Testers for a simple TDEE calc

heybales

I'd appreciate the folks that have tested out their TDEE's by increasing to max calories, and have a decent handle on their exercise routine and daily life routine.

I'd be curious if you could run your stats through this simple spreadsheet, if you have the means.
It's Google sheets, and you do need to make a copy to your own Google account, or download as Excel or other, the original is locked or each person would be changing the stats for the last person, ect.

Normal stats, US or metric.

Normal Mifflin BMR calculation.

Calorie burns for walking, running, lifting is based on METS studies and your resting metabolism per your BMR.
This takes care of issue of 140 lb good bodyfat% goal weight person burning more than 140 lb high BF% more to lose person burning less.

The increased daily activity is based on studies that MFP used when they switched their values around.

So after using all these standard study based formula's, I'm curious how it works out to those that have tested their TDEE out to max.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G7FgNzPq3v5WMjDtH0n93LXSMRY_hjmzNTMJb3aZSxM/edit?usp=sharing

Let me know what TDEE it came up with compared to what you have tested up to eating.

I'd also be curious if any suggestions on the layout or options, which aren't much, just 2 deficit levels to chose from.

The aspect of the mostly existing TDEE charts being based on a 1919 study when many more studies since then have improved information, and the fact 1 hr of different types of exercise burning different amounts, and that increased daily activity is not addressed at all in the chart, just makes me want to see an improvement.
But not enough to pay for a web page calc, where you can't even store your info.

Sumiblue

I'm in the process of eating up to my TDEE now. I've I ncreased beyond what calculators have estimated and have not gained yet. Once I find that number I will participate. Seems like this could be a very useful tool for a lot of folks. I'm finding that I can eat a lot more than previously thought.

persian_star

Love it. It basically puts in a nutshell all of the really important lessons I learnt over my first year of this journey, without having to find all the different info or even understand why. To lose it tells me to eat a bit less than my 'sweet spot' and TDEE is a little lower than my experience, but I'm near GW so that's probably why. BMR look pretty spot on. Great job Bales!

walleyeten

TDEE on your chart is 3467 but I began eating up to it, when I reached 3400, my weight went from 294 lb. to 300.6 lb. so after a week; backed down to 3100 which would be my 10% cut according to your Spreadsheet.

Ate at 3100/10% cut for a 9 days and it averaged out to 3058 for that 9 days. Scale went from 300 to 298 and stayed at 298.

So, I know getting close (I HOPE) to where I want to be so dropped down to 2950 cal.; been here only 3 days so it may not be conclusive just yet, lost 1 pound down to 297 but still my lowest was 294 so really have not lost any less than 294 but I will continue to track results.

[ I know you are not supposed to jump 100 to 300 calories between cuts but initially started out on Jan 5th, at 311 and lost 16 pounds down to 295 by Feb 5th. Its been going up and down and I have been keeping pretty good records, have food scales. Found this group about a 5 weeks ago; you know we chatted heybales. I walk with HRM at 83% of heart rate 5.25 hours a week. ]

Final note: Garmin Vivofit total average for a day is 3641

MandaLeigh123

I am having a hard time figuring out my actually amount of weekly activity because it is not consistent. I have it all written down on a calendar, but it really varies from week to week... it's a lot though but the intensity really varies. Sometimes I do strength training circuits, sometimes not. I will give two sample weeks. I chose the second work category although this isn't me at all. I only have one day a week where I "work" and this is when I am at the hospital (nursing student so my work is mixed between that of an registered nurse and a nurses aide). I am on my feet roughly 5-6 hours that day ( changing beds, moving patients, getting supplies, etc).
Other days I am sitting in class for half day lectures and labs.I do walk around a little on campus, 5 minutes to the library here or 5 minutes to the computer lab something like that, taking the stairs. At home, I am sitting studying, watching tv, playing on the computer or crafting. I have no kids and no active pets (no dog walks) and I don't run around my house what so ever.

March, Week 1
Strength Training: 152 Cardio, higher intense: 206 Walk 3/4mph: 81 min

It gave me a TDEE of 2,245

April, Week 2
Strength Training: 75 Cardio, higher intense: 190 Walk 3/4: 125min

It gave me a TDEE of 2,216.

