Disagree with MFP cals set for me....

Chimis_Siq

Soooo MFP says 1200 cals for me to lose 2 lbs a week... and I found an accurate calorie counter (so 1000's of people say so) online and it states that my BMR(no exercise only eating to lose) is 1786, my TDEE (cals to maintain) is 2768 and (to lose weight working out 3-5 hrs a week while having a sedentary desk job) is 2076. Hmmm...Ive just gone ahead and set it to 1600. Why cant it be like when I first started working out-it just dropped weight like nothing. lol.......ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!??

Iwishyouwell

You disagree with the MFP recommendation, you adjusted, and that' s that. What do you need help with?

AJ_G

I highly doubt your maintenance is over 2700 calories...

hararayne

Unless you're pretty active and very tall I doubt your maintenace is 2700....my maintenance is 2100 and I tend to gain weight even on that. The heavier you are the higher your maintenance calories will be.

What site are you using?

At 1600 you"ll probably see a weightloss of a pound a week....but remember, weight doesn't always come off steadily. You could drop ten the first week from waterweight loss and then not lose for a week and then see a bigger loss two weeks later.

Chimis_Siq

I highly doubt your maintenance is over 2700 calories...

Well my weight is 233lbs ,5'5" and I entered the calculation as working out moderately 3-5 hrs per week. Ive tried oh-about 10 calculators now..and they are all 2000+ , actually within 100 cals of each other. lol.......

mschicagocubs

Deleted

Chimis_Siq

Unless you're pretty active and very tall I doubt your maintenace is 2700....my maintenance is 2100 and I tend to gain weight even on that. The heavier you are the higher your maintenance calories will be.

What site are you using?

At 1600 you"ll probably see a weightloss of a pound a week....but remember, weight doesn't always come off steadily. You could drop ten the first week from waterweight loss and then not lose for a week and then see a bigger loss two weeks later.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Yeah, its weird ..because ive tried many calcs and they all give me the same estimates..

Chimis_Siq

You disagree with the MFP recommendation, you adjusted, and that' s that. What do you need help with?

Well alrighty than (like ace ventura) lol

AJ_G

I highly doubt your maintenance is over 2700 calories...

Well my weight is 233lbs ,5'5" and I entered the calculation as working out moderately 3-5 hrs per week. Ive tried oh-about 10 calculators now..and they are all 2000+ , actually within 100 cals of each other. lol.......

Did you use body fat percentage in your calculation. If you haven't, then your TDEE is going to be overestimated big time.

editorgrrl

Weight loss takes a whole lot of trial & error to find what works for you. Eat 1,600 calories for a few weeks, then reevaluate.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

sijomial

Be careful comparing TDEE estimators with MFP as it doesn't include exercise.

In the end pick a number, log accurately as possible and adjust depending on actual results.

mschicagocubs

I highly doubt your maintenance is over 2700 calories...

Well my weight is 233lbs ,5'5" and I entered the calculation as working out moderately 3-5 hrs per week. Ive tried oh-about 10 calculators now..and they are all 2000+ , actually within 100 cals of each other. lol.......

Did you use body fat percentage in your calculation. If you haven't, then your TDEE is going to be overestimated big time.

Body fat is not easy to determine. A lot of people don't use BF when figuring out their TDEE on this site.

Try 1600 for 3-4 weeks, if you dont think you are losing (and you are logging accurately) then I would try switching how much you eat.

3dogsrunning

Soooo MFP says 1200 cals for me to lose 2 lbs a week... and I found an accurate calorie counter (so 1000's of people say so) online and it states that my BMR(no exercise only eating to lose) is 1786, my TDEE (cals to maintain) is 2768 and (to lose weight working out 3-5 hrs a week while having a sedentary desk job) is 2076. Hmmm...Ive just gone ahead and set it to 1600. Why cant it be like when I first started working out-it just dropped weight like nothing. lol.......ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!??

1. What did you choose for your activity level on MFP? Very few people are actually sedentary.
2. Keep in mind 2 lbs a week is a 1000 calorie deficit.
3. Also keep in mind that MFP doesn't account for exercise until you log it, then expects you to eat those calories back. Your other formula does account for exercise.
So even though MFP has you at 1200, you would eat more on the days you worked out. If you are working out and burning 400 calories, that would put you at around 1600 calories per day which would be fairly close to your TDEE -1000 calories.

parkscs

I highly doubt your maintenance is over 2700 calories...

Well my weight is 233lbs ,5'5" and I entered the calculation as working out moderately 3-5 hrs per week. Ive tried oh-about 10 calculators now..and they are all 2000+ , actually within 100 cals of each other. lol.......

Did you use body fat percentage in your calculation. If you haven't, then your TDEE is going to be overestimated big time.

