Buzz
You can enter your stats into online calculators, adjust your Fitbit settings, and carefully track every calorie burned, but no formula can provide a true answer about how many calories your body actually burns in a day. To get a precise answer, you’ll need to experiment a bit on your own.
Calculators offer a useful starting point
If you're looking for an estimated number of calories someone your size might burn, there are formulas that can give you an approximation. The calculator referenced here uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation (or you can choose from two other options) to calculate your BMR, or basal metabolic rate. A related figure is your RMR, or resting metabolic rate. Both of these metrics estimate the calories your body burns just to keep you alive.
Our bodies burn more than just resting calories—we also need energy to move, exercise, and digest food. The total calories burned in a day is called TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure. Calculators can give you an estimate. For example, the linked calculator estimates my BMR at 1,309 calories per day, and for my activity level, it suggests a TDEE of 2,029. Based on experience, that’s quite accurate—well done, calculator!
For a precise estimate, tracking your weight is essential
Everyone is unique. Perhaps I move around more than you do, or your gut bacteria may be more efficient at processing food than mine. If you want to track your calories with a goal to gain, lose, or maintain your weight precisely, you’ll need to monitor both the calories you consume and your weight.
One way to do this is with the reddit-famous TDEE spreadsheet. Each day, you enter your morning weight and the calories you ate. (This method requires careful food tracking, so it’s not for everyone.) The simplicity is key: the spreadsheet averages your weekly weight and calories. If your weight increases, you’ve eaten more than your TDEE. If your weight decreases, you’ve eaten less.
You can also perform a similar calculation on the back of any envelope. Essentially, if your weight stays consistent, the number of calories you’re consuming is your TDEE. This holds true for most of us most of the time!
This method isn’t entirely foolproof either
Unfortunately, we're not machines. We live dynamic lives, constantly changing our activities and food choices. If you're losing weight, your body will start conserving calories somewhat. On the flip side, the calculator doesn’t take into account shifts in your activity levels. If you change your workout routine, fall ill, or start walking to work more often, your energy expenditure will increase.
A TDEE tracker can help you understand how your expenditure has varied over recent weeks, but it won't give you precise daily advice on how many calories to eat or what the scale might show tomorrow. Our weight naturally fluctuates from day to day. So, if you’re tracking your TDEE, it gives you the broader picture, but accuracy will never be perfect.
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