The Uplifted Insider

“Fitness is like a relationship. You can’t cheat and expect it to work.” – Unknown

A Common Question or Gripe

"Why do some people eat whatever they want and stay lean, while I gain weight just looking at food?"

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard some version of this quote, framed as a legitimate question or a self-deprecating gripe.

Years ago, it used to frustrate me when someone said this because it’s an emotionally loaded question based on a perspective that is backed by little to no data. But now I understand why someone would say this. People get frustrated when they don’t see the changes that others are getting especially when they feel like they are “trying” harder. However, I think people would be less frustrated if they became more educated on the fundamental science behind how the body actually uses energy. Less frustration is key because less frustration will decrease the likelihood that someone will give up on themselves physically.

After almost a decade and a half as a personal trainer, I can tell you that the people who achieve lasting results understand their body's energy equation. They don't guess, hope, or “think” they are on the right track. They know the numbers or they have been manipulating their bodies so long that it has become intuitive. It is important to note that if the intuitive approach stops being effective, it is probably time to revisit the numbers.

Today, I want to teach you how to discover your personal energy equation so you can finally take control of your body weight with confidence and precision.

This newsletter is Part One of a three-part series. Today we'll cover two topics—your Basal Metabolic Rate and your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Next week, we will discuss calculating your target daily caloric intake and the following week we will cover calculating your macros. By the end of this series, you will have adequate knowledge to finally take total control over your body weight and composition.

Your Body is Like a Bank Account

Think of your body like a checking account, but your currency is calories instead of dollars.

Every day, your body makes automatic withdrawals to pay for essential functions. For example, in order to keep your heart beating your body is charged a certain amount of calories. Same thing goes for keeping your brain thinking, your lungs breathing, and your organs functioning. Whether you want them to or not, these caloric bills come out of your account every day.

The amount your body "withdraws" for these basic functions is called your Basal Metabolic Rate, or your BMR. It's the minimum energy cost of keeping you alive for 24 hours. More specifically it is the minimum amount of energy your body needs to perform basic life-sustaining functions, such as breathing, circulation, and cell production, while at rest. It is influenced by factors like age, sex, height, weight, body composition (especially muscle mass), and genetics.

But BMR is not the only thing burning through calories. Throughout the day, you make additional withdrawals through physical activity, exercise, and even eating (yes, digestion burns calories too). The total of all these withdrawals is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE.

Key Concepts:

• If you consistently deposit more calories than you withdraw, your body stores the excess as fat.

• If you consistently withdraw more than you deposit, your body burns stored fat for the difference.

• So if losing weight is your goal, you want to be in a caloric debt or deficit not in a caloric surplus.

Understanding BMR and TDEE is the first step towards gaining complete control over your energy equation.

Your Metabolic Baseline (BMR)

Your BMR represents the energy cost of your body's basic operations. Even if you stayed in bed all day, your body would still burn a certain amount calories just to keep you alive.

So what exactly is your body spending this energy on?

Your brain alone accounts for about 20% of your BMR. This is roughly 240 calories per day for the average person. Your heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs are also energy-hungry organs that require constant fuel. Even your muscles burn calories at rest, which is why building lean muscle is so powerful for long-term weight management.

For most people, BMR represents 60-75% of their total daily energy expenditure. This is why crash diets that severely restrict calories are so destructive. They force your body to slow down these essential functions.

To calculate your BMR, I recommend the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation, which research has shown to be highly accurate across different populations.

Here's the formula:

For Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) - 5 × age + 5

Let me walk you through a real example: A 39-year-old man who weighs 200 pounds and is 5'10" tall.

Step 1: Convert weight from lbs to kg: 200 lbs ÷ 2.2 = 91 kg

Step 2: Convert height to cm: 70 inches × 2.54 = 178 cm

Step 3: Apply the formula: (10 × 91) + (6.25 × 178) - (5 × 39) + 5

Step 4: Calculate: 910 + 1,113 - 195 + 5 = 1,833 calories

So this man's body burns approximately 1,833 calories per day just to maintain basic functions.

For Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) - 5 × age - 161

Here is another example: A 54-year-old woman who weighs 125 pounds and is 5'6" tall.

