TDEE and the last 20lbs

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bikecheryl
bikecheryl Posts: 1,432 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm hoping someone.... or more than one someone can help me calculate my current TDEE.

I have about 25 more lbs. to lose and am a little stalled.

Background:

I'm 59 and 5'4"

April 2017 - 288 lbs
Current weight - 178 lbs
Goal weight - 155 lbs

Desk job - sedentary

Exercise consists of daily walks, kayaking, biking. Approx 45+minutes per day

I have two bad knees that makes some exercises difficult.

I've checked online calculators and my TDEE ranges from 1641 to 1983 with exactly the same stats entered so I figured I'd ask your opinions.

I'm totally fine with a .5 lb per week weight loss, I just can't seem to dial in the right daily calorie goal.

Thanks in advance for your help!!

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    edited July 2018
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    Calculators just give you a reasonably good estimated starting point...just pick one and be consistent and make adjustments per your real world results.

    That said, I have a hard time believing your TDEE would be less than 1800 calories.
  • bikecheryl
    bikecheryl Posts: 1,432 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Calculators just give you a reasonably good estimated starting point...just pick one and be consistent and make adjustments per your real world results.

    That said, I have a hard time believing your TDEE would be less than 1800 calories.

    Would that be counting my "exercise" calories from walks, etc?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    bikecheryl wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Calculators just give you a reasonably good estimated starting point...just pick one and be consistent and make adjustments per your real world results.

    That said, I have a hard time believing your TDEE would be less than 1800 calories.

    Would that be counting my "exercise" calories from walks, etc?

    TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure...it's everything...you being alive, your day to day, walks and exercise. TDEE is your total calorie expenditure.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
    edited July 2018
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    bikecheryl wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Calculators just give you a reasonably good estimated starting point...just pick one and be consistent and make adjustments per your real world results.

    That said, I have a hard time believing your TDEE would be less than 1800 calories.

    Would that be counting my "exercise" calories from walks, etc?

    TDEE calculators take all activity, including exercise, into the equation and average it out over the week.

    MFP is a NEAT calculator and calculates only based on daily activity and expects you to add in exercise as you go.

    They should come out to be similar overall but are two different formulas.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
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    I would just pick a number in the middle, 1800 does sound good, and take your deficit off that. Evaluate your progress after a few weeks.
  • bufger
    bufger Posts: 763 Member
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    kami3006 wrote: »
    I would just pick a number in the middle, 1800 does sound good, and take your deficit off that. Evaluate your progress after a few weeks.

    I would also do this. If you log the excercise in MFP then don't eat the calories back. Keep a weekly measurement and tweak every 2 weeks.

    I don't log excercise in mfp, I've just worked out my regular gym sessions and workouts put me in the moderately active area (job is sedentary) so I've based my TDEE off that and made small changes as I lose weight.

    Good luck!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I will comment that despite the calculators named TDEE - they usually do NOT account for different daily activity levels, but only exercise.

    2 people same physical stats, same 4 hr weekly workout, one a work desk jockey & evening game player, one a mail carrier walking route with household responsibilities 3 kids - are not the same TDEE that a calculator would give them.

    And a sedentary desk job does not equal Sedentary weekly activity level when you count all available non-exercise and weekend time to be active.

    A woman would need to wait a month before making adjustments based on observation. Generally.
    If you no longer observe days of increased water weight gain (fast gain that drops after a week or two) then may be able to get by with 2 week changes.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    edited July 2018
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    Not sure what calculator you’re using, but I get 2119 as maintenance with your stats, so subtract -250 for 1869. Try 1800 and adjust accordingly

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