Need help understanding TDEE

sunnymae
sunnymae Posts: 57 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
It's says mines 2492 . So what does this mean ? I'm 175 and want to get down to 155 for my first goal.

Replies

  • kate1337
    kate1337 Posts: 13
    I also do not understand the TDEE. Mine gave me some huge number that I automatically dismissed. I'm pretty active but still overweight so why would I double my color intake. I need answers too so I hike someone responds soon.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    That means they are estimating you burn an average of 2492 calories a day. If you cut 500 off that (and it's right, and you are tracking your intake very accurately, and you lose 100% fat and no muscle) you'll lose a pound a week (since 500*7=3500, and a pound of fat creates 3500 calories of energy). So if that's what you want, set your goal to 1942 and do not eat your exercise calories back (as TDEE includes them).
  • sunnymae
    sunnymae Posts: 57 Member
    That means they are estimating you burn an average of 2492 calories a day. If you cut 500 off that (and it's right, and you are tracking your intake very accurately, and you lose 100% fat and no muscle) you'll lose a pound a week (since 500*7=3500, and a pound of fat creates 3500 calories of energy). So if that's what you want, set your goal to 1942 and do not eat your exercise calories back (as TDEE includes them).

    Thanks so much !
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    What is your age and height?

    Make sure you're selecting the right activity level, be honest with yourself. The activity level multiple should be strenuous exercise, not going for a walk or even a light jog. We're talking exercises that really pushes your limits a bit. I'm not saying you are, but generally speaking people are not even honest with themselves when it comes to this stuff and that's a huge issue right off the bat.

    The TDEE calculation is basically your maintenance based on your stats and activity, so you need to start subtracting from that to create a deficit. Multiply that 2492 by 0.90 to create a 10% deficit target (2,018 calories).
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    That means they are estimating you burn an average of 2492 calories a day. If you cut 500 off that (and it's right, and you are tracking your intake very accurately, and you lose 100% fat and no muscle) you'll lose a pound a week (since 500*7=3500, and a pound of fat creates 3500 calories of energy). So if that's what you want, set your goal to 1942 and do not eat your exercise calories back (as TDEE includes them).

    Thanks so much !

    I would suggest cutting calories in percentages and not a straight 500 calories. For you, -500 calories is a 22% calorie deficit. Remember, you want to lose weight on as many calories as you can. This will keep your metabolism healthy and help to maintain weight loss long-term. Roughly 80% of all people that lose weight gain it back, so set yourself up for the long-term and not so much for rapid weight-loss.
  • sunnymae
    sunnymae Posts: 57 Member
    I'm 5'3 and 21. I'm considered obese. And I workout 4 days a week for at least hour sometimes hour and half
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    What do you do for exercise on those 4 days, specifically?

    Maybe we're using a different formula but I have your maintenance at an age of 21, weight of 79kg's (175lbs), and 160cm's (5'3") and 4-days a week at 2165 kilo-calories for maintenance. So a starting 10% deficit for you would be 1949 calories (2165 * 0.90).

    Women
    10 X (Weight in kg) + 6.25 X (Height in cm) – 5 X (Age in years) – 161

    Activity - No Exercise = 1.2
    3/days = 1.38
    4/days = 1.42
  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
    TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure -- it is an average of how may calories you burn through ordinary life activity and exercise. A calculator takes into account your height and weight, your normal daily activity levels, and the amount of exercise you do per week, and comes up with your TDEE -- an estimate of your daily calorie burn.

    By contrast, MFP uses something called NEAT - Non-exercise activity thermogenesis -- it is an estimate of how many calories you burn per day just by living your normal life, but excluding any exercise you do. Assuming you are doing some exercise, your NEAT will be lower than your TDEE. Here on MFP, your calories and targets are based on NEAT, which is why you log exercise calories and "eat them back" -- i.e., those exercise calories are in addition to your normal activities, so you add them to your daily goal.

    The most important thing is to remember these are all just estimates -- you need to track you intake and your activity closely and compare actual results (weight loss or gain) versus expected results (what your calculations suggested should have happened) over a period of at least several weeks after you're in a stable lifestyle -- everyone is a bit different and the calculators may get you close, but to dial it in you've got to track. Good luck!

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