My true TDEE

rose313

I would like to estimate my true TDEE but I need some help with the math. Here's my average weekly calories eaten (not net, actual intake) for the past 7 weeks:

Calorie average by week:
Week 1- 1655
Week 2- 1632
Week 3- 1489
Week 4- 1320
Week 5- 1519
Week 6- 1601
Week 7- 1578

Here's my weight loss by week. So far I have lost 5.6 lbs.

Weight loss by week:
Week 1- 0 lbs
Week 2- 2.8 lbs
Week 3- 0.8 lbs
Week 4- 0.4 lbs
Week 5- 0.2 lbs
Week 6- 1.4 lbs
Week 7 - 0 lbs

So I'm not sure how to start, but I know that 5.6 lbs is equal to 19,600 calories.

I know there is a way to eat a hundred calories more for a few weeks and then up it again, and when you stop losing weight you know you are at maintenance, but I don't want to figure it out that way, it would stall my progress.

So I know I am eating under maintenance but I need to find out by how much, then I can just figure from there what my TDEE is, I think?

MFP says it's 1860 and various TDEE calories say it's 1790-1890 and I do set it as sedentary. I only work out like two or three times a week, and not for very long. I don't know if I work out enough to qualify as lightly active.

Mr_Knight

TDEE isn't a constant number - it is always changing. There is also about a 10-20% error built into the calorie logging numbers, even if you do everything "right".

Anyway...throw out the first two weeks, and you're at about 0.7 pounds/week loss. Over that time you averaged about 1500 calories intake, putting your TDEE at roughly 1900, plus/minus 200.

bwogilvie

^ What Mr. Knight said. Your true TDEE varies every day depending on how active you were, the temperatures of the places you spent your time, how much energy it took to digest your food, etc. The best you can do is figure out an average, which he has done for you.

Fit_Fox88

I just calculated mine today. Everything is an estimate so it will not be exact. Scoobysworkshop.com counts your exercise based upon the time you spend (i.e. hours) vs. how many days you workout. Try using this calculator if you haven't already. Or, you can take the amount that each calculator gave you and just do an average and go from there. If you gain or continue losing then you know you need to adjust. Obviously this will take some time so your body can get used to it.

cookmtn

Take each weekly average x 7 (days) x 7( number of weeks). Add them all, add that to the total calories of weight lost. Divide that by 49( total number of days) and you get your daily tdee.

rose313

TDEE isn't a constant number - it is always changing. There is also about a 10-20% error built into the calorie logging numbers, even if you do everything "right".

Anyway...throw out the first two weeks, and you're at about 0.7 pounds/week loss. Over that time you averaged about 1500 calories intake, putting your TDEE at roughly 1900, plus/minus 200.

Thank you very much! Exactly what I needed. For my own info, how do you do the math?

Edited because the above poster answered it above. Thank you so much!

cookmtn

Agree that this is just an average, and will fluctuate but it does give you another piece of information. Throwing out first two weeks is a good idea.

rose313

Agree that this is just an average, and will fluctuate but it does give you another piece of information. Throwing out first two weeks is a good idea.

Do we throw out first two weeks because your body does different things when you first start?

cookmtn

Agree that this is just an average, and will fluctuate but it does give you another piece of information. Throwing out first two weeks is a good idea.

Do we throw out first two weeks because your body does different things when you first start?

Exactly, more water weight lost at the beginning.

rose313

Take each weekly average x 7 (days) x 7( number of weeks). Add them all, add that to the total calories of weight lost. Divide that by 49( total number of days) and you get your daily tdee.

Ok, so I threw out the first two weeks. Calorie average for week 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 is 1501.4 so I round to 1500. Times 5 (number of weeks) is 7500. Is that right so far? Sorry I am so not good at understanding math lol.

Total calories of weight lost is 19600. Add 7500 to that? That makes 27100. Divide by 35 (total number of days) and that makes 774.2. Oh goodness I think I did something wrong

Wait but I didn't lose 5.6 pounds in 5 weeks, I lost it in 7. I lost only 2.8 lbs in 5 weeks. Need to redo math, hold on

Edit: Total calories of weight lost disregarding first two weeks is 9800, add to 7500, makes 17300. Divided by 35 equals 494.2. So I add that to 1500 and it makes 1994.2. Ooh I think I got it!

Mr_Knight

Total calories of weight lost is 19600.

Looks like you're still including the first two weeks. It's 2.8 * 3500 = 9800.

Over 5 weeks that's 9800/5 -> 1960 calories/week -> 280 calories/day.

Add that to your 1500 calories/day of intake.

rose313

Total calories of weight lost is 19600.

Looks like you're still including the first two weeks. It's 2.8 * 3500 = 9800.

Over 5 weeks that's 9800/5 -> 1960 calories/week -> 280 calories/day.

Add that to your 1500 calories/day of intake.

Ohh okay! So if we did include the first two weeks (which I am not but just for purposes of understanding the math so I can continue to do this on my own) we would have:

5.6 pounds lost times 3500 calories per pound equals 19600 calorie deficit
Over 7 weeks that is a 2800 calorie deficit
Per day that is a 400 calorie deficit
Add that to my 1500 calories a day which makes a "TDEE" of around 1900

So throwing out the first two weeks I have an estimated TDEE of 1780 give or take and I know it changes

WHICH IS EXACTLY what the Mifflin St Jeor calculator said...1784, at a sedentary level

Oh my goodness I must be truly sedentary?

Looks like I'll need to exercise more if I want to create a larger deficit!

TiberiusClaudis

I found the following website to be a valuable resource on figuring out the whole TDEE/IIFYM enigma.

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

This is more of an art than a science...in other words, so many variable that it's a guessing game...but with this tool, it's less of a guess game. It depends how much time/energy you wish to devote to figuring it out, but I have it down to where I know what calories/MACROs to take in depending on what my exercise program is for that day.

Good Luck,
TC

rose313

I found the following website to be a valuable resource on figuring out the whole TDEE/IIFYM enigma.

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

This is more of an art than a science...in other words, so many variable that it's a guessing game...but with this tool, it's less of a guess game. It depends how much time/energy you wish to devote to figuring it out, but I have it down to where I know what calories/MACROs to take in depending on what my exercise program is for that day.

Good Luck,
TC

Thank you! That's actually my favorite calculator. I got a 1784 TDEE using the Mifflin method. Harris Benedict is 1887, and Katch is 1854 using 30% BF.

So it seems that it is accurate when I look at my calorie history, but as Mr Knight said above, if my calorie labels are off 10-20% (despite logging as accurately as possible and doing everything "right") my TDEE could be anywhere from 1780-1890 depending on the day, etc.

So if I stay at a 1500ish average intake, I should continue to lose, or I could try for 1400 which is about a 20% reduction, we will see how this week goes. I am finding it much easier to control hunger and eating out of boredom, now that I've gotten into the habit of this.