THIS IS A NOVEL: Understanding my TDEE
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SlytherinPrefect
Posts: 64 Member
I'm going to TL:DR from the start because this is going to be a novel: I'm a math nerd and I want someone to look at my numbers and see if what I'm saying makes sense. Also, I want to use MFP (+ RunKeeper, etc.) as the accurate tracking tool it should be.
Hey everybody. I'm having a really hard time understanding what my TDEE should be. I've been trying to figure this out for a couple of days because I'm a math nerd - I like the numbers to make sense in my head. I posted my original question in the general forum yesterday but I had some miscalculations and all that stuff, so I'm going to try and condense everything in this post.
I've used a few different methods to determine BMR and TDEE, so bear with me, I'll try to organize them.
Starting info (yesterday):
Age: 31
Height: 64 inches
Weight: 169 lbs
Neck: 14.3"
Waist (smallest): 34"
Waist (navel): 39.5"
Hips: 43.5"
Wrist: 6"
Forearm: 9.5"
Now, when I go to determine TDEE, I'm going to use the IIFYM calculator (because I trust its BMR rate as I said above), and I'm going to use the "No exercise" level - here's my justification:
I only started using MFP 3 weeks ago and before that I was literally sedentary. To me, 3 weeks is not enough data to figure out an accurate TDEE based on my exercise; not least of which because my exercise has not been consistent for long enough.
So it makes the most sense to me to figure out my TDEE as if I was going to be sedentary, and then add my exercise cals on top of that, and *then* cut 20%. Part of the reason I want to do that is that any kind of "guesstimate" of how much you work out each week (light activity, intense activity, frequency, etc.) is going to be inaccurate. And right now, the only thing I'm doing (because I'm re-couping from a knee injury) is walking 20 minutes a day. It only burns about 120 calories max every day, and it's consistent right now. When I add in calisthenics and lifting and all that stuff, I know everything changes because my workout won't be the same every day. But for now, and for anyone doing a consistent workout every day...
So, here's the math:
BMR according to IIFYM: 1415
TDEE (sedentary): 1698
Actual workout every day: 120
Total: 1818
Calories: (1818*.8) = 1454
FINAL STEP:
MFP Net Goal: (1454-120) = 1334
Then, I can log my cardio accurately from Runkeeper, and eat back my exercise calories because my Net Goal is still1454.
Basically, I like the TDEE method for its accuracy and for the fact that I won't be starving myself, but what the hell is the point of having an app that counts my calories *for* me (Runkeeper or an HRM monitor if I get one) if I'm going to ignore them at the end? And then how will I know - hey, I can do 10 more minutes of walking and earn a snack!
My plan would be to revisit the method when I have enough exercise logged to average over time, but given that I don't have a lot of exercising history, I'd basically be operating on that sedentary level anyway, averaged over the last few months.
SO:
Resulting questions:
1) Does this make sense to *anybody* else but me?
2) Is it *right*?
3) If not, can you explain it to me since apparently I get buried in equations but have no logical sense? (bonus points if you're a math or phys ed teacher...)
ETA: I'm not afraid to eat 1800-2200 calories (the range I've been getting on a bunch of sites based on my estimated activity), but I don't want to be eating 400-800 extra calories a day and be confused as to why I'm gaining weight back after finally becoming active.
Ask me later to start doing the math on a not-every-day's-the-same workout schedule. I'm spent on this post.
Hey everybody. I'm having a really hard time understanding what my TDEE should be. I've been trying to figure this out for a couple of days because I'm a math nerd - I like the numbers to make sense in my head. I posted my original question in the general forum yesterday but I had some miscalculations and all that stuff, so I'm going to try and condense everything in this post.
I've used a few different methods to determine BMR and TDEE, so bear with me, I'll try to organize them.
