Should You Eat Your BMR or TDEE?

Should you eat your BMR or TDEE? This question comes up when people are unsure which calorie number actually matters for everyday eating and weight goals.

You generally should not aim to eat only your BMR because BMR represents the calories needed if you lay still all day in a controlled environment. TDEE, however, includes BMR plus all daily activity, digestion, and exercise, so it reflects your real-world maintenance needs. Eating close to BMR is usually too aggressive and can increase fatigue, hunger, and muscle loss. Instead, most people use TDEE as the reference point and then create a moderate deficit, usually 15–25% below TDEE, for weight loss. For maintenance, eating around your TDEE keeps weight steady. BMR is mainly a building block inside the formula, while TDEE is the practical number used for daily calorie planning.