Can someone check my TDEE numbers please?

anewell28

Age:21
Female
Current weight 148 (123 pounds is bone and muscle according to my last bod pod)
Student-athlete/golfer
Height 5'4"

So everyday for the past 12 weeks, I have logged my calories in and calories out with old fashion pen and paper. I used MFP to calculate my calories in (some is estimated in and some is exactly weighed and logged. Didn't always have a good scale, and do some traveling away from home a lot) and I used my Fitbit Alta for calories out.

My starting weight was 158 and my current weight is 148. Based on my numbers I have logged I have lost 11.4 pounds. So it's not perfect but it's close.

I added the amount of calories I burned over the week together and divided by 7 to get my daily average of calories burned.
I divided my 12 weeks into four parts and averaged accordingly (sounds confusing but stay with me). After averaging and averaging, the first six weeks I think my TDEE was 2450 and the second six weeks I think my TDEE was 2610.
This would make sense because I increased my daily activity in the second half of this journey. I averaged 87,000 steps WEEKLY during the first half and 110,000 steps WEEKLY during the second half.

Now after all that jargon and numbers, do those numbers seem correct?
Will I be able to calculate my BMR from these numbers?

Just trying to get a pin point calorie number for my maintenance!

jemhh

It seems reasonable to me. You will not get your BMR from the TDEE but you don't need it other than to satisfy curiosity.

I have to say that it makes me really happy to see that you are dieting sensibly and not extremely. We get so many people who do the latter. Good work!

Edited to say that your numbers are a good starting point. If you go to maintenance, you will likely find that you can add back even more calories as your TEF increases.

anewell28

@jemhh thank you for the reply!! I appreciate it!
Remind me what TEF stands for?

nomorewombat

Why not use a TDEE calculator like this?

http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/

middlehaitch

Nice to see someone using their data rather than a calculator's estimate.
I agree you have good starting numbers.

You may find it useful to also work out your TDEE minus the steps. This will give you a base number for when you can't get in all those steps. Or decide to change up your routine.

When I hit maintenance 7+ years ago I did a similar thing as you have, but after maintaining for a couple of months with my MFP numbers.

I have used my personal base numbers ever since. Only slightly higher than MFP.
I know I use 200 cals for an average hours exercise, etc, what my lifting cals are, and how much I burn per km. During a normal week for me ~1600 is good. But, when I take time off, I know how many calories to pull back.

The more numbers you have; the more control.

@nomorewombat, though sailrabbit is my favourite calculator, nothing can beat using your own data.

Cheers, h.

jemhh

anewell28 wrote: »

@jemhh thank you for the reply!! I appreciate it!
Remind me what TEF stands for?

Thermal effect of food--about 10% of the calories you ingest are burned during digestion. If you increase intake by 500, you burn about 50 digesting them. The inverse is true as well--cut 500 calories and you burn 50 fewer, which means that a 500 calorie cut results in a 450 calorie deficit.

There are different variables to your TDEE so you'll have to experiment some but you have a good start. And I like @middlehaitch 's idea of calculating the number with fewer steps. You might not need it now but it could be interesting or useful down the road.

anewell28

@middlehaitch, how would I calculate my TDEE minus the steps? thanks!

@jemhh, thanks for the info!!

Mr_Knight

nomorewombat wrote: »

Why not use a TDEE calculator like this?

http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/

Calculators are estimates based on averages and curve fitting. OP is using actual numbers for her actual body and experience - that will lead to more accurate understanding.

middlehaitch

You know, I honestly don't know.

I have never used a step counter/ Fitbit type device. I borrowed one for a month and it drove me crazy. I just used MFP entries for walking as I only counted purposful training walks (10km races) not every day steps.

You could take the the 2 instances in the difference in your calorie burn and the difference in your steps (as noted in your OP) and work from those numbers.

Hope some one can come up with a better option.

The general consensus, according to runners world* is -
(Weight x .3) x distance in miles = calories burned.

* I have only seen this ref as a post on MFP, I have also seen it as x .33.

Cheers, h.