Nutrition glossary

Nutrition & Metabolism Glossary

No jargon, no fluff. Clear definitions of the metabolism and nutrition terms you'll run into while tracking — written so they actually make sense.

Each entry explains what the term means, why it matters for your goals, and how it shows up in WhispCal.

All terms

What Is TDEE?TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories you burn in a day. It combines your resting metabolism, the energy used to digest food, everyday movement, and exercise.

What Is BMR?BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest just to stay alive — breathing, circulating blood, and running your organs. It makes up roughly 60–70% of your total daily energy expenditure.

What Are Macros?Macros (macronutrients) are the three nutrients that supply energy: protein and carbohydrates at 4 calories per gram, and fat at 9. While calories decide weight change, your macro split shapes whether that change is muscle or fat.

What Is Adaptive Thermogenesis?Adaptive thermogenesis is when your body burns fewer calories than predicted during a prolonged calorie deficit. As you diet, your metabolism downshifts beyond what weight loss alone explains, defending your body against further loss.

What Is Metabolic Adaptation?Metabolic adaptation is the body's response to prolonged dieting, where it burns fewer calories than predicted to defend against weight loss. It includes a lower resting metabolism, reduced everyday movement, and a smaller energy cost of activity.

What Is Reverse Dieting?Reverse dieting is the practice of gradually increasing your calories after a diet — usually a small weekly bump — to rebuild your metabolic rate while minimising fat regain. It's the bridge between a cut and a return to maintenance.

What Are Maintenance Calories?Maintenance calories are the number of calories you eat to keep your weight stable — the point where intake matches your total daily energy expenditure. Eat below it to lose, above it to gain.

What Is a Calorie Range?A calorie range is a flexible daily band of calories to aim for instead of one rigid number. It reflects how real eating and real metabolism vary day to day, giving you room to live while staying on track for your goal.

What Is NEAT?NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) is the energy you burn through all daily movement that isn't deliberate exercise — walking, fidgeting, standing, and chores. It varies enormously between people and can swing your daily burn by hundreds of calories.

What Is TEF?TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) is the energy your body spends digesting and processing what you eat. It accounts for roughly 10% of your daily calorie intake, and protein has by far the highest thermic effect of the macros.

Let WhispCal do the math automatically

These numbers are a starting point. WhispCal measures how your body actually responds — logging food in 3 seconds by voice, photo, or barcode — and auto-adjusts your targets as your metabolism changes. Free on iOS and Android.

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