1. What is TDEE and Calorie Deficit?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) represents the total number of calories you burn in a day. Calorie deficit is the difference between your TDEE and your calorie intake, which is key for weight loss.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses these equations:

Where:

• \( BMR \) — Basal Metabolic Rate (calculated using Mifflin-St Jeor Equation)
• \( activity\_factor \) — Multiplier based on activity level (1.2-1.9)
• \( calories \) — Your daily calorie intake

BMR Calculation:

• Male: \( (10 \times weight\:kg) + (6.25 \times height\:cm) - (5 \times age) + 5 \)
• Female: \( (10 \times weight\:kg) + (6.25 \times height\:cm) - (5 \times age) - 161 \)

3. Importance of TDEE Calculation

Details: Knowing your TDEE helps you understand your daily calorie needs for weight maintenance, loss, or gain. A 500 kcal/day deficit typically leads to about 0.5 kg of fat loss per week.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter your age, gender, weight in kg, height in cm, select your activity level, and your current daily calorie intake. All values must be valid positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a safe calorie deficit?
A: Generally 500-1000 kcal/day deficit is safe, leading to 0.5-1 kg weight loss per week. Extremely low calorie diets should be medically supervised.

Q2: How accurate is this calculator?
A: It provides estimates based on population averages. Individual variations in metabolism can affect actual TDEE.

Q3: Should I eat back exercise calories?
A: If you selected the correct activity level, your exercise is already accounted for in your TDEE calculation.

Q4: How often should I recalculate my TDEE?
A: Recalculate every 5-10 kg of weight change or if your activity level changes significantly.

Q5: Why isn't my weight loss matching the deficit?
A: Water retention, measurement errors, metabolic adaptation, and changes in body composition can affect actual results.