The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the energy your body spends digesting, absorbing and processing food. In other words, part of the calories you eat is used up just handling those calories.
Part of your TDEE
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is made up of your basal metabolic rate, everyday movement, training and digestion. The thermic effect is the part you have the least control over. Calorie calculators do not list it separately; it is included in the activity factor.
What the nutrients do
The macronutrients differ in how much energy it takes to process them. Protein is considered the nutrient with the largest thermic effect. That is one more reason for a high-protein diet, but not the main one: what matters most is enough protein for your muscles and how well protein-rich meals keep you full.
On days when you eat a lot more, such as a cheat day, your body also burns a bit more. That is why not every surplus calorie ends up as tissue. It does not change the fact that a large surplus over several weeks shows up as a rising slope in your trend.
What this means for you
You do not need to optimize the thermic effect. For your body composition, what counts is energy balance, enough protein and a plan you can stick with. If you calculate your maintenance from your intake and your trend weight, the thermic effect is automatically included, no matter how you split your macros. Choosing that split based on preference and fullness is perfectly fine.