Step 1: Convert weight from lbs to kg: 125 ÷ 2.2 = 57 kg

Step 2: Convert height to cm: 66 inches × 2.54 = 168 cm

Step 3: Apply the formula: (10 × 57) + (6.25 × 168) - (5 × 54) - 161

Step 4: Calculate: 570 + 1,050 - 270 - 161 = 1,189 calories

So this woman's body burns approximately 1,189 calories per day just to maintain basic functions.

Your Total Energy Burn (TDEE)

While your BMR tells you what your body burns at rest, your Total Daily Energy Expenditure includes every calorie your body burns. It is your BMR plus all the additional energy you burn through movement, exercise, and even digesting food.

TDEE consists of four components:

1. BMR (60-75% of total) - This is the value that was calculated in the previous section

2. Physical Activity (15-30%) - Planned exercise like gym sessions, running, sports

3. Non-Exercise Activity (15-25%) - Daily movement like walking, fidgeting, maintaining posture

4. Thermic Effect of Food (8-10%) - Energy cost of digesting, absorbing, and processing nutrients

I find the thermic effect of food particularly interesting. Protein requires the most energy to process (20-30% of protein calories), followed by carbs (5-10%), then fats (0-3%). So 20-30% of protein calories are burned off just through the process of eating them. Of the three macros, protein is by far the most work to digest. This is one reason why higher-protein diets can boost metabolism.

However, we face a major obstacle when trying to find out our TDEE. Accurately measuring your total daily activity is nearly impossible. Fitness trackers and exercise machines are notoriously inaccurate—often off by 20-50%. It’s common to see elliptical machines overestimate calorie burn by over 40%. (There are many reasons for this but I won’t get into them in this newsletter).

The Solution: The use of activity multipliers based on your weekly exercise habits.

• Sedentary (desk job, little exercise): BMR × 1.15

• Lightly Active (light exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR × 1.2-1.35

• Moderately Active (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR × 1.4-1.55

• Very Active (hard exercise 6-7 days/week): BMR × 1.6-1.75

• Extremely Active (very hard exercise, physical job): BMR × 1.8-1.95

Finding TDEE using our BMR examples:

If the man in the BMR example was moderately active 4-5 times a week, his TDEE would be approximately 1,833 × 1.5 = 2,750 calories per day

If the female example exercises moderately 4-5 times per week, her TDEE would be approximately 1,189 × 1.5 = 1,783 calories per day.

Why This Is A Fitness Game-Changer

Once you know your BMR and TDEE, everything else becomes logical and straightforward.

Want to lose fat? Eat slightly below your TDEE.

Want to gain muscle? Eat slightly above your TDEE.

Want to maintain? Eat at your TDEE.

You don’t have to guess anymore. You don’t have to follow random diet advice that worked for someone else anymore. No more wondering why you're not seeing results despite "eating healthy."

This approach works with your own body’s energy needs, and it yields real results when applied consistently. The beauty is in the precision because you now know exactly what your body needs, and you also can always adjust based on actual feedback in real time. For example, maybe you overestimated your activity level, it happens. You can adjust that and work with a lower TDEE.

A Plan of Action

Ready to discover your personal numbers? Here's your step-by-step plan:

Step 1: Calculate Your BMR Use the formula I provided with your current stats. Double-check your math or use an online calculator to verify.

Step 2: Determine Your Activity Level Honestly assess your weekly exercise. Count only intentional exercise sessions, not daily activities like walking to your car or taking the stairs.

Step 3: Calculate Your TDEE Multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity multiplier. This is number is your daily caloric expenditure.

Ready to Master Your Body's Energy Equation?

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 calculations with a personalized strategy.

My online coaching program teaches busy adults how to use these foundational principles to create sustainable nutrition habits that fit their real lives. We'll take today's calculations and transform them into a practical eating plan that gets results.

Ready to discover what becomes possible when you finally understand your body's unique needs?

Click here to apply for customized online personal training today!

Remember: Your body follows the laws of physics, not magic. These numbers give you the foundation for taking complete control of your physique. Next week, I’ll show you how to calculate your target daily caloric intake.