Calculating maintenance calories is not an easy task. Even a single calorie can make a huge difference if you are extremely focused on your fitness journey. Now, 43-year-old IFBB Pro Marc Lobliner is here to make calculating calories easier. 

In a recent video uploaded on IFBB Pro’s YouTube channel Tiger Fitness, Lobliner gave a brief overview of TDEE. TDEE stands for your total daily energy expenditure. Let’s break it down into simpler terms. It measures the total number of calories you burn in a single day following your daily lifestyle. 

TDEE is calculated using your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and your activity level. “BMR is the amount of calories you would burn per day at rest,” wrote Lobliner on his website. TDEE is the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight. It includes all the calories you burn while sleeping, exercising, and eating. While going on a bulk or cut, calculating your TDEE is the most important part of your plan.

To calculate your TDEE, you need to follow the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula, in which you find your basal metabolic rate and then multiply it with the chosen activity number. “For men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5 (kcal / day).” and “For women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) -161 (kcal / day).“

The activity number is based on the amount of exercise you do regularly. If you do a light workout, then BMR with 1.375; the next is a moderate workout plan, then multiply with 1.550. If you hit the gym daily, multiply it by 1.725; for regular gym goers, the number is 1.9. Multiplying the equation with these numbers according to your activity number, you can find your TDEE.

If you find following the TDEE method a bit difficult, then you have another option that the seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested.

Arnie suggests following intermittent fasting to ensure a balanced calorie intake

The Austrian Oak explained how following intermittent fasting can help you keep your calorie intake balanced. Losing weight is just the difference between the calories you consume and the calories you burn. The excessive calories you’re left with will be fat. Arnie shared research that suggests maintaining an eating window can help you do the same.

“Multiple studies have found that intermittent fasting (also known as time-restricted eating) is not superior for fat loss. However, it might be an easier way to get similar results with less thinking,” explained the seven-time Mr. Olympia in a previous edition of his newsletter supporting his claims.

After learning how to find TDEE, would you also use the same to figure out your workout plan? Or will you follow intermittent fasting to ensure a lower calorie intake? Let us know in the comments.