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Is this really my TDEE ?
CarrieAnnH14
Posts: 85 Member
I just did an online TDEE calculator. Plugged in my stats - 48 yr old female, exactly 5 feet tall and currently 132 pounds. I chose sedentary for activity level. I have a desk job - but throughout the day walk 10,00 to 12,00 steps total. It said my TDEE was 1265 calories. When I first started tracking early January - I stayed around 1000 calories a day and did not eat back exercise calories. I lost 18 pounds.
3 weeks ago - I upped my calories to 1200 (but most days eat less than 1100 calories) after reading numerous times on MFP that 1000 calories was too low. I am a meticulous logger - weigh every bite of food to the gram - unless it is fast food, a restaurant or packaged. I have been stuck at the same weight for 3 weeks now. Today I got a breakfast sandwich and Popeye's for lunch - but I normally don't eat out that much. My diary is open - so if anyone wants to give me ideas you are welcome to look. I guess - I am wondering if I should go back down to 1000 calories or give it a few more weeks, I also realize that 3 weeks does not necessarily mean I am in a plateau...But is my TDEE really 1265? Taking a 500 calorie deficit from that would not be doable or healthy. Sorry - I am really long winded. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!
3 weeks ago - I upped my calories to 1200 (but most days eat less than 1100 calories) after reading numerous times on MFP that 1000 calories was too low. I am a meticulous logger - weigh every bite of food to the gram - unless it is fast food, a restaurant or packaged. I have been stuck at the same weight for 3 weeks now. Today I got a breakfast sandwich and Popeye's for lunch - but I normally don't eat out that much. My diary is open - so if anyone wants to give me ideas you are welcome to look. I guess - I am wondering if I should go back down to 1000 calories or give it a few more weeks, I also realize that 3 weeks does not necessarily mean I am in a plateau...But is my TDEE really 1265? Taking a 500 calorie deficit from that would not be doable or healthy. Sorry - I am really long winded. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!
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Replies
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There's a huge conflict between "sedentary" and 10k - 12k steps.
The T in TDEE means total, you can't just ignore those steps and expect an accurate estimation.11 -
Your BMR is 1265. Your sedentary TDEE is 1535-1540.
If you get 10-12 steps you are not sedentary.
If do exercise you should be eating some of these back.
Setup MFP to lose .5 (you fit the slower weight loss recommendation being short/older).7 -
There's a huge conflict between "sedentary" and 10k - 12k steps.
The T in TDEE means total, you can't just ignore those steps and expect an accurate estimation.
The calculator I used said sedentary was desk job with moderate exercise. Half of my steps are intentional - the other half are just daily walking around. I currently do have it set to lose .5 pounds - which is 1365 calories a day I think. I have my fitbit synced to MFP to give me calories....but am really bad about eating them back. Thanks for you advice.1 -
Your BMR is 1265. Your sedentary TDEE is 1535-1540.
If you get 10-12 steps you are not sedentary.
If do exercise you should be eating some of these back.
Setup MFP to lose .5 (you fit the slower weight loss recommendation being short/older).
Thanks for clarifying that this was my BMR and not my TDEE. I am still learning. I am set to lose .5 pounds a week - I think around 1365 calories a day. I guess I should try eating a bit more.
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CarrieAnnH14 wrote: »Your BMR is 1265. Your sedentary TDEE is 1535-1540.
If you get 10-12 steps you are not sedentary.
If do exercise you should be eating some of these back.
Setup MFP to lose .5 (you fit the slower weight loss recommendation being short/older).
Thanks for clarifying that this was my BMR and not my TDEE. I am still learning. I am set to lose .5 pounds a week - I think around 1365 calories a day. I guess I should try eating a bit more.
I ran your stats through scooby and it looks like if you eat 1365-1400 you can lose (mathematically) .6-.7 pounds a week. The good thing about MFP is it allows you to eat back (at least a portion) of exercise and still be in a deficit.1 -
CarrieAnnH14 wrote: »There's a huge conflict between "sedentary" and 10k - 12k steps.
