Question 1

What is TDEE?

Accepted Answer

Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total calories you burn per day including basal metabolism, daily activity, and exercise. It's your maintenance calorie target.

Question 2

How do recruits use TDEE?

Accepted Answer

Recruits use TDEE to plan eating before ship date: a slight cut (TDEE − 300-500) to lose body fat for tape, or a slight surplus (TDEE + 200-400) to build strength for fitness events.

Question 3

What activity level should I pick?

Accepted Answer

Pre-ship recruits training 4-6 days/week with running and lifting should pick Very Active. During boot camp, recruits commonly burn 3,500-4,500 cal/day — far higher than civilian estimates.

Question 4

What formula does this use?

Accepted Answer

Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) — the most accurate generally-applicable BMR equation for healthy adults. BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor (1.2 sedentary to 1.9 extremely active).

Question 5

Should recruits cut or bulk before shipping?

Accepted Answer

If you're over the body-fat standard, cut. If you're at standard but weak/underweight, bulk slightly. Either way, prioritize strength work and protein.

Question 6

How accurate is TDEE for recruits?

Accepted Answer

TDEE is an estimate — adjust by ±10% based on 2 weeks of real-world scale and waist data. Recruit training itself burns far more than civilian TDEE estimates.

Question 7

What should I eat in the week before shipping?

Accepted Answer

Normal balanced meals, full hydration, no last-minute crash diets. You can't tape-cut safely in 7 days — and dehydration tanks your run.

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