Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is essentially the number of calories you burn in a given day. It is the number of calories you would have to eat to maintain your weight, also known as your maintenance calories.
Now, there are various components of your TDEE.
**Adapted from "Metabolic Adaptation to Weight Loss: Implications for the Athlete" by Eric Trexler, Abbie Smith-Ryan, & Layne Norton (2014)
One of the biggest contributors is your basal metabolic rate (BMR) or also known as your resting metabolic rate (RMR). This is the bare minimum number of calories you have to consume just to stay alive daily and to maintain your normal bodily functions. Factors that influence this are weight, height, and muscle mass (e.g. if you are a taller, heavier or more muscular individual, you need more calories compared to someone who is shorter, lighter, or has less muscle mass).
The next biggest contributor is your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). These are the number of calories you burn with all non-conscious or unplanned activity. Some examples are standing, fidgeting, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, doing chores around the house, and how many steps you take daily (the biggest contributor).
The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the next biggest contributor, which is essentially the amount of calories you burn digesting your food.
And the last contributing factor TDEE is your exercise activity thermogenesis (EAT). This is the amount of calories you’re burning from planned exercise. This number can vary depending on how much exercise you’re doing (e.g. an athlete who has 2-3 training sessions in a day will have a greater number of calories burned versus an individual going to the gym for a 45-minute resistance training session).
It’s important to note that TDEE can vary depending on the day. However, based on the information you’re inputting when it comes to the calories you’re consuming and your body weight, Coach Alice will be able to determine an average and continue adjusting your calories as you progress to keep you on track with your goals.