The Uplifted Insider (15)

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Next Step

Last week, we calculated your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). These are the totals that reveal how much energy your body burns each day.

However, this is like knowing you're driving 60 mph but not knowing whether you should speed up, slow down, or maintain that pace to reach your destination on time. You have good initial data but lack the strategy and additional information necessary to apply the numbers to your goal.

So now you might be saying, “Ok Alex, I have my numbers but what do I do next? How are they useful to my current situation?”

As you can see, it’s vital that we take the next step. We must set your target caloric intake. This is where life changing results are born. Taking the time to calculate your target caloric intake may very well be the difference between spinning your wheels and making real, measurable progress toward your goals.

This article is Part Two of my three-part series on how to take control over your weight and body composition. I'm going to show you exactly how to use your TDEE calculation to determine your perfect daily caloric target, whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or maintaining your current physique.

By the end of this newsletter, you'll have a complete roadmap that enables you to control your physical makeup with scientific precision.

Three Possible Goals

Before we get started, you need to decide what you want to accomplish in regards to your physical state. There are basically three different goals that you can choose from:

Fat Loss (Cutting): You want to reduce body fat while preserving muscle mass. This requires eating fewer calories than you burn.

Muscle Gain (Lean Bulking): You want to build muscle as efficiently as possible while minimizing fat gain. This requires eating slightly more calories than you burn.

Maintenance: You're happy with your current physique and want to maintain it. This requires eating roughly the same amount of calories you burn.

Let's dive into the details on how to reach each of these three goals.

The Fat Loss Formula

When it comes to fat loss, the size of your caloric deficit can be the difference between positive and negative results.

With this being said, there are two main approaches in regards to caloric deficits. There is the "slow cutting" method, where you are in a tiny deficit for a long period of time, and the "aggressive but not reckless" approach. In my opinion, one approach is superior to the other.

The slow approach sounds appealing because you just have to eat slightly below your TDEE and you will lose fat gradually over many months. The problem? It takes forever, and most people can't stay consistent for that long. Life gets in the way, motivation fades, and that small deficit becomes easy to accidentally erase with a single restaurant meal. Think about how many hiccups you can have in a calendar year. Holidays, birthdays, life events, stress, summer parties, vacation eating and drinking and so on. All of these fun times can easily wipeout months of eating in a slight caloric deficit.

The approach I’m going to recommend will create faster, more motivating results while still being completely sustainable. I recommend that you eat approximately 75% of your TDEE.

This typically works out to about 10-12 calories per pound of body weight for most men, and 8-10 calories per pound for most women.

For example, if your TDEE is 2,800 calories, the cutting target you are aiming for would be approximately 2,100 calories per day (2,800 x 0.75).

This 25% deficit might sound aggressive, but research has consistently shown that it's the sweet spot for timely fat loss with minimal muscle loss. A study with elite track and field athletes found that a 25% deficit resulted in significant fat loss with virtually no muscle loss over four weeks, while a smaller 12% deficit produced minimal results.

Over the years, when anyone has asked me how many calories they should eat to lose weight and I needed a quick, on the fly response, I have always given the same simplistic answer. My answer is: multiply your body weight by ten and start there. So for a 200 lbs person, they would consume 2,000 calories daily (200 lbs x 10). This will put them close to the 25% caloric deficit that has been found to be optimal for fat loss. The key is then combining this caloric deficit with resistance training and adequate protein intake (which will be covered in Part Three of this series).

The Muscle Building Strategy

Building muscle requires the opposite approach. You need to eat more calories than you burn. But here's the critical mistake most people make: they eat way too much and justify it by claiming it’s “bulking season.” I have said those exact words many times and have definitely over-consumed food in the name of packing on muscle.

This old-school approach of eating everything in sight might build muscle, but it also packs on unnecessary fat. This creates a few problems: you will probably feel sluggish as well as less confident, and excess body fat actually makes it harder to build muscle due to decreased insulin sensitivity.

The solution is what is referred to as "lean bulking." Which is when you eat just enough above your TDEE to maximize muscle growth while minimizing fat gain.

My recommendation is to eat approximately 110% of your TDEE.

