TDEE via BodyMedia: If my method works, why am I not hungry?

MatthewLewis81

So this is new to me; usually I've had an excellent appetite and am always happy to eat more. But now that I've been on MFP for a little over a month, I'm finding that I really struggle to eat as many calories as I aim for each day.

To begin with, I have a BodyMedia Link that shows I burn around 3300 calories per day (3800 if I get a good workout). Since BodyMedia claims 93% accuracy, I err on the side of caution and figure my TDEE to be 93% of what my BodyMedia device reports, meaning I estimate it down to 3069 (3300 x 0.93) and call that my TDEE.

From there, I subtract 20% and make that my daily calorie goal, which works out to be 2455.

The problem is, when I'm actually counting calories, I don't really feel hungry enough to eat that much. I'm satisfied after every meal and rarely feel ravenous like I did when I first began restricting calories. Yes, I get a bit hungry between meals, but never uncomfortably so. By bedtime I've often only had 2000 calories or so. The result is that I often end up eating something I don't really feel like I need right before bed, just to pad my calories up closer to the 2455.

I have two questions:

1.) Is my method of calculating TDEE valid?
2.) Does the fact that I'm not hungry (even at supposedly a greater than 20% calorie deficit) mean my BodyMedia Link is massively over-reporting my actual calorie burn, or have I just gotten used to less calories?

Thanks!

Matthew

Edited to add: I'm 5' 11", 215 lbs, estimated body fat percentage around 12-15%, generally sedentary job but try to work out a few times per week.

jetlag

2500 calories is a lot of food, when eating proper healthy food. So, if you're eating well, then it's not a problem that you're not hungry.

If you're losing weight at a good rate, then why worry?

Hang on, 12-15% body fat?? How much more are you planning on losing?

Duck_Puddle

How long have you had the bodymedia?

I have a bodymedia link as well. It took about 2 months for it to "learn" me (meaning that after 2 months, the "estimated" daily burn was pretty much spot on to what it said I burned at the end of the day).

After another 4-6 weeks, I determined that it was overstating my burn by about 500 cal/day. I made this determination because I ate at a 500 calorie deficit to what the armband said I burned (from the start), and I maintained. I therefore determined that my TDEE was approx 500 less than whatever the armband said (which varies from 1900-3500+).

In my opinion, the only way to know your TDEE for real is to be 10000% spot on in measuring food intake (weigh/measure everything) and track your weight over that period of time. Use a moving average to account for weight fluctuations. Then figure your TDEE by using your actual change in weight compared to your actual caloric intake.

Then you can bump that against the bodymedia info and see where it stands on the 93% accuracy rating, and it will become a useful tool for you.

TwelveSticks

That sounds like a ****load of calories to me. I'm 5'11" as well, and was 215 only recently (currently 190). My TDEE is around 2200, including all the exercise I do (about 4000 calories burned per week). Without the exercise, my sedentary TDEE would only be about 1750.

Now, we're all different, but based on what you are saying, it's hardly surprising that you feel full on circa 2000 calories - that's more than what I eat per day and I pretty much never feel hungry.

I'd suggest that you treat what your Bodymedia is telling you with some suspicion...

TwelveSticks

In my opinion, the only way to know your TDEE for real is to be 10000% spot on in measuring food intake (weigh/measure everything) and track your weight over that period of time. Use a moving average to account for weight fluctuations. Then figure your TDEE by using your actual change in weight compared to your actual caloric intake.

Oh yes, and this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I work my TDEE out using a 4-week rolling average of my food intake and weight loss. That's how I can be confident it's around 2200...

Minks_esposa

I've been wearing my bodymedia for almost a month now and it's accurate for me. If I sit on my butt all day or get less than 1000 steps a day then I usually burn about 1900 cals. I'm 5'3, 28 yrs old, and still have about 50 pounds to lose. I eat around 1000-1550 cals a day, some days are higher (1800+) but it averages out to 1200-1550 cals per week. I would be very stuffed and would probably gain or maintain if I ate over 2000 cals because I'm very sedentary and that would probably be my maintenance number.

Minks_esposa

Your TDEE seems really high for a sedentary person. Maybe call customer service.

MatthewLewis81

The past two or three weeks have been goofy what with "new baby craziness," but I appear to be losing a little less than a pound a week on this system. I just wasn't sure if it was water weight, lean body mass, etc. In fact, the weight loss was one reason I posted to begin with; it just doesn't seem to add up that I'm losing weight regularly without getting hungry.

While I'm open to the idea of my BodyMedia device being off, my previous thread on this topic indicates it may well be spot-on. For one thing I'm not *totally* sedentary (we have kids and are homeowners, after all), and for another thing, I've got a naturally very high muscle mass (I have Scandinavian heritage - barrel chest, huge legs, etc.) So I'm guessing it does take more to keep me going than most people.

All things considered, maybe I'm closer to maintenance than I thought. But it sounds like careful logging and observation will be the way to tell for sure.

Hang on, 12-15% body fat?? How much more are you planning on losing?

I'd like to get down to less than 10% body fat. For one thing, with my build it will take that kind of leanness to not look fat while wearing clothes. I'd also like to be able to see my abs! It would also help a lot with mountain biking, which I enjoy, but it's hard work hauling myself up those hills!