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Calculate Your Daily Energy Needs (BMR & TDEE)

Your body requires a certain amount of energy each day to function, move, train, and recover. Understanding this means you make clearer, more sustainable decisions.

These Numbers = The Starting Point for:

  • Fat loss

  • Maintenance

  • Muscle gain

 

Not to chase perfection – but to create clarity and consistency.

The calculator gives you a practical estimate of:

 

  • Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

  • Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

 

These values act as reference points, not rigid values.

BMR – Basal Metabolic Rate

Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs at rest, to keep you alive:

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  • Breathing

  • Blood circulation

  • Temperature regulation

  • Basic cellular function

 

BMR does not include movement or exercise.

TDEE – Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Your TDEE builds on your BMR by accounting for:

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  • Movement

  • Exercise

  • Lifestyle physical activity

 

TDEE ≈ the number of calories related to maintaining your current body weight.

Think of TDEE as BMR + life.

Now pause for a moment and consider an IT programmer who's also an Ironman athlete. Then compare their average workday with a weekend training day — same biology, very different energy demands.

The Calculator (coming soon)

This page will soon include a simple calculator to estimate your BMR and TDEE.
For now, use the explanations above to understand how your energy needs are determined — clarity comes before numbers.

 

Input that will be required when the calculator goes live:

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  • Sex

  • Age

  • Height

  • Body weight

  • Current physical activity-level

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Optional advanced input:

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  • Body fat percentage (for lean individuals who know theirs)

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Outputs:

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  • Estimated BMR

  • Estimated TDEE

 

Disclaimer for results: All predictive equations have a natural margin of error (typically ±5–10%). Use these values as informed starting points, not absolutes.

How To Use Your TDEE

Once you know your TDEE, adjustments become straightforward.

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FAT LOSS

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A moderate calorie deficit of ~10–20% below TDEE is generally sustainable and manageable.

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MAINTENANCE

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Eating around your TDEE will tend to maintain your current body weight over time.

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MUSCLE GAIN

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A small surplus above TDEE is usually sufficient, especially when training is consistent.

 

NB: Large deficits and aggressive surpluses are rarely sustainable long-term.

Important Context

These numbers:

 

  • Are estimates

  • Improve with consistency and tracking

  • Become more accurate over time when paired with observation

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The goal is not to chase a perfect calculation.

 

NB: The goal is to establish a reliable reference point and adjust intelligently based on real-world feedback.

Want To Know How These Numbers Are Calcuated?

If you’d like a deeper explanation of:​

 

  • The equations used

  • Physical activity-level assumptions

  • Why lean mass matters

  • Where margins of error come from

 

→ Read the full explanation of BMR, TDEE, and energy expenditure here. (Link to educational/reference page coming soon.)

In Closing

In plain and simple terms:

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You can only know where to go if you know where you are.

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  • Start simple

  • Apply consistently

  • Adjust as needed
     

Page backround photo by Juliane Liebermann on unsplash.

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