Fun with TDEE calculations

555_FILK

I know the TDEE calculations on the various websites are only estimates. But I can't even come close to what my real TDEE must be, based on my diet.

What I know:

My non-cutting diet is about 2250 calories, and I typically gain under a pound a month. TDEE should be somewhere around 2100.

My cutting diet is about 1775 calories. I'm losing a pound every 10 days. TDEE should be around 2150. It does make sense that it's a bit higher than my non-cutting TDEE because I'm lifting 3 days a week plus doing some walking and a little jogging (actually I'd think it should be more than 50 higher).

Male age 44, 5'7 145 lbs. You find me a TDEE calculator that even gets CLOSE to a 2100-2150 TDEE. Most come in around 1800.

Now here's the kicker - some of the sites ask for body fat percentage. I can back into a 2150 TDEE if I enter a body fat percentage around 12 or 15%. However, if you look at photos posted here http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10222926/arrrrrrrggg#latest, I'm pretty sure I'm closer to 25% bf rather than 15%.

So what gives??

I know we're just talking estimates here, but it seems like the numbers are off enough that there must be some variable that's throwing everything off. No idea what it could be, though.

jemhh

Scooby ' s accurate calculator at 3-5 hours a week of exercising is 2341 for tdee.

Are you sure you're yours is 2100 ish? That seems low.

555_FILK

jemhh wrote: »

Scooby ' s accurate calculator at 3-5 hours a week of exercising is 2341 for tdee.

Are you sure you're yours is 2100 ish? That seems low.

LOL yep, never tried that site, but I just went on there and matched your number. Maybe I'll average that with the ones that say 1800 and consider that the answer.

Maybe 2100 is indeed low, but I'm just going by my weight gains/losses compared to my calorie intake, and that's what I've come up with.

tomatoey

555_FILK wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

Scooby ' s accurate calculator at 3-5 hours a week of exercising is 2341 for tdee.

Are you sure you're yours is 2100 ish? That seems low.

LOL yep, never tried that site, but I just went on there and matched your number. Maybe I'll average that with the ones that say 1800 and consider that the answer.

Maybe 2100 is indeed low, but I'm just going by my weight gains/losses compared to my calorie intake, and that's what I've come up with.

Then that's what it must be.

Another calculator just for kicks though http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

I still think you should stop losing and should focus on building muscle.

555_FILK

tomatoey wrote: »

555_FILK wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

Scooby ' s accurate calculator at 3-5 hours a week of exercising is 2341 for tdee.

Are you sure you're yours is 2100 ish? That seems low.

LOL yep, never tried that site, but I just went on there and matched your number. Maybe I'll average that with the ones that say 1800 and consider that the answer.

Maybe 2100 is indeed low, but I'm just going by my weight gains/losses compared to my calorie intake, and that's what I've come up with.

Then that's what it must be.

Another calculator just for kicks though http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

I still think you should stop losing and should focus on building muscle.

Thanks, that site is cool. It put me at 2250 on a normal day, and 2500 if I train on the eliptical Who knows, maybe I'm under-counting my calories by a couple hundred. I never cared as long as I was losing a pound a week as expected. But now that I'm getting closer to the goal, the precision matters more. And yes, I will either recomp or try a bulk, soon, I promise. I've had a life-long battle against this gut fat, and this is the closest I've ever been to flattening it. Hopefully the 5x5 is prepping me, and when I'm ready to go, I'll turn full-on beast mode. We'll see.

PAV8888

I would look carefully at what Scooby's accurate calorie calculator (which is generally correct) says.

And I believe you will find that your observed TDEE is lower than what the TDEE for 3-5 hours of moderate exercise (aka MFP lightly active to active setting) would predict you to be at... not higher.

Which makes sense if you have been restricting calories for a while now.

tomatoey

555_FILK wrote: »

tomatoey wrote: »

555_FILK wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

Scooby ' s accurate calculator at 3-5 hours a week of exercising is 2341 for tdee.

Are you sure you're yours is 2100 ish? That seems low.

LOL yep, never tried that site, but I just went on there and matched your number. Maybe I'll average that with the ones that say 1800 and consider that the answer.

Maybe 2100 is indeed low, but I'm just going by my weight gains/losses compared to my calorie intake, and that's what I've come up with.

Then that's what it must be.

Another calculator just for kicks though http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

I still think you should stop losing and should focus on building muscle.

Thanks, that site is cool. It put me at 2250 on a normal day, and 2500 if I train on the eliptical Who knows, maybe I'm under-counting my calories by a couple hundred. I never cared as long as I was losing a pound a week as expected. But now that I'm getting closer to the goal, the precision matters more. And yes, I will either recomp or try a bulk, soon, I promise. I've had a life-long battle against this gut fat, and this is the closest I've ever been to flattening it. Hopefully the 5x5 is prepping me, and when I'm ready to go, I'll turn full-on beast mode. We'll see.

Well. I'm glad it's on the table!

@Pav8888 is right, though - your intake vs. what's on the scale offers your most accurate TDEE number.

PAV8888 wrote: »

I would look carefully at what Scooby's accurate calorie calculator (which is generally correct) says.

And I believe you will find that your observed TDEE is lower than what the TDEE for 3-5 hours of moderate exercise (aka MFP lightly active to active setting) would predict you to be at... not higher.

Which makes sense if you have been restricting calories for a while now.

Aha, good point. Would this be an argument for reverse dieting?

PAV8888

tomatoey wrote: »

Aha, good point. Would this be an argument for reverse dieting?

If you are asking me if I believe adaptation is generally not game ending but utterly real?
The answer is yes.
Do I believe that there is an easy quick fix... the answer is no.
It will probably involve very careful eating at TDEE, or above, to reverse.
For months/years... not days.
The important part here is "not game ending".

Reviewing your actual results to your expected results every few weeks can help you figure out where you're at.

After 6-8 weeks of careful logging your TDEE estimates should primarily come from your own data, not calculators unless you want to play out "what if" scenarios...

555_FILK

My logging seems to put me around 2100 TDEE. I don't think I have any kind of adaptation issues. I cut for about 5 months last year and dropped 20 lbs, then apparently ate above maintenance the first six months of this year and put on 5 lbs. I've now been cutting about 6 weeks and dropped 4 lbs.

But I actually started this thread because sites like IIFYM put my TDEE much lower than what I've observed, like at 1800. The sites suggested in this thread put me around 2300. Who knows. I've always been a notoriously light eater but easily put on weight and have been skinny fat my whole life. I don't have much muscle mass.

I'll just keep on keepin on. I just find it interesting that TDEE estimates can be so wildly all over the place.