Question 1

What is TDEE?

Accepted Answer

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your basal metabolic rate (BMR) plus calories burned through all physical activity. Knowing your TDEE helps you determine how many calories to eat to lose weight, maintain weight, or gain muscle.

Question 2

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

Accepted Answer

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body needs at complete rest just to sustain basic functions like breathing and circulation. TDEE multiplies BMR by an activity factor to account for all movement throughout the day. TDEE is always higher than BMR.

Question 3

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Accepted Answer

A safe rate of weight loss is 0.5–1 lb per week, which requires a calorie deficit of 250–500 calories per day below your TDEE. Eating at TDEE minus 500 calories per day will result in roughly 1 lb of fat loss per week. Avoid going below 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) without medical supervision.

Question 4

Which TDEE formula is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is considered the most accurate for most people and is recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The Katch-McArdle formula is more accurate if you know your lean body mass. All formulas are estimates — individual metabolism can vary by 10–20%.

Question 5

What are macros and how do I calculate them?

Accepted Answer

Macros (macronutrients) are protein, carbohydrates, and fat. A common starting split for weight loss is 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat. For muscle gain, 30% protein, 45% carbs, 25% fat works well. Protein provides 4 cal/g, carbs 4 cal/g, fat 9 cal/g. Multiply your target calories by each percentage, then divide by the appropriate cal/g to get grams.

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