What is my actual TDEE?

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Bailey_432
Bailey_432 Posts: 55 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all,
I'm struggling to calculate my TDEE because a few calculators have told me different things, and I can't decide what to put as my activity level...

I'm female, 18yo, 5"2 and 128lbs. I'm a uni student so I'm sat in lectures/library most of the day, but I do about 30-75 minutes of walking a day (average about 30-40). I have cheer practice x3 a week, and also go to the gym a few times a week when I can. When calculating calories I like to use my calories burned from exercise as a day to day "eat back" method, instead of a daily average.

Sorry if this is long-winded, just trying to understand my activity level and how many calories I should be eating! Thanks :)

Replies

  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Sounds like "light activity" just know the difference between activity and exercise. So if you're on the elliptical for an hour that's exercise and should be logged, but stuff like walking is activity and is included in your activity level.

    All the calculators are an estimate. Pick one, weigh everything that goes in your mouth, and see how the results work out. You may need to do some tweaking after a couple weeks. Also, make sure you recalculate your calories every time you lose 5 pounds or so; your maintenece calories will be less, so you'll be required to eat less calories to keep your weight loss constant.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    Remember, they are all just guesstimates.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Don't compare TDEE calculators to MFP eat back exercise calories method.
    Don't include exercise in your activity level on MFP or you are double counting.

    Give it your best guess, stick to it for a month and adjust based on your actual results. All the calculators (estimators really) in the world just give you a start point so don't over think it.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Every calculator is making an educated guess.

    Just pick a number and stick too it. If you lose weight as predicted, you're good. If you loose to fast/slow, adjust the number accordingly.

  • Bailey_432
    Bailey_432 Posts: 55 Member
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    Ah, thanks people, that makes a lot of sense!
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    edited March 2015
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    There is no "exact" TDEE.

    What's the "D" for in "TDEE"?

    Daily, right?

    It changes from day to dsy, week to week.

    It's the Total expended, that Day.

    Yesterday I worked on the woodpile throwing around 300 pounder rounds to be split into woodstove sized chunks for 6 hours.
    I guarantee you my Energy Expenditure was a good 1500 calories higher than today's Total Daily Expenditures where I sat on the couch watching Dexter reruns.

    Weight loss (and gain) deal with *averages* over longer time periods.

    Don't get hung up on exactitudiness, right? It'll drive ya crazy and is counter productive.

    Also, no calculater can give you your numbers accurately. They're just guessing based on population averages and there are many outliers on the long tails of the Guassian "normal" distribution well outside of the major "two standard deviaton" range.

    Experiment. Observe. Log/record. Adjust.

    Rinse.

    Repeat as necessary.

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