I was able to push-up to roughly 3000 before seeing a gain. I believe my TDEE is 2800-2900.

I even bumped my work activity up to the last level "if you have kids/pets and a constantly moving physical job" and that puts my TDEE at 2757. Like I said though, I don't think this describes my life.

I basically record any activity I do in my life on the calendar, so I have a pretty good idea of how much I sit on my butt and how much I move around. Out of curiosity, I've also been wearing my HR monitor for random things, just to get a more accurate calorie burn (walking or gardening for example). I glance down at it every few minutes to see if my HR is jumping up and down, or if it's remaining constant. I also got a FitBit Flex so will be interested to see what it says, but will continue to use my HR monitor for activities where my HR is considerably above my resting heart rate, which is close to 55.

I have been eating around 2900 for 2.5 weeks now I think and now that I have been eating around this number regularly, my weight over the last week has climbed from 145-150lb. Probably water weight because I'm pretty sure if I understand science correctly, I didn't just gain 5lbs in two weeks, haha My plan was to eat between 2400 (15% cut) and 2900 (TDEE) for awhile just to adjust to eating more but apparently once I announced that to the world, I miraculously began to be able to start eating 2900 without thinking about it. It makes me really think it was a mental thing because when I HAD to eat 2900-3000, I honestly felt it was too difficult and I couldn't do it and I was just not liking it. Once I took that pressure off of myself, and said okay fine, just don't go below 2400 because it's not enough food.... suddenly, I'm hitting 2900 most days. Yesterday was an exception and I only hit 2,000 but that was just poor planning on my part.


Just for added info, I haven't lost any inches, clothes are a bit tighter and I'm turning into a beast in the weight lifting section of the gym I sometimes catch myself admiring my own bicep when I'm sitting at out at dinner and my arm is on the table. Yep... I've turned into THAT guy. Welcome to the gun show.

kathleenjoyful

My average TDEE is around 3000. I kept bumping up my activity minutes on the spreadsheet and only got it to 2683. This is consistent with what other TDEE calculators give me though.

heybales

So I'll have a look at the basics again.
I know the calorie burn for lifting is based on studies measuring burn only during the workout, not the repair process during EPOC for 24-36 hrs later, so that can account for a bit for sure, if main workout is lifting 3 x weekly.
The big cardio stuff is based on what running about 5.5 mph would give in calorie burn, so that could be an intensity level easily reached and surpassed in other exercise.
Walking is simple enough, avg of 3 and 4 mph, which is actually tad faster that 3.5 mph, because calorie burn starts to increase decently when walking faster as it gets more inefficient.

The daily stuff is interesting as it's big jumps, and still seems to perhaps not match up right.

Walleye - might take a peek at this one with your honing in on TDEE from testing.
Tad different.



Kathleen, that's good, I wanted it close when the activity matches up exactly, it's just there are many cases of not matching up exactly.

I still wanted to start on the high end of estimates of course, but purposely over-estimate stuff.

Manda - nice variety and changes to workout, indeed makes this a difficult method to attempt then, good news on Fitbit then.
Can't wait to hear about the next extended family picnic you go to and arm wrestling any spunky teenagers.

kathleenjoyful

I love seeing your work on this!

peejaygee1

Looking forward to seeing how you go with this!

heybales

@kathleenjoyful - curious what fields you used for exercise time and how much time?
Because about 320 cal difference is pretty bad estimate, and I want to see if I can figure out either why or how to compensate for whatever reason.

I'm thinking the other issue with your estimate that some may get is I'm betting your BMR is higher than calculated, which then effects everything else. Because of your increased muscle mass compared to other gal's with same average stats otherwise.

I may turn this in to a simple web app, though I really don't want to go back to coding.

Sumiblue

45 hr work week is for inside the house and well as outside? I'm a SAHM. I ran my numbers but used the kid+standing/slow moving work setting and it gave me just over 2000 TDEE which I have been at for a couple of days (and losing a lb). The desk job setting gave me a couple hundred fewer calories.

MandaLeigh123

SAHM the work week should equal 105 hours/week. Hehe.

