Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
The total calories your body burns each day, used to set a personal calorie target for weight loss.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
Your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE, is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including everything from breathing to exercise. Knowing your TDEE helps you understand how many calories you need to lose, gain or maintain weight.
Medical
Clinical Definition
Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the sum of resting metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, and physical activity energy expenditure, including exercise and non-exercise activity thermogenesis. Resting metabolic rate typically accounts for 60 to 75% of TDEE. A sustained negative energy balance relative to TDEE is required for weight loss.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
Weight loss ultimately comes down to consistently taking in fewer calories than your TDEE. At Accord Medical Clinic, we measure your metabolic rate and activity level to set a personalised calorie target that works, with no guesswork.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: August 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.
