Tip The Thermic Effect of Every Macronutrient Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Eating Tip The Thermic Effect of Every Macronutrient Your body expends calories to break down food Here' s what macro to focus on for fat loss by TJ Kuster May 11, 2021December 27, 2021 The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the energy expenditure above the body's resting metabolic rate due to the cost of processing food for use and storage. Basically, your body has to burn calories to break food down. Your system has to work much harder to assimilate nutrients that aren't processed. The TEF of food accounts for 10% of your total calorie intake. If you consume 2,000 calories per day, your body will burn around 200 of those calories digesting food. The thermic effect is highest in lean sources of protein, where 20-30% of total calories go to processing it. The second highest TEF is complex carbs (5-15%). The lowest TEF is fats (0-5%). This is why it's so important to eat a lot of protein when dieting. Not only will you maximize muscle retention, but you'll also burn more calories due to a higher thermic effect of your food. The quality of the food you consume greatly matters. Foods with a higher thermic effect also tend to be pretty satiating. Staying in a caloric deficit will be a heck of a lot easier if what you're eating makes you feel full and satisfied. If you're eating lean sources of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats, a caloric deficit won't be as hard to achieve as it would be if you were chowing down on Cosmic Brownies, Twinkies, and doughnuts. Those have a low TEF, a high-calorie content, and they're not satiating. Not that I'm trying to crap on doughnuts. Who doesn't appreciate a good doughnut? Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Diet & Fat Loss Fat Weak and Gassy Ain t Your Fault Dr. Bryan Walsh, the "go-to" guy for fat loss, says that being fat, having high cortisol, and being insufferably gassy can all be fixed with a few dietary tweaks. Dietary Myth Busting, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements Chris Shugart August 12 Eating Tip The Perfect Multi-Purpose Breakfast A one-bowl breakfast that contains a huge portion of the protein, nutrients, essential fats, and even supplements you'll need for the day. Diet Strategy, Nutrition & Supplements, Performance Proteins, Tips TC Luoma July 29 Eating Tip The Keto Diet Doesn t Like Muscle New research reveals some disappointing news about ketogenic diets and muscle growth. Carbohydrate Control, Diet Strategy, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips TC Luoma August 10 Eating Tip How to Supercharge Your Coffee This common ingredient improves coffee's brain-sharpening properties while reducing its anxiety-producing effects. Diet Strategy, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips TC Luoma June 12