Not necessarily. My TDEE is pretty flat whether I use Katch-McCardle or Mifflin-St Jeor. Either way, we're not talking about a huge delta.

parkscs

Soooo MFP says 1200 cals for me to lose 2 lbs a week... and I found an accurate calorie counter (so 1000's of people say so) online and it states that my BMR(no exercise only eating to lose) is 1786, my TDEE (cals to maintain) is 2768 and (to lose weight working out 3-5 hrs a week while having a sedentary desk job) is 2076. Hmmm...Ive just gone ahead and set it to 1600. Why cant it be like when I first started working out-it just dropped weight like nothing. lol.......ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!??

They're telling you the same thing more or less. The TDEE you're calculating includes your exercise calories - at 2768 TDEE, 2 lbs/week, that's 1768 calories/day. MFP tells you 1200 but it also tells you to eat your exercise calories back. Assuming you burn 600 calories in an hour of exercise, that's 1800 calories according to MFP, 1768 calories according to your TDEE.

TDEE makes sense if you're very consistent with your exercise routine on a weekly basis. If you're much more active on some weeks than others, you probably want to use the MFP method.

cwolfman13

I highly doubt your maintenance is over 2700 calories...

Well my weight is 233lbs ,5'5" and I entered the calculation as working out moderately 3-5 hrs per week. Ive tried oh-about 10 calculators now..and they are all 2000+ , actually within 100 cals of each other. lol.......

Did you use body fat percentage in your calculation. If you haven't, then your TDEE is going to be overestimated big time.

Body fat is not easy to determine. A lot of people don't use BF when figuring out their TDEE on this site.

Try 1600 for 3-4 weeks, if you dont think you are losing (and you are logging accurately) then I would try switching how much you eat.

Nonetheless, high BF% is going to skew TDEE numbers because it's going to assume that all of that mass needs fuel...you don't need to fuel fat. A calculator that takes that into account is going to be much more accurate.

Also OP, TDEE calculators include your exercise in your activity level...MFP does not...you log it after the fact and eat those calories back, so if you're exercising as much as you say you are then it should come out about 6 of 1 when you eat back exercise calories if your TDEE is actually correct...and to that point...I also have my doubts about your TDEE...but hey...AJ and I have only been doing this for quite awhile so maybe we don't know what we're talking about at all...

ETA: you're also comparing a 2 Lb per week loss goal with MFP to a roughly 1.5 Lb per week loss goal with what amounts to around a 1.25 Lb per week loss goal with the TDEE calculator.

Ready2Rock206

You disagree with the MFP recommendation, you adjusted, and that' s that. What do you need help with?

Yup. I promise you the MFP police are not coming to your house to monitor what you eat. Go ahead and change it.

After a few weeks if it doesn't work you can always adjust accordingly.

Achrya

So. Change it.

I disagreed with my original MFP goal, so I changed it. End of story.

Chimis_Siq

I highly doubt your maintenance is over 2700 calories...

Well my weight is 233lbs ,5'5" and I entered the calculation as working out moderately 3-5 hrs per week. Ive tried oh-about 10 calculators now..and they are all 2000+ , actually within 100 cals of each other. lol.......

Did you use body fat percentage in your calculation. If you haven't, then your TDEE is going to be overestimated big time.

Body fat is not easy to determine. A lot of people don't use BF when figuring out their TDEE on this site.

Try 1600 for 3-4 weeks, if you dont think you are losing (and you are logging accurately) then I would try switching how much you eat.

Nonetheless, high BF% is going to skew TDEE numbers because it's going to assume that all of that mass needs fuel...you don't need to fuel fat. A calculator that takes that into account is going to be much more accurate.

Also OP, TDEE calculators include your exercise in your activity level...MFP does not...you log it after the fact and eat those calories back, so if you're exercising as much as you say you are then it should come out about 6 of 1 when you eat back exercise calories if your TDEE is actually correct...and to that point...I also have my doubts about your TDEE...but hey...AJ and I have only been doing this for quite awhile so maybe we don't know what we're talking about at all...

ETA: you're also comparing a 2 Lb per week loss goal with MFP to a roughly 1.5 Lb per week loss goal with what amounts to around a 1.25 Lb per week loss goal with the TDEE calculator.

No need for sarcasm Mr. Obviously I asked because I do not know . That does make sense about the % . The reason I asked is because about 10 diff calculators I used online had me at a high calorie intake -because of my weight. I do burn alot of calories(compared to smaller people). Just walking 5 miles with my HRM I can burn up to 850 cals in an hour..............

Thanks for the advice.

Chimis_Siq

Thanks all for your feedback-the sarcastic and unsarcastic LOL.