Starting info (yesterday):
Age: 31
Height: 64 inches
Weight: 169 lbs
Neck: 14.3"
Waist (smallest): 34"
Waist (navel): 39.5"
Hips: 43.5"
Wrist: 6"
Forearm: 9.5"
Body fat:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/ - 27.42%
http://www.calculator.net/body-fat-calculator.html - 21.4%
http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bodyfat - 32%
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bf - 27.9%
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf -39.1%
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/cbbf - 29%
Average: 29.47%
My guess: 37%
(You can look at my before photos in my profile pics - I think I'm somewhere between 35% and 40% based on the "look" method - 29% seems too low)
BMR:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ - 1411 (using 37% body fat)
http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ - 1415 (using 37% body fat and "Basal Metabolic Rate" option in dropdown)
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ - 1539 (does not ask for body fat)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator - 1467 (does not ask for body fat)
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ - 1545.25 (does not ask for body fat)
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-metabolism-calculator - 1763 (does not ask for body fat and I used the "inactive" option to try and get as close to actual BMR as possible)
Average: 1523.38
My guess: 1415
(The two bmr calculators that do ask for body fat are in agreement, and I believe those are more accurate, but I could be wrong)
Now, when I go to determine TDEE, I'm going to use the IIFYM calculator (because I trust its BMR rate as I said above), and I'm going to use the "No exercise" level - here's my justification:
I only started using MFP 3 weeks ago and before that I was literally sedentary. To me, 3 weeks is not enough data to figure out an accurate TDEE based on my exercise; not least of which because my exercise has not been consistent for long enough.
So it makes the most sense to me to figure out my TDEE as if I was going to be sedentary, and then add my exercise cals on top of that, and *then* cut 20%. Part of the reason I want to do that is that any kind of "guesstimate" of how much you work out each week (light activity, intense activity, frequency, etc.) is going to be inaccurate. And right now, the only thing I'm doing (because I'm re-couping from a knee injury) is walking 20 minutes a day. It only burns about 120 calories max every day, and it's consistent right now. When I add in calisthenics and lifting and all that stuff, I know everything changes because my workout won't be the same every day. But for now, and for anyone doing a consistent workout every day...
So, here's the math:
BMR according to IIFYM: 1415
TDEE (sedentary): 1698
Actual workout every day: 120
Total: 1818
Calories: (1818*.8) = 1454
FINAL STEP:
MFP Net Goal: (1454-120) = 1334
Then, I can log my cardio accurately from Runkeeper, and eat back my exercise calories because my Net Goal is still1454.
Basically, I like the TDEE method for its accuracy and for the fact that I won't be starving myself, but what the hell is the point of having an app that counts my calories *for* me (Runkeeper or an HRM monitor if I get one) if I'm going to ignore them at the end? And then how will I know - hey, I can do 10 more minutes of walking and earn a snack!
My plan would be to revisit the method when I have enough exercise logged to average over time, but given that I don't have a lot of exercising history, I'd basically be operating on that sedentary level anyway, averaged over the last few months.
SO:
Resulting questions:
1) Does this make sense to *anybody* else but me?
2) Is it *right*?
3) If not, can you explain it to me since apparently I get buried in equations but have no logical sense? (bonus points if you're a math or phys ed teacher...)
ETA: I'm not afraid to eat 1800-2200 calories (the range I've been getting on a bunch of sites based on my estimated activity), but I don't want to be eating 400-800 extra calories a day and be confused as to why I'm gaining weight back after finally becoming active.
Ask me later to start doing the math on a not-every-day's-the-same workout schedule. I'm spent on this post.
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Replies
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The MFP method, but taking a reasonable deficit, is very valid.
Here's one tweak though, since you like math, I'll put it in formula.
TDEE - 15% = (non-exercise TDEE - 15%) + (exercise - 15%)
So change that sync across workout calories to 15% less.
So the easiest setup, since Mifflin BMR that MFP uses is so close to Katch BMR that uses bodyfat%, which you have all over the board anyway, is to just do the following.
Set MFP activity level to Sedentary (it's higher than other sedentaries and much more likely).
Set weight loss goal to maintain.
Set exercise goal to whatever, if you even have noticed the Exercise tab goals and it matters.
Save.
Change Goals, take the given net eating goal shown, less 15%. Change macros to whatever, recommend protein at 0.8 gram per lb of weight.
Save.
So now your daily goal with no exercise has the deficit.
Sync or manually log your workouts, and remember to take off the same 15% in the calories.
Eat back your exercise calories.
If curious about some more accurate TDEE Deficit methods, since you already have most the stats, check this out.
You are interested in using the MFP Tweak tab, but fill in the Simple Setup tab down to the Activity Calc, but don't fill it in since you have no increased daily activity.
Bottom of MPF Tweak tab will let you enter in exercise calories and time, and it'll do what I did above, plus another minor but valid step.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/961054-spreadsheet-for-bodyfat-bmr-tdee-progress-tracker0 -
This is enormously helpful. I need to read it a few more times, but it's already helping me. I downloaded the spreadsheet and I'm working through it. Thank you very very much.0
