Help with TDEE please

suziepoo1984

Hello,

I know this has been asked multiple times and yes, i have been on multiple TDEE calculators including fat2fit, scooby etc. Just wanted a confirmation if the below TDEE sounds right for me. I am trying to gather as many calories as i can to eat :laugh:

I am 5'5, 29 years old, weighing 152 pounds(down from 173..yay!) and want to lose 20 more pounds. I am doing mainly only cardio- ellipticals, walking, zumba, just added bit of running. I am very inteersted in weights, though i am scared to start due to knee issues and in general i feel i am weak and dont want to injure myself before i lose all the necessary weight

Ok, so as per scooby, i have input my activity as 'Lightly Active' and my TDEE comes up to 2033 and with 20% cut, its 1627.
Does this sound right? Also, my activity has been set to 'Lightly active', but i do have a desk job.
I exercise usually 4 times a week. About 45 mins of any of the activities mentioned above. I also try and walk around during my job as much as possible(track using fitbit).

Thanks in advance for the help:)

suziepoo1984

bump

heybales

40 hr sedentary desk job with no kids, and outside exercise a bump on a log?

Only 3 hrs of exercise a week?

That's Light Active.

Why are you estimating activity levels when you have a FitBit?

What does FitBit say your TDEE is? You aren't doing any activity it can't measure decently.

Then 15% deficit from that. Have to unsync your FitBit unless you want to do some integration with it better, in which case let me know.

suziepoo1984

I have not synched fitbit with MFP..i have kept them seperately until now..But i have been reading a lot about TDEE and was wondering if that was a better route to take.
i dont eat back fitbit calories, only proper exercise calories that i check using HRM. Fitbit is just to keep me active.
I do have a sedentary desk job 8 hours a day..but i try to squeeze in walks in between, nothing significant.
I do have 13 month old at home..but i do have parents at home to help out with her, so i am not super active or anything there either.

This is why i was confused if i was sedentary, lightly active or moderate. I am pretty sure i cant be moderate though.

Thanks for the reply:)

ETA: Fitbit TDEE usually between 2000 and 2500, but more so 2100, so i am guessing -15% of that = 1785.

heybales

For your type of activity, FitBit is going to be best estimate of everything.

So correct on 15% off, but not the low value, just cheating yourself, possibly shooting your body in the metabolism.

And if curious what the activity factor would be.

Average FitBit TDEE / MFP BMR = activity factor
Now you can see where in the tables yours is. Just more exact with FitBit.

To set up MFP to work correctly, indeed use the 1785.
Set the MFP Activity Level to which ever one is closest to your activity factor you just calculated.
1.25 - Sedentary
1.35 - Lightly Active
1.45 - Active
1.55 - Very Active

Set weight loss goal to maintain.
Enter your 1785 goal eating level.
Totally sync FitBit negative and positive.

Now the only adjustments you'll get is when your day is bigger than average low. You eat those back. The deficit is already in there, just a 15% one instead of a block of calories, like 500 or 1000.

suziepoo1984

That makes lot of sense.. Thanks so much:)