Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories that a person burn in one day. TDEE is important in that TDEE determines whether a person will lose weight, gain weight, or maintain their current body weight if they consume certain amounts of calorie. If a person consumes fewer calorie than their TDEE, that person will lose weight.
If a person consumes more calories then their TDEE, that person will gain weight. Finally, if a person consumes a number of calories that is equal to their TDEE, that person will maintain their current body weight. TDEE is composed of four distinct part of the body: the basal metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, exercise, and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT).
TDEE: How Many Calories You Burn Each Day and How It Affects Your Weight
The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the largest component of a person’s TDEE. The BMR is the amount of energy that the body use to perform basic life functions while the body is at rest. These basic functions include the functions of the organs of the body and the maintenance of the cells in those organs.
The thermic effect of food is the energy that the body uses to digest, absorb, and process the nutrients from the food that is consumed. The thermic effect of food differ for individuals based off the type of nutrients that those individuals consume. For instance, protein has a higher thermic effect of food than fats or carbohydrates…
Meaning that more energy is used to digest protein than fat or carbohydrates. The third component of TDEE is the energy that an individual uses during exercise. Finally, non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy that an individual uses for movement that is not accomplish during intentional exercise.
For instance, NEAT can include energy expended while walking or standing in the room. Intentional exercise is often accounted for when calculating TDEE, but people often overlook NEAT when calculating TDEE, meaning that individuals often underestimate their TDEE due to the overlooking of NEAT. In order to calculate an individual’s TDEE, the basal metabolic rate must first be calculate.
After determining an individual’s basal metabolic rate, a factor that indicate how active the individual is throughout the week must multiply that rate. Individuals who have sedentary jobs and do not exercise much have lower activity factors than individuals who perform manual labor or exercise regularly. Each of these activity factors should of been chosen honest by the individual, as using an inaccurate activity factor will lead to an inaccurate TDEE calculation.
After calculating an individual’s TDEE, that TDEE can be used to establish nutritional goal for that individual. For individuals who wish to lose weight, the calorie intake should be less than the TDEE of that individual. For individuals who wish to gain weight, the calorie intake should be more than the TDEE of that individual.
The TDEE can be further refined by tracking the food that an individual consumes and by measuring the body weight of that individual over a period of several week. If the body weight of an individual remains the same after two week of eating the same diet, the calorie intake of that individual is likely equal to their TDEE. If the body weight of an individual decreases while attempting to maintain their weight, the TDEE of that individual is lower than calculate.
Tools that can assist in calculating the calorie intake of an individual and the body weight of that individual include various calorie-tracking applications and device that an individual can wear. However, the measurements from these tools should be the weekly weight averages of that individual. Weekly weight averages are more accurate than daily body weight measurement.
Furthermore, they are more indicative of long-term trend in body weight than daily body weight measurements. There are a variety of methods for managing the energy intake of an individual according to their TDEE. One method of managing energy intake is through the practice of calorie cycling.
Calorie cycling involves consuming more calories of an individual’s TDEE on days that the individual incorporate exercise into their routine, yet consuming fewer calories of an individual’s TDEE on days that the individual does not exercise. Another method for managing energy intake is to increase the protein intake of an individual’s diet. Protein contains a high thermic effect of food, which indicate that the body burns more calories digesting protein than any other type of nutrient.
Finally, an individual can increase the NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) to increase their TDEE. An example of increasing an individual’s NEAT would be to begin to take the stairs instead of the elevator, or to begin to incorporate more walking into their routine each day. Each of these method of managing energy intake will allow an individual to more effective control their body weight.
