What Determines How Many Calories You Burn?
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is made up of three main components:
- Basal metabolic rate (BMR): The calories your body uses just to keep you alive — breathing, circulation, cell repair. This makes up roughly 60–75% of your total burn for most people.
- Activity thermogenesis: Calories burned through deliberate exercise plus everyday movement like walking, fidgeting, and household tasks (sometimes called NEAT — non-exercise activity thermogenesis).
- Thermic effect of food: The small amount of energy used to digest and process what you eat, typically around 10% of total intake.
Key factors that influence your burn rate
No single number fits everyone. The main variables are:
- Body size and composition: Larger bodies and those with more muscle mass burn more calories at rest.
- Age: Metabolic rate tends to decline gradually with age.
- Sex: Differences in average muscle mass mean burn rates vary between biological sexes.
- Activity level: This is the most controllable lever — more movement meaningfully increases total burn.
- Hormonal and metabolic factors: These can also play a role, which is worth discussing with your prescriber or doctor if you have concerns.
If you want to explore your daily calorie allowance alongside your burn rate, see our guide to how many calories you can have in a day, or browse the broader topic in our calorie questions overview.
How GLP-1 medicines interact with energy balance
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) are prescription-only medicines that act on appetite-regulating pathways, commonly leading to reduced food intake. They do not directly increase how many calories you burn — the energy-balance benefit primarily comes from reduced intake rather than elevated expenditure. Any questions about how your medicine affects your personal metabolism are best directed to your prescriber or doctor.
average weekly weight change in the first 16 weeks of Mounjaro & Wegovy use*
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Tracking Your Calorie Burn and Intake with GLP Trackr
Knowing your estimated burn rate is only useful if you can compare it to what you are actually eating — and that is where consistent tracking makes a real difference. GLP Trackr's AI-powered food logging lets you capture your intake in seconds: point your camera at a meal and the app estimates the calories, protein, and macros instantly. You can also search manually or scan a barcode, so logging stays effortless even when appetite is low.
Once your intake is logged, you can set a daily calorie target in the app and watch how your eating patterns line up with your energy needs across the week. The insights section surfaces trends in your own data — for example, how your step count or food choices relate to your weight progress over time.
For a deeper look at working out how much to eat each day, our daily calorie eating guide is a helpful companion, and our calorie calculator hub brings together all the tools in one place.
GLP Trackr is designed to make this kind of data feel manageable rather than overwhelming — one clear picture of your journey, not scattered numbers across different apps.
GLP Trackr provides general informational tracking support and is not a substitute for advice from your prescriber or doctor. If you have questions about your energy needs, weight-management goals, or how your medication fits into your overall plan, always speak with your healthcare professional.
Ready to start seeing your intake and burn rate side by side? Download GLP Trackr free on the App Store or Google Play — your first 7 days are on us.
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Frequently asked questions.
Most adults burn roughly 1,600 to 3,000 kilocalories per day in total, depending on body size, age, sex, and activity level. This is a general range — your own figure may sit outside it, and a healthcare professional can help you assess your individual needs.
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) — the energy your body uses at rest — accounts for the largest share, typically 60–75% of total daily burn. Physical activity is the factor you can influence most directly, and even everyday movement like walking makes a meaningful difference.
These prescription medicines primarily work by reducing appetite and food intake rather than by directly increasing calorie burn. Any questions about how your prescribed medicine affects your personal metabolism should be discussed with your prescriber or doctor.
GLP Trackr lets you log food via AI photo scan, barcode, or search, and set a daily calorie target so you can see how your intake compares to your energy needs. The app's insights section highlights patterns across your own data over time.
Formulas like the Mifflin-St Jeor equation give a useful estimate, but they are not exact for every individual. Factors like muscle mass, hormonal health, and metabolic conditions can shift your real figure. Use calculated figures as a starting point and review them with your healthcare professional.