TDEE Calculator Confusion?

crzycatlady1

I'm playing around with numbers right now and ran my info through 2 TDEE calculators. I got two different numbers and am a bit confused. Can a TDEE expert chime in and walk me through this?

My stats:
-38 year old female
-5ft, 6in
-134.5lbs (rounded up to 135lbs)

The first site was the IIFYM one (which is the first one that pops up in google). I entered that I was sedentary (I'm at my computer or sitting in my car a lot for my kids schooling), with 5 days a week of light exercise, for 30 minutes a time. This is for walking 2 miles a day, 5ish times a week. This site gave me a TDEE of 1,614 calories.

The second site was Fitness Frog (second in the google search). It's a slightly different format so I tried to match the two as best I could and put light exercise (which is exercising 1-3 days a week), as my activity level. I didn't chose moderate, which is 3-5 days, because walking is pretty low key on the exercise scale and I didn't want to overestimate burn. Even with the lighter exercise method it put me at a TDEE of 1,880 calories.

That's an almost 2,000 calorie difference each week, which is a pretty big difference since I'm looking to adjust My TDEE to lose .5lb a week. I'm assuming there's some sort of issue with my exercise input?

Any thoughts on the discrepancy between the two sites? Is there one you'd recommend (or a third calculator on a different site?).

Thanks!

edit to add: I know I'm already at a healthy weight/BMI. I've lost around 50lbs and have been in maintenance for a few years, with my weight in the 120s. I'm currently dealing with some spring/summer weight creep right now. Total vanity pounds I've never done the TDEE method and am interested in giving it a try.

Cahgetsfit

good question, I've found the same thing! I ended up randomly choosing tdeecalculator.net purely because it gives three different macros breakdowns you can choose from and also gives you cutting/bulking calories (but at -500 or +500 options only, which I found a bit too harsh, but always able to tweak to suit)

Cahgetsfit

by the way - I'm also a crazy cat lady =^.^=

arditarose

If you walk 2 miles per day and do no other physical activity I think you're basically sedentary. I'm lightly active and I walk about 5 miles per day and lift 4x per week. When I want to find TDEE I use what IIFYM and Scooby's calculator gives me, and take the difference. Or, since I don't do extra cardio, I just set my activity level and ask MFP to maintain, and use that.

I'm around your stats as well, 137-140 and 5'4". I'm more active than you and maintain on 1800-1900. I assume you're somewhere between 1600-1800.

I don't understand what you mean about a 2000 calorie difference each week? I don't see that. You are getting a difference of about 200-300 calories between these TDEE calculators.

nowine4me

My favorite is Scooby TDEE calculator, it should pop right up in Google. I'd pick something in the middle, maybe 1700, and give it a few weeks and adjust accordingly.

crzycatlady1

arditarose wrote: »

If you walk 2 miles per day and do no other physical activity I think you're basically sedentary. I'm lightly active and I walk about 5 miles per day and lift 4x per week. When I want to find TDEE I use what IIFYM and Scooby's calculator gives me, and take the difference. Or, since I don't do extra cardio, I just set my activity level and ask MFP to maintain, and use that.

I'm around your stats as well, 137-140 and 5'4". I'm more active than you and maintain on 1800-1900. I assume you're somewhere between 1600-1800.

I don't understand what you mean about a 2000 calorie difference each week? I don't see that. You are getting a difference of about 200-300 calories between these TDEE calculators.

I multiplied the difference by 7 days. I was trying to figure out the difference if I went with the higher (more appealing lol) number

crzycatlady1

I'll check out Scoobys calculator next-thanks!

arditarose

crzycatlady1 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

If you walk 2 miles per day and do no other physical activity I think you're basically sedentary. I'm lightly active and I walk about 5 miles per day and lift 4x per week. When I want to find TDEE I use what IIFYM and Scooby's calculator gives me, and take the difference. Or, since I don't do extra cardio, I just set my activity level and ask MFP to maintain, and use that.

I'm around your stats as well, 137-140 and 5'4". I'm more active than you and maintain on 1800-1900. I assume you're somewhere between 1600-1800.

I don't understand what you mean about a 2000 calorie difference each week? I don't see that. You are getting a difference of about 200-300 calories between these TDEE calculators.

I multiplied the difference by 7 days. I was trying to figure out the difference if I went with the higher (more appealing lol) number

Okay, across the week. Yeah it's a big difference. Why don't you try losing on 1500. If it doesn't work in a week or two go to 1400. First I'd see what the calculator on Scooby's says too.

Nikion901

The only people I know who successfully follow TDEE method are those with a fitness tracker that has a heart rate monitor to figure out how much energy they expend during a 24 hour period. Otherwise, it's all averages and that leads to big swings in what each different person will find to be true for themselves.

Suggestions ... pick one and follow it for 4 weeks. If you are losing weight, good. If the loss is too fast, add back some calories. If you are staying the same, then you know you need to cut more, ditto if you gain.

For me ... I found they all pretty much were in the ballpark but I found my own from diligent recording and keeping track of my activity, intake, and weights for over 6 months before I was able to see the correct pattern.

crzycatlady1

Nikion901 wrote: »

The only people I know who successfully follow TDEE method are those with a fitness tracker that has a heart rate monitor to figure out how much energy they expend during a 24 hour period. Otherwise, it's all averages and that leads to big swings in what each different person will find to be true for themselves.

Suggestions ... pick one and follow it for 4 weeks. If you are losing weight, good. If the loss is too fast, add back some calories. If you are staying the same, then you know you need to cut more, ditto if you gain.

Good to know-I don't have a tracker. I think I'll give Fitness Frog's number a try (minus 250 calories a day for a .5lb loss per week), and see how it goes. Like you said-I can always adjust as needed after a few weeks Thanks everyone for the input!

arditarose

crzycatlady1 wrote: »

Nikion901 wrote: »

The only people I know who successfully follow TDEE method are those with a fitness tracker that has a heart rate monitor to figure out how much energy they expend during a 24 hour period. Otherwise, it's all averages and that leads to big swings in what each different person will find to be true for themselves.

Suggestions ... pick one and follow it for 4 weeks. If you are losing weight, good. If the loss is too fast, add back some calories. If you are staying the same, then you know you need to cut more, ditto if you gain.

Good to know-I don't have a tracker. I think I'll give Fitness Frog's number a try (minus 250 calories a day for a .5lb loss per week), and see how it goes. Like you said-I can always adjust as needed after a few weeks Thanks everyone for the input!

I've done TDEE for two years without a tracker. But yes, it's a bit of trial and error.

jemhh

I have always found that the IIFYM calculator comes in under my actual TDEE by at least 250, if not more, calories.

nosebag1212

I don't like the IIFYM calculator, it's way too low for my actual TDEE, use fitness frog or scooby's.

DebSozo

I've been using TDEE successfully without a tracker. I like it better than NEAT because my activity level is fairly consistent. I discovered that my maintenance calorie level is higher than I originally thought (thankfully).