Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
When it comes to fat loss or maintaining a healthy weight, there's a very important question you need to ask yourself: How many calories should I burn each day? Several pieces of important information are needed before an accurate answer can be provided.
The number of calories you should burn daily will largely depend on factors such as your age, activity level, and health goals. In addition, your diet plays a massive role, as eating more means you need to burn more!
Whether you're aiming for weight loss, muscle gain, or simply maintaining your current weight, we will show you how to determine how many calories you need to burn to achieve your goals.
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What Are Calories?
First, let's talk about calories; mainly, what are they!?
Calories are simply a unit we use to measure energy throughout the body. There are basically two values.
First, we have the amount of calories we consume. All of the food and drink we ingest, apart from water, contain calories that the body uses or stores for later use.
Second is the amount of calories that our body utilizes. We usually think of running and exercise to burn calories. However, every single process that occurs in our body requires energy such as respiration, thermoregulation and brain function.
Therefore, calories are just a way we calculate the sum of energy we consume and expend daily.
Factors That Affect Your Daily Caloric Burn
When we talk about burning calories, we're referring to the energy your body expends to sustain daily activities. This includes everything from basic bodily functions (like heart beating) to more active pursuits (like exercise).
However, other factors can determine the amount of calories you should burn during the day. We'll discuss those so you can determine an effective number.
What is Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total calories your body burns daily, including all physical activities and bodily functions.
Understanding TDEE is essential because it helps you determine how many calories you should eat to achieve your fitness or weight goals, whether losing, gaining, or maintaining weight.¹
With that said, there are 4 components of TDEE.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
BMR is the calories your body needs to perform basic functions at rest. If you were to lay down on the couch all day and not move, that's your BMR. This includes things like;
- Breathing
- Blood Circulation
- Bodily Function
- Respiration
We don't think of these internal functions as "burning calories," but BMR actually makes up the largest chunk of daily caloric expenditure—around 60-75% of total calories for most people.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
One internal function accounts for such a large chunk of caloric burn that it gets its own category: TEF! TEF stands for the thermogenic effect of food and refers to the energy your body uses to digest, absorb, and metabolize food. ²
TEF usually accounts for about 10% of your total calorie expenditure, but this can vary depending on your macro breakdown.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
NEAT is one of the two categories that make up physical activity.
It includes all the activities you do throughout the day that aren't done for exercise or performance. It includes things such as;
- Fidgeting
- Standing
- Typing
- Walking in the mall
NEAT is where the concept of "increasing steps" comes from. While purposefully walking 10,000 steps can be seen as exercise, the differentiation is that you don't need to always perform high-intense activities to burn calories.
Increasing very low-intense exercise can make a massive difference in your daily caloric burn.
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT)
EAT is the technical term for energy used during formal exercise or sport. It's the most variable part of your TDEE since some people exercise intensely while others don't.
It, along with NEAT, are the two factors you have the most control over in increasing or decreasing your TDEE
Calculating Your TDEE
To determine your TDEE, you must estimate your BMR using an equation and adjust for activity level.
Step 1: Calculate Your BMR
Several formulas estimate BMR, but one of the most widely used is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is more accurate than older equations like the Harris-Benedict formula.
- For Men:
- BMR=10×weight in kg+6.25×height in cm−5×age in years+5BMR=10×weight in kg+6.25×height in cm−5×age in years+5
- For Women:
- BMR=10×weight in kg+6.25×height in cm−5×age in years−161BMR=10×weight in kg+6.25×height in cm−5×age in years−161
Step 2: Determine Your Activity Level
Once you have your BMR, you adjust it based on your activity level using one of the following multipliers:
- Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR × 1.2
- Lightly active (light exercise or sports 1-3 days a week): BMR × 1.375
- Moderately active (moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week): BMR × 1.55
- Very active (hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week): BMR × 1.725
- Super active (very hard exercise or a physically demanding job): BMR × 1.9
Example Calculation:
Let's say you're a 30-year-old woman who weighs 70 kg, is 165 cm tall, and has a moderately active lifestyle. Here's how you'd calculate her TDEE:
- Calculate BMR:
- BMR=10×70+6.25×165−5×30−161=1399.5 calories/day
- Multiply BMR by activity factor:
- TDEE=1399.5×1.55=2169.5 calories/day
Given her activity level, this woman would need to consume around 2,170 calories a day to maintain her current weight.
There are also calculators out there that can help you do all this.
How Much You Eat
We just went over your TDEE. However, that refers to how much you burn throughout the day.
However, you will need to adjust your TDEE depending on how much you eat! When we consume food, we're actually taking in calories for our body to utilize.
If we eat too much food, our body will store this as fat. And if you don't eat enough, you'll burn fat–if you eat too little, you can also burn muscle.
Therefore, the amount of food you consume will play a major role in burning calories. This is why we say that dieting is the most important part of someone's fat loss journey.
What Are Your Goals?
The last thing you need to know when deciding how many calories to burn daily is your overall goal in terms of body composition. As we've mentioned previously, losing weight and gaining weight will require different amounts of total calories, which can impact how many you want to burn.
