What is TDEE?
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) matlab hai — tu ek din mein total kitni calories burn karta hai, resting metabolism se lekar chalna-phirna, exercise, sab milake. Yehi tera maintenance calorie number hai — isse zyada khayega toh weight badhega, isse kam khayega toh ghategga. Weight loss ya gain ka poora maths isi ek number se shuru hota hai.
How is TDEE calculated?
Do steps mein: pehle BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate — agar tu poora din bistar pe pada rahe, phir bhi tera body kitni calories use karega), phir uspe activity multiplier. Yeh calculator Mifflin-St Jeor formula use karta hai, jo aaj sabse accurate maana jaata hai general population ke liye:
- Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
- Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
Example: 30-saal ka aadmi, 70 kg, 170 cm — BMR = 700 + 1062.5 − 150 + 5 ≈ 1,618 kcal. Fir activity multiplier laga: sedentary (desk job, kam movement) ×1.2, lightly active ×1.375, moderately active ×1.55, very active ×1.725. Sedentary desk-job wale ke liye TDEE ≈ 1,618 × 1.2 ≈ 1,940 kcal/day — yehi uska maintenance number hai.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Safe, sustainable weight loss ke liye TDEE se 300-500 kcal kam khaana — isse haftey mein roughly 0.25-0.5 kg fat loss hota hai, bina muscle loss ya crash-diet crash ke. Upar wale example mein, 1,940 − 400 ≈ 1,540 kcal/day deficit target. Isse zyada aggressive cut (800-1000 kcal deficit) short-term fast lagta hai, lekin muscle loss, thakaan, aur binge-eating ka risk badha deta hai — long run mein weight wapas aa jaata hai.
How many calories should I eat to gain weight/muscle?
TDEE se 250-500 kcal zyada, saath mein resistance training — sirf zyada khaane se muscle nahi banta, gym/home workout zaroori hai warna zyada fat hi banega. Upar wale example mein, surplus target ≈ 2,190-2,440 kcal/day, protein ~1.6-2 g per kg bodyweight ke saath.
TDEE by activity level — what "sedentary" to "very active" actually means
Zyadatar log apna activity level overestimate karte hain — "main toh bahut ghoomta hoon office mein" sedentary hi count hota hai agar dedicated exercise nahi hai.
| Activity level | What it actually means | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job, WFH, <2000 steps/exercise most days | ×1.2 |
| Lightly active | Light exercise 1-3 days/week, or an active job with walking | ×1.375 |
| Moderately active | Structured exercise 3-5 days/week (gym, sports) | ×1.55 |
| Very active | Hard training 6-7 days/week, or physically demanding job | ×1.725 |
Agar unsure ho, sedentary ya lightly active se shuru kar — overestimate karne se calorie target galat high ban jaata hai, aur "maintenance" khaate hue bhi weight loss nahi hota.
Why your TDEE number will feel "too high"
Bahut logon ko lagta hai "1,940 kcal? Itna toh main abhi bhi kha raha hoon, phir weight kyun badh raha?" — jawab hai, most Indians apna khaana under-estimate karte hain, especially ghee, oil, chai-biscuit, aur "thoda sa" wale snacks jo actually add up karte hain. Ek din honestly track kar ke dekh — Coach Bhai ka meal tracker photo se ya type karke calories nikal deta hai, dal-chawal se lekar samosa tak — tab tera "maintenance feels wrong" wala doubt clear ho jaayega.
Common mistakes that make a TDEE number "not work"
Three patterns explain most "I'm eating right and still not losing weight" complaints. First, portion drift — ghar ka khaana measure kiye bina eyeball karna; "1 katori dal" varies 30% between servings if you're not consistent (dekh katori calorie guide aur dal-chawal macros). Second, liquid and snack blindness — chai (with sugar), 2-3 biscuits, namkeen handfuls through the day easily add 300-400 kcal that never gets counted as "a meal." Third, weekend reset — hitting the target Monday to Friday and then undoing the whole week's deficit at one wedding function or Sunday family lunch (eating-out calorie guide helps here). None of these mean the calculator is wrong — they mean the number needs to be tracked against, not just glanced at once.
Recalculate as your weight changes
TDEE isn't a one-time number — as weight drops, so does maintenance calories (a lighter body burns less at rest and during activity), so a deficit that worked at 80 kg gradually becomes "maintenance" as you approach 70 kg. Recalculate every 4-6 weeks, or whenever the scale has moved more than 3-4 kg, so the target keeps matching the body it's meant for. BMI aur ideal weight range bhi saath mein dobara check kar le.
Turning your calorie number into an actual Indian meal plan
Ek number milna easy hai; usse din bhar ke khaane mein convert karna asli kaam hai. Roti-chawal-dal ki thali ko poora hataane ki zaroorat nahi — katori calorie guide dekh ke apni normal thali ko hi portion-adjust kar sakta hai. Grain swap soch raha hai toh roti vs rice vs millets padh, aur breakfast ke liye idli-dosa-upma calorie guide. Office mein tiffin le jaata hai toh tiffin meal-prep guide target calories ke hisaab se dabba plan karna sikhata hai. Poora din auto-track karna hai bina manual math ke, Coach Bhai app free join kar — yeh TDEE number seedha tere diet plan mein feed ho jaata hai.