Review my TDEE ? Please?

cldmolly

If I explain my day, will you help me tweak my TDEE?

40 years old
Female
5’4”
Currently weigh 135.4
Goal weight 126

I work at a desk and only get up to use the washroom and get my food for 8 hours.

I have two young children that I get up in the morning, get them dressed, make their lunches, pick them up from daycare, make their dinner, play with them for an hour or two before it’s bedtime routine. Sit on the couch for the remainder of the evening.

Three mornings a week I go to Bootcamp at the YMCA. On the weekends, we are a bit more active but nothing formal or scheduled. I’ve been doing difficult hikes once a month (i.e. burning around 1000 calories… if you have heard of the Grouse Grind, you know this isn’t unrealistic).

I have MFP set at 1350 calories (plus eat back calories from working out) but it isn’t working in that I’m hungry and exhausted all the time (the scale is moving). I think I might need to move my calories to more like 1500. The TDEE average (ranging from 1857 for light activity to 2093 for moderate activity) is 1975.

Thoughts?

cldmolly

please? I just need a tweak!

AlliSteff

Where are you getting your TDEEs from?

Also, I've noticed that adjusting the macros have helped tremendously, though not sure everyone reacts similarly.

To lose weight you need to take that TDEE and subtract 20% (unless that is included in your numbers? Not sure)- to get somewhere around 1580/1600 per day. You need to stick with it for 4-6 weeks, and then adjust if it isn't working. This includes weighing food, etc.

Cortelli

You may not want to hear this, but you're going to have to go with a target, stick with it for several weeks, log everything as accurately as you can, and then adjust from there based on your actual results.

There are numerous calculators and they can give a wide range of TDEE or NEAT calculations. Only your real world results will account for how your body actually works -- there is a ton of subconscious activity that we all engage in, and that changes over time, etc., as well as a wide variation in how accurately we all log food and exercise -- the only reliable method / calculator I have found was being rigorously honest about logging over a month or so, and comparing actual versus expected loss / gain. And note it is important to run this test while living your normal routine -- adding in new exercises / workouts / other out-of-the ordinary lifestyle changes can screw up your water retention affecting your scale weight without showing an accurate fat loss measurement.

cldmolly

from the various calculators suggested here.

I am really good about weighing food and using actual measurements. It's rare that I guess. Sometimes I don't even bother with a food if I don't know how I would measure it. lol.

I will go up 150-200 calories a day and give it a month or so. I was just looking to get some opinions that this is the way to go.

Appreciate the feedback!

ana3067

1500-1600 seems like it could be an okay range, although it might even be a bit low depending on how active you are with the kids and on weekends. I like this calculator the most:
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

although since you are slim this calculator (same approach but slightly easier inputting), this calculator might be beneficial too but it does give a higher estimate:
http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

You can then eat the TDEE it gives you for a month or so to see if it's accurate for your maintenance needs, or you can subtract 20% right away. So if someone's maintenance on these calculators comes up as 2000, then 1600 would be enough of a deficit to see losses, although with only 10lbs left to lose you could do 10-15% deficit instead.

cookmtn

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/737101-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner?page=2%2523posts-19474154

Please read!