Weight Maintenance
If your goal is maintaining weight, your calorie intake should match your TDEE. You won't lose or gain weight by consuming roughly the same number of calories you burn.
Weight Loss
To lose weight, you need to create a caloric deficit. This means consuming fewer calories than your TDEE. A common recommendation is to reduce your daily calorie intake by 10-20% or 300-500 calories to lose weight gradually and sustainably.
For example, if your TDEE is 2,170 calories, consuming 1,800-1,950 calories daily would result in a steady weight loss.
Weight Gain
To gain weight or build muscle, you must create a caloric surplus, which means eating more calories than you burn. Typically, a 10-20% surplus over your TDEE is recommended. For someone with a TDEE of 2,170, a calorie intake of 2,400-2,600 would support muscle growth and weight gain.
How Many Calories Should You Burn Daily?
So, now that we know the factors that could affect your overall caloric burn, we can answer the question: "How many calories should I burn a day?"
The answer to this is basically going to be the accumulation of the above factors.
Now, generally speaking, you don't calculate the amount of calories you burn. Rather, you discover your TDEE and determine how many calories you eat. However, we'll first show how this looks going backward.
Let's pretend you calculate that you need to eat 3,000 calories and want to gain weight. This means you should achieve a TDEE of 2,500 calories, which would put you in a 500-calorie surplus.
Therefore, you find your BMR and TEF, which are 1,700 calories. This means you must burn an extra 800 calories from your daily activities, including EAT and NEAT.
Now, let's say the same person wanted to lose weight. This means they'd need to burn more calories than they consume; we'll say 3,300 for a small 300-calorie deficit. This requires a caloric burn of 1,600 total calories.
This all just means you need to follow these steps;
- Calculate how many calories you plan on eating during the day
- Add 300-500 calories if you want to burn fat, or subtract 300-500 calories to gain weight
- Subtract your BMR and TEF
- This leaves the amount of calories you need to burn
A Better Method
The above calculations show you the gist, but realistically, you won't determine your calories like this.
Rather, you should first find your TDEE and then adjust your nutrition. For example, suppose you calculate your TDEE of 2,200 calories. You can then decide whether to burn fat, gain muscle, or maintain. Adjust the calories and then build a nutrition plan around that.
That said, let's quickly examine this differently. Above, we went over the calculations to find your TDEE and spoke about different activity levels.
Well, we think that to optimize your health, you should be at least moderately active. This means you'd multiply your BMR by 1.55. The total calories you should burn daily will be the difference between these numbers; you could multiply your BMR by .55.
For example, if your BMR is 1,600, you should burn around 800 calories daily through activity.
Do You Need To Burn The Same Calories Every Day?
Many people ask if they need to burn the same amount of calories daily. The answer is no, really.
The best practice is to build consistency throughout the week. Further, your calories should be relatively similar throughout the day. However, it doesn't need to be exact every single day.
Rather, look at the weekly average.
Other Calorie Burning FAQS
We're now going to look at a couple of other questions commonly asked concerning burning calories daily.
How many calories can a person burn daily?
A lot.
Seriously, we all remember when Michael Phelps' diet and training made headlines. He was reported to eat 8,000-10,000 calories daily to fuel his workouts. Keep in mind this was during the peak of his training when he reported going 5-6 hours daily. Then you have his BMR and NEAT on top of that!
Also, keep in mind that Michael Phelps is not necessarily a massive guy. He's fairly tall at 6'4" yet only weighed around 198lbs (90kgg) at the time. Again, he's not a small guy, but a normal guy his size following a basic gym plan would probably be eating around 3,000 calories a day.
While there is an upper limit at some point, we can't say for sure, but it's probably pushing 15,000. Figure there are athletes who run 100 miles in under 24 miles. The average person burns 100 calories a mile, meaning they burn 10,000 calories just from running!
How many calories does the average person burn daily?
So what about the average person?
It's hard to give the average number of calories burned a day as so many variables exist. However, here are some general numbers for men and women.
- Men - 2,200–3,000
- Women - 1,600–2,200
Prepare to lose some pounds with our exclusive 12-week fat loss training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and torch that stubborn fat, all while retaining, or even gaining muscle...
Conclusion
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question, "How many calories should I burn a day?" It depends on your individual TDEE, which takes into account your BMR, activity level, and various other factors. By calculating your TDEE, you can then set realistic numbers for whatever goal you have: weight maintenance, weight loss, or weight gain.
Therefore, the number of calories you should burn a day will be unique to you. Whatever you do, the best approach is to find a balanced plan that includes both a healthy diet and exercise. This combination is the best way to create the greatest calorie burn that results in optimized body composition.
References
- Ostendorf, Danielle M., et al. “Physical Activity Energy Expenditure and Total Daily Energy Expenditure in Successful Weight Loss Maintainers.” Obesity, vol. 27, no. 3, 25 Feb. 2019, pp. 496–504, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6392078/, https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22373.
- Reed, G W, and J O Hill. “Measuring the Thermic Effect of Food.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 63, no. 2, 1996, pp. 164–9, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8561055, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/63.2.164.
Garett Reid
Author