TDEE IS SO FRUSTRATING!

healthylifehappywife8914

I've lost over 5 pounds since the last time I calculated TDEE, so I calculated it again this morning and it comes back over 200 calories difference depending on which web site I use. I definitely don't want to under-eat, but I want to know why the difference is so large and eat more if I can and still lose .5 pounds per week.

I am a female, 25 (i use 26 for these since I will be 26 in 2 months), 132 pounds currently (goal weight 120)

Scooby's gives me 2068 calories per day at a 15% deficit for working out 5-6 hours per week
IIFYM gives me 1819 calories per day at a 15% deficit for working out 5 times per week at an intense level

I an doing NROLFW 3x per week, which I badly track in my diary but do complete, and I do cardio, either running or the elliptical 4x per week for up to 60 minutes, sometimes only 20 or 30 if I also lifted that day.

What gives?

MityMax96

Pick one calculator.
Use it.

Track your progress over time.....and re-assess after 4 weeks.

Go another 4 weeks, see where you are and tweak as needed.

Track more things than just the number on the scale.
Take pictures, measure yourself....etc...

dmenchac

Remember, these are all estimates. Stick with one and use that as your base. See if it works. If not, adjust accordingly.

SezxyStef

you have a few choices...don't recalculate every 5lbs...try every 10...

use one site...or average the ones you do use...

or better yet calculate your TDEE using your intake, lbs lost over a time period. You can get your weekly from the phone app or add up the days from here....and use 3-4weeks worth of data...ie 21-28 days.

The calculation looks like this...

total calories consumed+(pounds lost x 3500)/#days

Francl27

To be fair, IIFYM has several options too. One of them is pretty close to scooby. But just adjust as you lose. If you don't lose as fast as you'd like, decrease your goal a bit more.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Kitship

Pick one calculator.
Use it.

Track your progress over time.....and re-assess after 4 weeks.

Go another 4 weeks, see where you are and tweak as needed.

Track more things than just the number on the scale.
Take pictures, measure yourself....etc...

This times a billion. The calculators are just a starting point. You have to see what works for you and your body.

Calliope610

Or check 2 or more calculators and take the average.

caseythirteen

The calculation looks like this...

total calories consumed+(pounds lost x 3500)/#days

This!

Calculators are just estimates and IMO, it's always best to go based on your own results. If you have tracked as accurately as possible over the last few weeks than you have all the info you need to know what your maintenance is.

WaterBunnie

Why not try using what MFP would give you?

Greenrun99

here I will make it simple.. dont lower calories.. if you continue losing.. continue that calorie number until you no longer lose anything.. then lower by 100 and continue... rinse and repeat!

Mr_Knight

I've lost over 5 pounds since the last time I calculated TDEE, so I calculated it again this morning and it comes back over 200 calories difference depending on which web site I use.

Stop using multiple sites! Use *one* calculation method, and adjust based on results.

If whatever you were doing before was working, you don't need to "recalculate" anything for a 5 pound weight loss - just drop your intake by 50 calories/day and continue on your way. Or don't drop at all, wait until you stall, and then drop by 200 calories/day.

Etc.

kshadows

total calories consumed+(pounds lost x 3500)/#days

How often would you do this calculation?? I just tried it (since I'd rather go with results than online calculators) and got a TDEE higher than I expected...it really can't be wrong, since I've lost the weight, right??

SezxyStef

total calories consumed+(pounds lost x 3500)/#days

How often would you do this calculation?? I just tried it (since I'd rather go with results than online calculators) and got a TDEE higher than I expected...it really can't be wrong, since I've lost the weight, right??

I was told to do it every 10lbs...I should be recalculating in a couple weeks...

I got a TDEE of 1995 doing this...and at TDEE-15% I am losing 0.66 lbs a week.

zenhiker2014

you have a few choices...don't recalculate every 5lbs...try every 10...

use one site...or average the ones you do use...

or better yet calculate your TDEE using your intake, lbs lost over a time period. You can get your weekly from the phone app or add up the days from here....and use 3-4weeks worth of data...ie 21-28 days.

The calculation looks like this...

total calories consumed+(pounds lost x 3500)/#days

This was very helpful to me, thanks. I just ran through the calculations using my calorie data from the past 25 days and got my average daily calorie expenditure. Then I compared it to what my fitbit said i burned (with occasional use of MapMyFitness to log non-step-based activities). The 2 estimates of TDEE agree to within 100 calories.

Now I can stop fretting about whether the numbers I'm using are "right" and trust the calorie goals MFP gives me after syncing with my fitbit. It also reinforces for me that - at least in my case - eating back my exercise calories is not only OK it's pretty important. If I don't, and just eat the magical 1200, I'm running much too big a deficit. No wonder I've been grumpy lately!

Edited to add: just for fun I ran thru the Scooby calculator too. It's really close to the numbers I got the other ways but since you have to pick an activity level vs measuring burn, it's obviously not as precise. Bottom line is all three ways seem to be reasonable but measuring your own TDEE with real data is of course best.

mschicagocubs

I'm confused. If you calculated your TDEE and lost 5 lbs ... what website did you use for that? You should use the same one and just re-do it ...