is water weight, or from muscle tissue, then you could be worse off than when you started.
Once you know your TDEE, now you know the total number of calories that your body needs to support your basic metabolism plus your activity level, which includes exercise, and lifestyle, as well as your occupation.
As a result, a construction worker will have a much higher TDEE than an office worker.
Why you want to use your TDEE and not rely on your BMR
If you only use your BMR, you run the risk of eating too little. For example, if you are a 200 pound man, whose BMR is 2000 calories, and you cut 500 calories a day to lose one pound a week. You will be eating too little if you are a 200-pound construction worker who actually needs 2500 calories a day.
Now you are eating 1000 calories less than what you actually need, and your body cannot get sufficient fuel from the food you are eating. You will not be a happy camper, but rather a typical person suffering to lose weight through self-starvation.
Therefore, you want to use your TDEE as your baseline.
BMR and TDEE
The BMR is based on your height, weight, and gender. And your TDEE is based on your BMR plus your activity level, for example, whether you are lightly active or moderately active on a daily basis.
Once you know your TDEE, you can easily devise a meal plan of the real foods (as opposed to processed foods) you like which will result in weight loss. For example, if your body needs 2000 calories on a daily basis, and you reduce your calorie intake by 200 a day, which can be one slice of bread, your body needs to draw on your fat stores because you created a caloric deficit of 200 calories.
Preferably, you decide to walk 2 miles a day and burn an additional 200 calories, you will achieve the same caloric deficit of 200 calories without reducing the amount of food you eat.
Burning off your fat, while keeping your meal plan the same is the best way to lose weight and change your body composition.
All you have to do is add a simple 30-minute walk to your routine, and over time, you will burn off the fat.
Do you think that a simple walk to lose 20 pounds is a far fetched idea?
Pat Brocco is a perfect example. Pat was a 605-pound man who finally decided to take action to lose weight. What did he do? Before every meal, he walked to his local Walmart and back, for a mile each way, a total of 2 miles. So he walked a new 6 miles every day instead of sitting on the couch.
And as you will find out, once you start burning calories through movement, you do not want to load up on junk food. Starving yourself of food is never the solution. The best solution for easy weight loss is to start moving and there is nothing simpler than walking.
Back to the former ‘Fat Pat'. Within 2 years, Fat Pat lost 200 pounds. He lost two hundred pounds from walking. Most likely, you do not need to lose 200 pounds, but if you do, fear not, just get up, start walking, and change the type of food you eat from processed to real.
Conclusion
What is a TDEE Calculator? It is an effective tool that can help you lose weight or gain muscle mass. To sum up, TDEE is an estimation of your average Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Once you know your TDEE, all you have to do is reduce or increase your calories by ten percent and then measure your progress with a body composition scale.
Of course, you do not need to know your TDEE to achieve your ideal weight, but it is a useful aid, especially when you want to add muscle mass. If you need to lose 20 pounds or more, use this free guide to help you lose weight even without knowing your TDEE.
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