Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the calories you burn across 24 hours. It is your BMR (the energy your body uses at rest) multiplied by an activity factor between 1.2 (desk job, almost no movement) and 1.9 (manual labour plus daily training). The number above uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is the most accurate generic formula for non-athletes.
What to do with this number
Eat at your TDEE to maintain weight. Subtract 300 to 500 kcal for a moderate cut, which typically yields 0.3 to 0.6 kg of fat loss per week without crushing your training. Add 200 to 300 kcal above TDEE for a lean bulk that gains 0.2 to 0.4 kg per week, mostly muscle once training and protein are in place. Aggressive deficits over 750 kcal usually backfire: hunger spikes, sleep gets worse, and adherence collapses by week three.
Why your real burn may differ by 10 to 15%
Activity multipliers are estimates. Two people with the same job can differ by 400 kcal a day in non-exercise movement. Track your weight for 10 to 14 days at the calculated maintenance number. If your weight is stable, the estimate is right. If you are losing or gaining, adjust by 150 to 200 kcal per day and repeat. Recalculate when your body weight changes by more than 4 kg, because BMR scales with mass.
