Nutrition & Calorie Glossary

Plain-English definitions for BMR, TDEE, macros, and other key nutrition terms.

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)

BMR, or Basal Metabolic Rate, is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest to sustain basic physiological ...

TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure, is the total number of calories your body burns in a single day, including all ...

A calorie deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than your TDEE. The body must then use stored energy (body fat ...

A calorie surplus occurs when you consume more calories than your TDEE. The excess energy is stored primarily as body fa...

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is a formula for calculating Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), developed in 1990. It is widely co...

NEAT, or Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, is the energy expended for everything you do that isn't sleeping, eating, ...

Macronutrients (commonly called 'macros') are the three nutrients that provide energy: protein (4 kcal/g), carbohydrates...

Activity factor (also called physical activity level or PAL) is a multiplier applied to BMR to calculate TDEE. Values: S...

The Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) is the increase in metabolic rate after eating — the energy your body uses to digest, a...

Sarcopenia is the gradual, age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. It begins around age 30 and accelerate...

Ready to put these terms into practice?