Do you find TDEE to be accurate?

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  • Allelito
    Allelito Posts: 179 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    I have just switched from NEAT to TDEE. I did not use a calculator, I used my real numbers recorded over the month of April. I made sure I was as accurate as humanly possible with my weighing, measuring, and logging. I added up all of the calories consumed, multiplied the weight I lost by 3500 per pound and added that in, then divided by 30. I came up with a TDEE of 2758 per day. Since I am still trying to lose, I subtracted 500 calories per day for my actual target number. I am beta testing it for May. I am actually eating 2000 calories per day and making sure I log accurately. At the end of the month, I will see how much I have lost and adjust accordingly to get to my 1-1.5 lb a week loss goal.

    Calculating using your actual numbers seems to be the most accurate way for either loss or maintenance, but it helps if you do it over a decent period of time. Online calculators give me a TDEE anywhere from 2400 to 2900 so I don't trust them.

    Done something fairly similar, except I have not been logging my regular exercise calories (meaning I ate back calories for the workouts that I know are not what I would do on a normal week, if that makes sense), and now after weiging in each day for a month and logging food as accurately as I possibly can, I looked at my monthly average intake (landed at 1542 calories/day in average this last month) and my weight loss over that time (exactly 2 kilos), and then just calculated that it means that I had a daily deficit of 551 calories, putting my TDEE at 2093.
    My flunctuations are no joke though thanks to my cycle, so I'm planning on doing this for another month to see if it's actually accurate or not. However, I did look at my loss from this exact day from last cycle and I usually bloat during the same periods of my cycle.

    I also believe that using your own numbers is for sure the best possible way of doing it. However, until you have enough data to actually do this, you obviously need some sort of starting point, and in these cases an online calculator will do!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Allelito wrote: »

    I also believe that using your own numbers is for sure the best possible way of doing it. However, until you have enough data to actually do this, you obviously need some sort of starting point, and in these cases an online calculator will do!

    Very true. I have been using MFP's NEAT numbers as my starting point (started 16 months ago) and eating back exercise calories so I have been losing all along. I am approaching my goal and wanted to switch to TDEE for the final push and transition into maintenance. I have been really good with my logging all along, but not as accurate as I should be to do the calculations, which is why I decided to be extra good for April and use those as my calculation numbers.

  • weightjim
    weightjim Posts: 3 Member
    Mifflin St. Jeor is about the best equation to use though they all have limitations. Even then the calculation will never be that accurate. . use it a as guide.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    The most accurate way to calculate TDEE is to use your own data. The rest are just estimates.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    The most accurate way to calculate TDEE is to use your own data. The rest are just estimates.

    This...the formula is here

    Total calories consumed+(lbs lostx3500)/#days.

    Now this only works if you are accurate with logging otherwise there will be a variation...and typically you should use 3-4 weeks worth of information.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    The advice here is a little weird. TDEE is always correct. It can't be anything else. Your question is, are the calculators correct.
    The calculations are simply estimates. Regarding the advice here, I think it's fine. I'm reading that a lot of people don't find the estimate to be accurate so they make adjustments to their calories to find their true TDEE.

    - TDEE Calculators are estimators.
    - To test the estimate you must accurately log calories.
    - Activity level should remain consistent.
    - Be patient. It can take several weeks to test, make minor adjustments and test again.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    ExRelaySprinter wrote: »
    Just posted this in another thread, but will post it here too.
    I use this TDEE calculator http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/
    It uses 6 different methods (3, if you don't know your body fat %) then gives you the average number.
    weightjim wrote: »
    Mifflin St. Jeor is about the best equation to use though they all have limitations. Even then the calculation will never be that accurate. . use it a as guide.

    That one is the one that is the furthest off from my actual TDEE - by about 500 calories. The average is 300 off and the most accurate is the Cunningham one (which apparently overestimates for most people).
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    TDEE works beautifully for me, I maintain nicely on 2100-2300, it took a bit of playing around with upping cals to get to this point but it's a method that works and has been for more than a year :smile:
    I'm 5ft 2"/ 134lbs / 45 yrs / and pretty darned active :smiley:
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited May 2015
    The calculations I get are a bit high. That is because I don't do cardio though, just lift. So when I enter how often I exercise, I think calculators assume I'm getting a bigger burn than I actually do.

    MFP gives me my TDEE, unfortunately.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    The calculations I get are a bit high. That is because I don't do cardio though, just lift. So when I enter how often I exercise, I think calculators assume I'm getting a bigger burn than I actually do.

    MFP gives me my TDEE, unfortunately.

    I do not do any cardio and have a desk job they are really low for me. It just highlights that they are just estimates and the best estimate is based your actual results.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Jubee13 wrote: »
    I've been maintaining for about a month. I increase my calories every two weeks and am currently averaging 1,500. TDEE calculator gives me 1,700 per day. I'd LOVE to be able to eat that amount. I am very consistent with my exercise and so thought about switching to TDEE. On my rest day using MFP I am allowed fewer calories but sometime that is the day I am hungriest. I think TDEE would be easier for me, and I'd like to hear if their calorie recommendations have been accurate for those using it.

    these calculators are only meant to be a starting point...how would they be 100% accurate? they're just using statistical averages to estimate your TDEE...real world results are what you should pay attention to.

    That said, if you are exercising regularly I have a hard time believing your TDEE is only 1,500 calories.

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