More importantly, muscle mass preserves metabolic rate during weight loss—people who lose weight through diet alone lose 20-30% muscle mass, while those who strength train lose primarily fat. Every pound of body tissue (fat or muscle) you lose reduces your daily calorie burn by approximately 4-5 calories. Instead, eat 1,900 calories, lose fat sustainably, preserve muscle, maintain energy. If you’re gaining or losing without intending to, adjust your intake by 100 to 200 calories in the appropriate direction. If you’re gaining or losing without trying to, adjust your intake by 100 to 200 calories in the right direction. For muscle gain, a 200 to 300 calorie surplus is enough to support growth without excessive fat gain. Calculate your tdee weight gain with precision. It's better to set your activity level accurately and create a planned deficit through food. Don't double-count by eating back exercise calories — they're already factored into your TDEE. As your body weight changes, your calorie needs change too. TDEE includes BMR plus all additional calories burned through daily activities, exercise, and digesting food. Larger people and those with more muscle burn more calories. Her TDEE of 2,683 calories is 90% higher than her BMR and 600+ calories above the average sedentary woman her age. Despite being relatively active for his age, Robert’s TDEE of 2,116 is only 350 calories above his BMR. Many physical laborers undereat and plateau in the gym because they don’t account for occupational calorie burn. His TDEE of 3,157 calories is 900+ calories higher than the average sedentary male. This is why people plateau — they’re still eating "the same thing that worked before" but their body has adapted. "Medium" chicken breast portions vary by 100+ grams (200+ calories). Protein intake IN GRAMS is calculated by multiplying body weight IN POUNDS by 0.82. I hereby agree to assume and accept any and all risks of injury or death related to said fitness activities. Once again, instead of using the TDEE calculator you can also use a back-of-the-envelope formula of . The researchers measured the participants’ weight and body composition using dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) before and after the study. Everyone followed their diet and exercise plans for 8-to-12 weeks (depending on how much weight they wanted to gain). Both groups also lifted weights four times per week in addition to continuing their sport-specific training, training each major muscle group twice per week.