Issues with figuring how many calories to eat with Hypothyroidism.

EvgeniZyntx

AnnPT77 wrote: »

I'm hypothyroid, and have also lost weight (62 pounds since April 2015) following MFP's normal formulas. My thyroid hormone levels are correctly controlled with medication, so I haven't had to eat any fewer calories than a non-hypothyroid person. In fact, MFP seems to underestimate my calorie requirements by a bit.

It seems odd to me that the formula you have doesn't discriminate between men & women; people of different heights or ages; or different activity levels. Or have you just picked out the numbers from the web site that would apply to your sex, age, activity level, etc.? Oddly, the formula does approximate my net maintenance calories at my current weight (if I don't subtract 200).

As an aside, muscle building and weight loss are somewhat conflicting goals. To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. To truly build muscle, you normally need a calorie surplus, or at least maintenance. (Reportedly, people new to weight training can make some gains for a while with a deficit, however, if if the deficit's not too large.)

There are more than a dozen formulas that exist out there from statical approximations. Some use height, weight and sex. Others don't. In fact, one of the more accurate formulas focuses on %bf rather than gender and height.

Still, the best way to estimate your own TDEE is to look at how much you eat vs how much you lose via tracking.