Sumiblue

^^^i like that! Feels that way sometimes.

tigerblue

Short and fairly small here: 5'2" and 131 lbs. (and getting older every day--47 yo). This sheet gave me:

TDEE 1799
10% deficit eating goal 1619
15% deficit eating goal 1529

Pretty close for me, only a bit high (and that could be logging error). When I am "on my game" exercise-wise I lose about 1/3 to 1/2 lb if I stay around 1500.

This winter, when testing TDEE goal, it was much lower--1500-1600--but in retrospect I chose a bad time to test--I was snowed in for many of those days, and not getting my normal workout (depended on dvds but that is not the same as a run) or even my normal steps at work (I am much much more sedentary at home, and I took advantage of the snow days to read and watch movies!).

My only concern would be the one level for your work activity--for instance, as a teacher, most days I spend AT MOST half the day on my feet and the rest doing desk work. (There are days when there is more, but I am talking bigger picture). That is probably nowhere near what a nurse would do daily, or a waitress. So that may be overestimating for me personally.

williams969

Spreadsheet gives me 2072. My eating tested TDEE is ~2150-2200. Very close, I'd say. Heybales--your standard spreadsheet gives me 1987 for the same (I add 14 hours of "standing or on feet service trades/kids" on that sheet). So, I'd say this calculation is better, as it helps account for the added calorie expenditure of child caring/household chores associated with parenting (which I clearly underestimate, ha!).

heybales

@williams969 - and this one uses a different method for calculating calorie burn that has chance for more accuracy on those different exercise lines.
I'm going to apply this method to the other spreadsheet too.

Very true point on the non-exercise daily life, and ease of estimating it. Trying to pick out hrs standing/walking during that daily part may be difficult, perhaps these options is easier to do.
Though even as examples above give, can be between them.

But as the full spreadsheet helps accomplish, after a month of data and weight loss to log, it'll say how many hrs to increase that standing time like you did, to always be adjusting TDEE to match results for the next weight loss time period.

I just want to be sure the estimated TDEE gets you up there close, more underestimated than over, and allows adjusting from there faster.

heybales

MandaLeigh123 wrote: »

SAHM the work week should equal 105 hours/week. Hehe.

I am going to add that to description, because that is very true point. And number of kids and ages could be the difference between easy day and hard day.

So that will take care of the 45 hrs weekly, sadly rest of it is on selection of having kids still, and probably not high enough yet.

Thank you.

tigerblue

If you have pre teens or teenagers they actually pull down your TDEE because you spend so much time either taxi-ing them around or sitting on bleachers watching THEM be active.

heybales

So at the basic level of sedentary and cardio being the hours count, it pretty much matches up with the traditional 5 level TDEE chart based on 1919 studies.

It's when you get the varied activity it gets more specific, between levels you might say, and with increased daily activity outside exercise.

I improved the terms used for including SAHM in description of those levels to start with.

I think as good as it'll get.

I'd even suggest to those without a tested confirmed TDEE yet, to see how it compares to Scooby when you get to break down what the exercise is.

MandaLeigh123

I like that you added SAHD I know a few of them!

Jennifer_Lynn_1982

@heybales just wanted to say thank for all of your work in these spreadsheets. I know the coding isn't the greatest but we do appreciate your time to create them!

Sumiblue

Yes, thank you @Heybales for doing this! I ran the numbers again with the SAHM level and got 2059 for my TDEE. I've been hovering right around 2000 for almost a week now and have been maintaining my weight. Almost no fluctuation save for being down .5lb one day. I'd say this is pretty accurate for me! When I start my cut I may stick to the 10% cut because I love eating and lifting more!

walleyeten

Alright Heybales, back to stats,

Your EM2WL TDEE and Deficit Eating calculator seems to be right on but to note if I change the Scooby Workshop from 3-5 hrs/wk moderate to 1-3 hrs/wk light, I get in the same ballpark.

Weight loss journey, TDEE at 3443 so for 9 days averaged 2887 cal intake, was set at 2950 which is - 15% deficit but couple times I ate out and can't believe some of those calorie estimates for restaurants. Weight went from 297 to 292.8 but this morning was 294 but I'm not worried (yet)!

