What Is TDEE and Why Every Diet Starts Here
Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the number of calories you burn in a day. Every diet plan starts with this number.
TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor. Your Basal Metabolic Rate is the calories burned at complete rest (just existing). Multiply by your activity level: Sedentary (×1.2), Light activity (×1.375), Moderate (×1.55), Very active (×1.725), Extremely active (×1.9). A 170-pound, 30-year-old male at moderate activity: BMR ~1,800 × 1.55 = TDEE ~2,790 calories/day.
Using TDEE for Any Goal
Fat loss: eat 500 below TDEE (lose ~1 lb/week). Muscle gain: eat 250-500 above TDEE. Maintenance: eat at TDEE. These are starting points — adjust based on actual results after 2-3 weeks. If you are not losing weight at a 500 deficit, your TDEE estimate may be too high, or you are underounting calories.