Best site to figure out recommened calories per day TDEE

thedarkwombat
thedarkwombat Posts: 123 Member
edited October 2014 in Health and Weight Loss
I am 44 years old, male. 6'6" tall and 320 pounds.
I have plugged this into 3 different sites setting everything as sedentary or lightly active.

Sometimes I get 3,400 calories to maintain my weight. Sometimes I get 2,700 calories. Which is more accurate?

Is there a site that has the most accurate information and one to definitely go by and that you have used, calculated the deficit in calories, and it has worked out pretty much as needed?

I would like to lose 2 to 2.5 pounds per week.

Replies

  • xmichaelyx
    xmichaelyx Posts: 883 Member
    None are more accurate than any others, because everyone is different.

    If your goal is to lose weight, just go with the lowest one for 6 weeks and see what happens, then change your calories as needed.

    It's trial and error, and can take a few months to nail down. Every calculator I've used overshot by about 10-15%, FWIW (but I also sit/stand at a desk all day).
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Well if you're using both sedentary and lightly active, of course your numbers will vary.

    I use: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    Which tells me at sedentary, your BMR is 2478 and your TDEE is 2973. So to maintain you need to eat 2973.
  • thedarkwombat
    thedarkwombat Posts: 123 Member
    TheVirgoddess wrote: »
    Well if you're using both sedentary and lightly active, of course your numbers will vary.

    I use: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    Which tells me at sedentary, your BMR is 2478 and your TDEE is 2973. So to maintain you need to eat 2973.

    So if I was to start with 2973 and I eat 1800 calories per day my daily deficit is 1173 and every time this 1173 adds up to 3500 I lose a pound?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Are you comparing sedentary to sedentary on different calculators? I know there can be a variance between calculators, but it's not usually 700 calories...to me that sounds like you're comparing sedentary to light active. Make sure you're comparing apples to apples.

    All that said, I'd personally go with the most conservative estimate. And that's all it is, an estimate...you are charged with making adjustments as per real world results. Nobody has a TDEE of exactly XXXX calories.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    This one has good descriptors of activity http://www.weightloss-calculator.net
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    thedarkwombat wrote: »
    TheVirgoddess wrote: »
    Well if you're using both sedentary and lightly active, of course your numbers will vary.

    I use: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    Which tells me at sedentary, your BMR is 2478 and your TDEE is 2973. So to maintain you need to eat 2973.

    So if I was to start with 2973 and I eat 1800 calories per day my daily deficit is 1173 and every time this 1173 adds up to 3500 I lose a pound?

    Sort of. I mean, it won't be immediate, but that's the general idea. We usually look at things on a weekly basis. So if you eat 1800 calories a day, in a week you'll have a deficit of 8211, which means you'll be set to lose about 2.3 pounds a week. And that's with no exercise.

    You have a lot of room to work with - so try not to restrict your diet too much. You might try to go down to 2500 for a week, then 2000 for another week or two, then finally 1800.

    Good luck!
  • crisb2
    crisb2 Posts: 329 Member
    Someone recommended this one yesterday: http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

    I thought it was cool it took into account a breakdown of your daily activities, dunno how accurate it may be though.
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    This one has good descriptors of activity http://www.weightloss-calculator.net

    I had forgotten about this calculator I personally think it's the easiest to understand that I've seen.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    I was told to use this one http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    I was also told you can't go below your BMR because that's what you body needs to live as a minimum.
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
    I don't really think it matters. Just pick one and go from there.
  • thedarkwombat
    thedarkwombat Posts: 123 Member
    Well I am adjusting my daily calories to 1800 then. Do you think that would be good for 320 pounds?
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
    I think that is a little too low. The goal is to keep your intake as high as you can while still creating the necessary deficit to lose fat. Setting a really steep deficit will only make you miserable and set you up for failure.

    I have found Scoobysworkshop to be pretty accurate. I've been able to support their findings with a few weeks of maintaining and averaging out my calories.

    For your height, weight and age, your BMR is 2480. Even set at the sedentary rate your current TDEE to maintain your current weight is 2976 calories per day.

    To keep it super simple, eat between those two numbers everyday and you'll lose weight. As you lose, you should readjust your intake numbers.

    Better still, get lifting! You want to maintain and even grow that hungry muscle! As your activity increases, so will your TDEE. There really are more effective ways to reach your goals than excessive cardio and starving yourself.

    I'm a 5'5", 42 yo female and I lose weight with a consistent intake of 2000 cals per day! Spend some time looking at the links below.... I only wish I'd known all of this in my 20's. It would have saved me years of yo-yo-ing!

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/680246/tdee-bmr-what-they-are-and-what-to-do-with-them

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read#Item_102

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