Final Note: Vivofit average per day at 3542, I noticed when on treadmill vivofit (VF) for short - walking with HRM digits move between 8-13 per min. if at 82-85% of HR, Sedentary 2 per min. Sleeping 1.12 per min.

heybales

Curious, does Vivofit have means of changing the HRM info for HRmax or VO2max?

I'm sure you could change height so it's sleeping calorie burn better matched a better BMR estimate if not close enough.
But that sure sounds like their TDEE is close to your tested.

Restaurants are tough, if they even give figures to use, and if you trust they are close.

walleyeten

They have Heart Rate zones which I checked and are right on, my only input required was my resting heart rate zones 1 thru 5. They have height adjustments along with an Activity Class Chart: which I have set on number 7 for 3 to 7 hours of exercise. Yes they have VO2max for running and cycling, In the cycling part they use watts from 100 to 800 watts or in a percentage called "Functional Threshold Power"

heybales

Ahhh, they are still using that method then to estimate VO2max.
Self-selected exercise level and BMI, Polar uses the same thing but includes the resting HR in the calc, wonder if Garmin has changed to their method now.
Both methods were studies.

The other Garmin devices they stopped using the chart and you selecting your level, and the device just compiles your workout time and frequency and decides which level you are at. Which isn't very fair when it's not used for all workouts.
Love the data available with the Garmins.

That big spreadsheet you used, has a Garmin tab getting in to that method used. You can see what VO2max they are likely using if curious.

XavierNusum

Many thanks for doing this, first off.

Next, the calculated TDEE is 3179.

My eating TDEE from past 6-8 weeks has been from 2900 - 3100 so very close in my opinion. I actually plan on bulking soon and I think I'm going to use your calculator to find a 5-10% surplus.

All of my activity numbers come from total workout times recorded by my Polar Loop + H7 HRM. My typical workout 3 time/week consist of
5 min jump rope interval w/u
90 min of lifting
3 w/u sets with short rest
3 top sets with 2-3 min rest
12 sets of accessory work with minimal rest
20-30 min of yoga for cool down

walleyeten

Ok, yeah I saw that program as well, well I set it up, synced it up with VF and gonna go use it right now. I'll give ya some feedback on that, I used the Firstbeat method cause I wanted to get taller by 1 inch (not). Keep up the good work.

heybales

XavierNusum wrote: »

Many thanks for doing this, first off.

Next, the calculated TDEE is 3179.

My eating TDEE from past 6-8 weeks has been from 2900 - 3100 so very close in my opinion. I actually plan on bulking soon and I think I'm going to use your calculator to find a 5-10% surplus.

All of my activity numbers come from total workout times recorded by my Polar Loop + H7 HRM. My typical workout 3 time/week consist of
5 min jump rope interval w/u
90 min of lifting
3 w/u sets with short rest
3 top sets with 2-3 min rest
12 sets of accessory work with minimal rest
20-30 min of yoga for cool down

That's a good range of stuff that seems to have still been accounted for decently.
I do know my bigger spreadsheet has a line for like yoga and slow walking, because that's not really accounted for in this simple one, but if you actually did a lot of it weekly and didn't account for it compared to more intense workouts, TDEE would be estimated on low side.

Wondering if I should throw that back in for folks not doing more intense workouts, but lots of low-key stuff?
Hmmmmm......

walleyeten

Walked on the treadmill this morn, Garmin says walked 2.6 mph, I set it to 2.5 for warm up and then to 3.0 for the work out but to change HR, just change incline levels.
As I quoted on April 22nd:
" VF average per day at 3542, I noticed when on treadmill VF - walking with HRM digits move between 8-13 per min. if at 82-85% of HR, Sedentary 2 per min. Sleeping 1.12 per min. "

With inputting the V 2max and height adjustment:

HR VF/Min
120 * 14
137 * 16-19
146 * 20

Right now VF is gonna give me a 3242 TDEE for the day, instead of that 3542 avg. number. All I'm doing is hanging crown molding right now so doubt it's gonna go any higher unless I take another walk.
Will check it out for another week and give you some more info.
Question
1) What if I lower that V 2max number?
2) I googled it, how come googled isn't a word yet? anyway read about oxygen intake.
I appreciate your input, Thanks

XavierNusum

@heybales
That's an interesting thought. Still it's way close enough for me! Great job and thanks again.