What the multiplier does
Take someone with a BMR of 1,608 kcal (man, 41, 177 cm, 70.2 kg):
| Activity level | Multiplier | TDEE |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary (little exercise) | 1.2 | 1,930 kcal |
| Light (1β3 days/week) | 1.375 | 2,211 kcal |
| Moderate (3β5 days/week) | 1.55 | 2,493 kcal |
| Active (6β7 days/week) | 1.725 | 2,774 kcal |
| Very active (hard job / 2Γ/day) | 1.9 | 3,056 kcal |
Sedentary and Moderate are about 560 kcal apart. A mostly seated person who picks Moderate and then subtracts 500 kcal ends up eating at maintenance.
Why we pick too high
- We remember workout days β three sessions a week barely moves the multiplier if the rest of the day is spent sitting.
- We overrate intensity β in the US NHANES survey, activity measured by accelerometer was far lower than self-reports; fewer than 5% of adults met the 30-minutes-a-day guideline by accelerometer.
- We read "3β5 days" as gym visits β the multiplier covers your whole day, including job and commute.
Rules of thumb
- Desk job, little or occasional exercise β Sedentary
- Desk job plus 2β3 workouts of 30+ minutes a week, or a walking commute β Light
- On your feet at work (retail, nursing, teaching) or 4β5 workouts a week β Moderate
- Manual labor or training twice a day β the levels above
If you are torn between two, pick the lower one and adjust after 2β4 weeks of weight trend.
Choosing in the app
Pick an activity level
On the Calculator tab, open the "Activity level" dropdown. The question-mark icon explains that for most desk jobs, Light is realistic.
Check it against your log
If you ate at your target for two weeks or more and the trend doesnβt match the estimate, move the level by one step. The Weight log trend chart also draws a moving average of the last 5 entries, so the direction is easier to see than day-to-day noise.
FAQ
Can I add the calories my smartwatch says I burned?
If you already picked a higher activity level, adding workout calories counts them twice. Use one or the other.
Should training days and rest days have different targets?
Not necessary. If the weekly average matches, weight change is similar, and one target is easier to stick to.
Sources: Troiano et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc 2008
Calorie Calculator: BMR TDEE
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