What are PAL and MET?
PAL och MET are both used to estimate energy expenditure — but in different ways.
PAL – Physical Activity Level
PAL is a multiplier that describes your total energy expenditure relative to your BMR/RMR over a full day.
TDEE = RMR × PAL
PAL values account for all activity during a 24-hour period.
MET – Metabolic Equivalent of Task
MET is a measure of energy expenditure for a specific activity at a specific time.
1 MET = energy at rest (≈ 1 kcal/kg/hour)
PAL vs MET – The difference
PAL
- ✓ Overview of an entire day
- ✓ Used to calculate TDEE
- ✓ One value per day (1.2–2.5)
- ✓ Accounts for all activity
MET
- ✓ Specific activity at a point in time
- ✓ Used to calculate calories for a single activity
- ✓ Varies per activity (1–20+ MET)
- ✓ Measures intensity of an activity
A rough rule of thumb
The relationship between steps per day and a reasonable estimate of PAL.
| Steps per day | Reasonable PAL |
|---|---|
| ≤ 5,000 | ~1.2–1.3 (sedentary) |
| 7,000–10,000 | ~1.4–1.6 (moderate activity) |
| > 10,000 | ~1.6+ depending on pace and other activity |
10,000 steps corresponds to approximately 6.5–8 kilometers.
When to use what?
- Daily energy requirement → RMR × PAL
- Exercise session → MET × weight × time
Correct way to combine MET
MET describes the intensity of an activity. How MET should be used depends on whether your PAL value already includes exercise or only reflects daily activity.
PAL includes exercise
TDEE = RMR × PAL
If the PAL value includes both daily activity and exercise, no additional calculation is needed. The energy expenditure from exercise is already included in PAL.
PAL is based on daily life (no exercise)
TDEE = RMR × PAL + RMR × (MET − 1) × time
Here PAL represents only daily activity (NEAT), and exercise is added separately. MET − 1 is used because only the extra energy above rest should be added — resting expenditure is already included in RMR × PAL.
Summary
Choose the right PAL for your calorie goal
The most common mistake in TDEE calculation is overestimating your activity level. If you train 3 days per week but sit still the rest of the day, you are probably "lightly active" (PAL 1.375) — not "moderately active" (PAL 1.55).
A practical method: start with a conservative PAL value and increase if your weight drops faster than planned. It's easier to adjust up than to handle an excessively large calorie deficit.
Try our TDEE calculator to calculate your calorie needs with different activity levels and see how large the difference actually is.