Before learning about TDEE, many people feel stuck in a frustrating cycle.
You might recognise some of these:
“I’m eating hardly anything but the scale won’t move.”
“Some weeks I lose weight, then suddenly I gain it back.”
“I train hard but still can’t lose body fat.”
“Every diet seems to work for a few weeks… then it stops.”
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
In most cases the problem isn’t lack of effort.
It’s simply lack of clarity around calorie needs.
Once you understand your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, fat loss stops feeling random and starts becoming predictable.
You’re no longer relying on guesswork or mis-leading social media advice.
You’re working from real numbers your body actually responds to.
Most people trying to lose fat are never actually shown how to calculate this number properly.
Instead, they’re given generic calorie targets, strict meal plans, or told to simply “eat less and move more.”
But when you understand how your own body uses energy, fat loss becomes far more logical and sustainable.
That’s exactly what we’re going to simplify here – once you know you know.
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
Before we get into the numbers, do one quick thing first.
Write down the number of calories you think you should be eating each day to lose weight?
Don’t overthink it - just write down the first number that comes to mind.
We’ll calculate your real number in a moment, and it will be interesting to compare the two.
In simple terms, TDEE is the total number of calories your body burns in a full day.
This includes the energy your body uses:
• While sleeping
• For breathing and organ function
• During everyday movement and work
• Walking and general activity
• Training and exercise
• Even digesting food
Your TDEE is your calorie maintenance level - the number of calories your body needs each day to maintain your current weight based on your lifestyle and activity levels.
Once you know this number, everything becomes clearer.
Fat loss stops feeling frustrating and confusing.
You’re no longer:
• Guessing
• Eating far too little
• Eating too much
• Jumping from diet to diet
• Confused by social media advice
Instead, you’re working from real numbers and real physiology.
Calories made simple - for real results.
Most people struggle with fat loss because they never actually understand how much energy their body needs.
If your calories are:
Too high → fat loss stalls or weight increases
Too low → energy crashes, cravings increase, and consistency disappears
Neutral → weight stays the same
Your TDEE gives you a logical starting point so you can adjust calories based on data — not guesswork.
That’s why Day 2 of the free 5 day HEA Reset Challenge focuses on calculating this number.
If you’re already doing the Reset, you’ll complete this as part of today’s task.
Not joined yet? Start the free 5-Day HEA Reset here →
Once you know your TDEE, everything else becomes easier.
Take a few minutes to work through this - once you know this number, you’ll understand exactly where your calories should be for fat loss.
We use the Mifflin–St Jeor equation.
It’s one of the most widely used formulas in nutrition because it’s:
• Simple
• Evidence based
• Reliable for estimating calorie needs
What gets measured gets managed.
Don’t worry if maths isn’t your thing — the example below walks through it step-by-step so you can see exactly how it works.
To get started you’ll need four numbers:
1️⃣ Your weight (kg)
2️⃣ Your height (cm)
3️⃣ Your age (years)
4️⃣ How often you exercise each week
Accuracy beats assumptions.
Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body needs at complete rest just to keep you alive.
Think of it as the energy required to keep the lights on.
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) − 161
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) + 5
This gives you the calories your body would burn if you stayed in bed all day.
But of course, you don’t.
So next we factor in real life movement.
Multiply your BMR by the number that best matches your lifestyle.
|
Activity Level |
Multiplier |
|
Little or no exercise |
1.2 |
|
Light exercise (1–3 sessions/week) |
1.375 |
|
Moderate exercise (3–5 sessions/week) |
1.55 |
|
Very active (6+ sessions/week) |
1.725 |
BMR × Activity Multiplier = TDEE
This gives your estimated daily calorie maintenance level.
Claire is:
(10 × 70) + (6.25 × 165) − (5 × 38) – 161 = 1,380 BMR calories
1,380 × 1.55 = 2,139 calories
👉 This means Claire would maintain her weight eating roughly 2,139 calories per day.
Still confused? Let’s break it down further:
Step 1 - BMR Calculation
(10 × 70) = 700 + (6.25 × 165) = 1,031 + (700 + 1,031 = 1,731) − (5 × 38) = 190 (1,731 – 190) = 1,541
Total = 1,541 – 161 = 1,380 Total BMR calories
Step 2 - TDEE Activity Calculation
Total 1,380 × 1.55 (activity) = 2,139 TDEE calories
With her current activity level of training 3–4 times per week, Claire would maintain her weight at around 2,139 calories per day — that’s her Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
Claire’s examples Step By Step – Do It Line by Line
Woman Example Calculation’s:
Claire details: Weight: 70kg, Height: 165cm, Age: 38 years
Woman’s BMR formula = (10 × weight) + (6.25 × height) − (5 × age) − 161
👉 BMR = 1,380 calories
BMR × Activity Multiplier = TDEE calculation
So now we know Claire’s BMR is 1,380 calories and she trains 3-4 times per week, so we use the activity multiplier of 1.55.
Now calculate:
1,380 x 1.55 = 2,139 TDEE calories
This is Claire’s total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) per day.
👉 With her current activity level of training 3-4 times per week, Claire would maintain her weight at around 2,139 calories per day.
IMPORTANT NOTE - If Claire wants to lose weight, this needs adjusting further.
If Claire is looking to *lose weight, we deduct a safe calorie deficit from her TDEE as explained further below.
Once you know your number, you can adjust calories based on your goal.
Maintenance: Eat around your TDEE → weight stays the same
*Lose weight: Reduce calories by 250 or up to 500 per day → safe, steady and sustainable for fat loss and helps prevent malnutrition.
Example calculation:
2,139 – 500 = 1,639 calories per day for fat loss
That becomes the daily fat loss target.
No complicated apps required.
Just a clear starting point.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The principles are exactly the same, however the Men’s BMR formula is different to the woman’s. Remember to use the men’s BMR formula below.
Men’s BMR formula calculation
(10 × weight) + (6.25 × height) − (5 × age) + 5
Your TDEE isn’t a number you calculate once and forget forever.
As you lose weight:
• Your body becomes lighter
• Energy requirements decrease
• Your calorie needs change
That’s normal.
The simple rule we use at HEA is:
Recalculate your TDEE:
• Every 4 - 8 weeks, or
• After losing 2 - 4kg (4–9lb)
This is a general rule - other factors can play a part, such as how you feel.
This helps keep your calorie targets accurate without becoming obsessive.
Think of calories as a moving guide, not a strict rule.
Small adjustments over time lead to:
• Better energy
• Better consistency
• Better long-term results
Head back to Day 2 of the Reset Challenge and note down your TDEE for today’s task.
You now have the clarity you need to move forward with confidence.
No guesswork.
No extremes.
Just a simple method that works.
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Use the discount code from the Day 2 email: 10HEA
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