The T in TDEE means total, you can't just ignore those steps and expect an accurate estimation.
The calculator I used said sedentary was desk job with moderate exercise. Half of my steps are intentional - the other half are just daily walking around. I currently do have it set to lose .5 pounds - which is 1365 calories a day I think. I have my fitbit synced to MFP to give me calories....but am really bad about eating them back. Thanks for you advice.
Would question why are you trying to estimate your own numbers when that's what your Fitbit is doing for you.
Why not follow your Fitbit's suggestion for at least a month and then adjust from there based on your results?
You are going to end up in a whirl of confusion with a TDEE calculator telling you one thing, MyFitnessPal (which doesn't work with TDEE) telling you something else and your Fitbit giving you yet another variable.4 -
CarrieAnnH14 wrote: »Your BMR is 1265. Your sedentary TDEE is 1535-1540.
If you get 10-12 steps you are not sedentary.
If do exercise you should be eating some of these back.
Setup MFP to lose .5 (you fit the slower weight loss recommendation being short/older).
Thanks for clarifying that this was my BMR and not my TDEE. I am still learning. I am set to lose .5 pounds a week - I think around 1365 calories a day. I guess I should try eating a bit more.
I ran your stats through scooby and it looks like if you eat 1365-1400 you can lose (mathematically) .6-.7 pounds a week. The good thing about MFP is it allows you to eat back (at least a portion) of exercise and still be in a deficit.
Thanks so much! This is very helpful.1 -
CarrieAnnH14 wrote: »There's a huge conflict between "sedentary" and 10k - 12k steps.
The T in TDEE means total, you can't just ignore those steps and expect an accurate estimation.
The calculator I used said sedentary was desk job with moderate exercise. Half of my steps are intentional - the other half are just daily walking around. I currently do have it set to lose .5 pounds - which is 1365 calories a day I think. I have my fitbit synced to MFP to give me calories....but am really bad about eating them back. Thanks for you advice.
Would question why are you trying to estimate your own numbers when that's what your Fitbit is doing for you.
Why not follow your Fitbit's suggestion for at least a month and then adjust from there based on your results?
You are going to end up in a whirl of confusion with a TDEE calculator telling you one thing, MyFitnessPal (which doesn't work with TDEE) telling you something else and your Fitbit giving you yet another variable.
Thanks!
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The closest approximation of MFP to 10 to 12K steps is the ACTIVE setting. That said. MFP is not based on TDEE. Fitbit is. The integration between the two bridges the divide and turns MFP into a TDEE based tool by adopting the caloric expense computed by your Fitbit.
These are based on population averages and, of course, your individual results could be slightly different. That said:
You lost 18lbs. Then you made changes. Why did you make changes? You made changes either because things had slowed down or you became more hungry and/or started feeling less good and/or started feeling like you had to make a change.
Why is that? In part because you HAVE lost 18lbs. And at a fairly rapid pace. So you are now lighter and with less fat that is available to be lost and with a lower TDEE than before primarily as a consequence of your reduced weight.
Plug your numbers into a trending weight app. Chose a slower weight loss especially as you've already become lighter. Eat a bit more than you have been. Be patient
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Ditto to the difference between you guessing from 4 rough MFP levels with no exercise, or 5 rough levels with exercise on external sites - to your Fitbit being almost infinite levels based on what it actually sees you doing.
Walking is easy and accurate for what it sees you doing.
Sync Fitbit with MFP.
MFP will correct itself to the Fitbit daily burn, TDEE.
Eat back all the exercise calories given, because they are actually adjustments for that correction.
Only improvement would be to confirm your Fitbit walking stride length is accurate for the avg daily pace.
Not grocery store shuffle, not exercise level - avg daily pace.
Test it at a track and see if Fitbit got the distance correct - within 5%, though I've gotten closer than that.
Then read up on how it works.
Only tackle section 2 if you like math.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy/p14 -
I’d pick a horse, TDEE or MFP and go with it. It also try really hard to avoid Popeyes.6
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