For most men, this works out to 16-18 calories per pound of body weight. For women, it's typically 14-16 calories per pound.

For example, if your TDEE is 2,800 calories, your lean bulking target would be approximately 3,080 calories per day (2,800 x 1.10).

This modest surplus provides your body with the extra energy needed for muscle protein synthesis and recovery while keeping fat gain minimal. It is not optimal to bulk by subscribing to the See-Food Diet (where you see food and you eat it). Bad joke, I know, haha. But if you hit your “sweet spot” caloric surplus, you'll build muscle steadily without the sluggish bloated feeling that comes with traditional bulking.

The Maintenance Sweet Spot

Maintenance is the goal you'll eventually reach once you've built your ideal physique. It's probably the most flexible and enjoyable phase because you just need your calories to average out to your TDEE and you’ve achieved your fat loss or muscle gain goals so you are confident and content with your current physical state. This should also put you in a good spot mentally. However, you will find that people who need to still be in a caloric deficit, complain a lot about people in the maintenance phase because the people in the maintenance phase are able to eat substantially more than people who are in a fat loss phase. It’s very important for the two parties to realize that they are each just in a different part of their fitness journeys and different goals require different paths. This refers back to the example gripe that I used at the beginning of last week’s article.

For maintenance, you have two options:

Consistent Daily Intake: Eat the same number of calories every day at an amount approximately equal to your TDEE. This typically works out to 14-16 calories per pound of body weight for most men, and 12-14 for most women.

Since it’s very hard to exactly match your TDEE, some days you'll be in a slight deficit and other days in a slight surplus. But it should balance out over time. This is the approach I recommend for most people because it's simple and sustainable.

Variable Daily Intake: Eat more on active days, less on sedentary days. This requires more planning but can work well for people with highly variable activity levels.

For the variable approach, you'd want to eat:

• 115% of BMR on sedentary days

• 120-135% of BMR on lightly active days

• 140-155% of BMR on moderately active days

• 160-175% of BMR on very active days

• 180-195% of BMR on extremely active days

Most people will prefer the consistent approach because it eliminates guesswork and makes meal planning infinitely easier.

Adjustments Might Be Necessary

There is something that you need to know about all these calculations. It is that the numbers are starting points, not gospel. People are not robots and definitely do not all respond the same.

So start with these formulas, track your results for a month, then adjust based on what actually happens. If you're not losing fat as expected, reduce calories by 100-200 per day. If you're losing weight too quickly or feeling terrible, add 100-200 calories back. But also know that you can’t deduce whether or not something worked if you didn’t actually follow the plan the whole time. So be disciplined and be deliberate.

The big picture idea is to find YOUR personal optimal point that suits YOUR current goal and you find this through experience and observation. Get to know your body and what it needs.

Your Action Plan

Ready to apply your numbers and take action? Here's your step-by-step plan:

Choose Your Path: Decide whether your current goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance. Be honest about what you want the most right now.

Calculate Your Target: Using your TDEE from last week, calculate your target daily calories based on your chosen path.

Plan Your Approach: Start planning meals and snacks that hit your target. Don't worry about perfection. You want to focus on getting close.

Track and Adjust: Monitor your weight, energy levels, and how you feel. Adjust your target based on real-world results, not just calculations.

The Next Article: We'll dive into macronutrients by discussing how to split your calories between protein, carbs, and fats for optimal results.

Ready to Turn Your Numbers Into Results?

If you're ready to stop guessing with your nutrition and start using a systematic approach that delivers predictable results, I'd love to help you implement these strategies with a personalized plan.

My online coaching program takes the calculations we've covered and transforms them into a practical eating strategy that fits your real life. I'll fine-tune your numbers based on your progress and preferences, ensuring you get the results you want without becoming overwhelmed.

Ready to discover what becomes possible when you finally know exactly what your body needs?

Click here to apply for customized online personal training today!

Remember: Knowledge without action is just entertainment. You now have the tools to take complete control of your body composition. The question isn't whether these methods work, it's whether you're ready to use them consistently.

Your transformation starts with your next meal. Make it count.

*Author’s Note: The next article will be released on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thanks for reading!