Thanks for the info about MFP and eating back calories..I guess I must have missed that section hehe.

I appreciate the time to respond. I will just sit at 1600 and we'll see what happens......................

hararayne

I like you. You've got vim and vigor and take things in stride...and you're pretty. Wanna be friends?

Chimis_Siq

I like you. You've got vim and vigor and take things in stride...and you're pretty. Wanna be friends?

Sure just dont try to online grope me..lol

BattleTaxi

So. Change it.

I disagreed with my original MFP goal, so I changed it. End of story.

This.

likitisplit

I was 215 when I started and probably pretty close in stats in terms of BMR and TDEE, etc. I set MFP to lose half a pound a week, so my base calories before exercise was 1850. I think I ended up adding another 100 because I was hungry all the time.

Chimis_Siq

I was 215 when I started and probably pretty close in stats in terms of BMR and TDEE, etc. I set MFP to lose half a pound a week, so my base calories before exercise was 1850. I think I ended up adding another 100 because I was hungry all the time.

Makes sense

Thanks for responding.

easjer

My fitbit factors daily expenditure and I've found that it's been right on par with the online calculators, without BF%, fwiw.

I think you've gotten some good advice - see how this works out for a few weeks. GL.

skateboardsquats

Unless you're pretty active and very tall I doubt your maintenace is 2700....my maintenance is 2100 and I tend to gain weight even on that. The heavier you are the higher your maintenance calories will be.

What site are you using?

At 1600 you"ll probably see a weightloss of a pound a week....but remember, weight doesn't always come off steadily. You could drop ten the first week from waterweight loss and then not lose for a week and then see a bigger loss two weeks later.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Yeah, its weird ..because ive tried many calcs and they all give me the same estimates..

If you read scooby's site he tells you to estimate your bodyfat % before setting TDEE.

Go buy these for 15$:
Http://www.amazon.com/Slim-Guide-Caliper-Black-Booklet/dp/B0000AN3UB/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1395872938&sr=8-4&keywords=fat+caliper

Then goto:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/weight-loss-meal-planner/

And put in your bodyfat% and get an appropriate TDEE.

ALL HAIL LORD SCOOBS!

Ang108

Soooo MFP says 1200 cals for me to lose 2 lbs a week... and I found an accurate calorie counter (so 1000's of people say so) online and it states that my BMR(no exercise only eating to lose) is 1786, my TDEE (cals to maintain) is 2768 and (to lose weight working out 3-5 hrs a week while having a sedentary desk job) is 2076. Hmmm...Ive just gone ahead and set it to 1600. Why cant it be like when I first started working out-it just dropped weight like nothing. lol.......ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!??

Unless you are 6 ' or taller and really heavy, I don't think your TDEE is 2768. I am not saying that MFP is correct, but neither are other sites. They are all just more or less correct guesses. See where it gets you and after a while tweak your regimen. That is what most of us do and from what I read you already took the initiative. Good Luck !
And why can't it be the way it was when you started out ? Because you are no longer starting out and the water weight loss and initial loss are gone.....now it's perseverance and patience, while eating at a deficit and making the necessary adjustments along the way.

Tanya949

I highly doubt your maintenance is over 2700 calories...

Well my weight is 233lbs ,5'5" and I entered the calculation as working out moderately 3-5 hrs per week. Ive tried oh-about 10 calculators now..and they are all 2000+ , actually within 100 cals of each other. lol.......

I am 220 lbs, 5'4", work out 5-6 times per week and have a very active job... my TDEE ranges from 2700-3400. Based on the activities, I think yours should be lower.

Chimis_Siq

Yay finally advice I understand!! hehe.

Yes, now I realize Scooby asks about Body Fat %. I will relook at that.

Also, I guess Im on the right path, I just have to find my sweet spot and keep readjusting...

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ADVICE

Aaron_K123

Soooo MFP says 1200 cals for me to lose 2 lbs a week... and I found an accurate calorie counter (so 1000's of people say so) online and it states that my BMR(no exercise only eating to lose) is 1786, my TDEE (cals to maintain) is 2768 and (to lose weight working out 3-5 hrs a week while having a sedentary desk job) is 2076. Hmmm...Ive just gone ahead and set it to 1600. Why cant it be like when I first started working out-it just dropped weight like nothing. lol.......ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!??

2 pounds a week would be 7000 calorie deficit over 9 days which would be a daily calorie deficit of 1000 calories. If your TDEE is 2600 that would mean eating 1600 a day on average. So to me it sounds like you are doing the right thing if you trust the TDEE calc you found. Different TDEE calcs will give different values, the only way you will find out what your "true" TDEE is is from listening to your body and watching it carefully over a long period of time while tracking your calories rigourously. Months down the line you can adjust based on the data from your own body.