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How to Use Your TDEE to Lose Fat.

Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the number of calories you burn on a daily basis, when adding up your basal metabolic rate BMR plus the calories you burn through movement. Most people move, even if they have sedentary jobs, hobbies or lifestyles, even if that movement is walking between buildings when going to work. Knowing your total daily energy expenditure can help you cut calories at a moderate yet effective rate. Cutting calories too drastically may cause burn-out and failure of your fat loss plan.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper
  • Pen
  • Calculator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Calculate your BMR. For women, the BMR formula is 655 + (4.35 X weight in pounds) + (4.7 X height in inches) - (4.7 X age in years). For men, the BMR formula is 66 + (6.23 X weight in pounds) + (12.7 X height in inches) - (6.8 X age in years). This number is the calories you burn on a daily basis, just to stay alive.

    • 2

      Factor in calories burned through your activity level. "The Hollywood Trainer Weight-loss Plan: 21 Days to Make Healthy Living a Lifelong Habit" lists the following numbers to represent activity levels: 1.2 for sedentary -- 1.375 for light activity, one to three days per week -- 1.55 for moderate exercise, three to five days per week -- 1.725 for moderately high activity, six to seven days per week -- and 1.9 for heavy exercise most days of the week.

    • 3

      Multiply the number that represents your activity level by your BMR to find your TDEE. For example, if your BMR is 1400 calories, and you are lightly active one to three days per week, you would multiply 1400 by 1.375 for a result of 1,925 calories. This is your TDEE.

    • 4

      Create a caloric deficit for fat loss. To lose one pound of fat per week, create a 20 to 25 percent deficit. Multiply your TDEE by this percentage. For example, if your TDEE is 1,925, multiply that number by .20 for a result of 385 calories.

    • 5

      Subtract your deficit from your TDEE. For example, if your TDEE is 1,925 and you want to create a 20 percent deficit with 385 calories, you should be eating 1540 calories per day, to lose one pound per week.

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