TDEE is everything

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  • mocha76
    mocha76 Posts: 184 Member
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    Thanks for sharing!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    TL;DR thread

    What is this? Also, love your post...very informative!

    TL;DR stands for Too Long; Didn't Read

    Good post though, I read every word. So now, I know all of that and I track and graph everything, but still find my loss very slow. Is it my age? or the fact that I only have 15-20 lbs left to go? Any words of advice?
  • PlanetVelma
    PlanetVelma Posts: 1,231 Member
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    bump to read later
  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
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    Joe with the facts, Sunshine in her skivvies, and Rae positively glowing with good health.

    This thread delivers. *bump*

    Health, or bad photo editing skills. :wink:

    Either way, you are hulking out in *all* the right places! :laugh:

    There are people right now who are ready for the information and willing to put it to good use. Please don't give up on posting solid information!
  • Breadbar
    Breadbar Posts: 334 Member
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    Many thanks for the info - some of us out here do read and may even be able to learn!
  • cowgirlzride
    cowgirlzride Posts: 82
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    1. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).
    2. NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working). ie: INCIDENTAL EXERCISE! It is something that everyone has a good amount of control over & it is the MOST important factor in your energy expenditure. It is what helps keep 'constitutionally lean' people LEAN (they fidget)!
    3. EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise. Unless someone is doing a whole heap of exercise (eg: two or more hrs training a day) it usually doesn't add a stack of calories to your requirements (30 minutes of 'elliptical training isn't going to do it')
    4. TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. REGARDLESS of what myths you have been told - this is NOT dependent on MEAL FREQUENCY. It is a % of TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED (and 15% of 3 x 600 cal meals is the same as 15% of 6 x 300 cal meals). It varies according to MACRONUTRIENT content and FIBER content. For most mixed diets, it is something around 15%. Protein is higher (up to 25%), carbs are variable (between 5-25%), and fats are low (usually less than 5%). So -> More protein and more carbs and more fiber = HIGHER TEF. More FAT = LOWER TEF.

    5. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture): Total calories burned. BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF = TDEE

    Technically speaking. =)


    ~~~~~~~~~~~Love this addition to the orig post. Helps SO much. Thank you!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  • rataliek
    rataliek Posts: 32 Member
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    bump! i need to read this in depth later
  • byrnette
    byrnette Posts: 39 Member
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    So when I do all this higher math (I joined MFP so I would not have to) I get that I need to be eating about 600 more calories then I get.with MFP....Seems kind of high to eat 600 more calories in a day....
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    So when I do all this higher math (I joined MFP so I would not have to) I get that I need to be eating about 600 more calories then I get.with MFP....Seems kind of high to eat 600 more calories in a day....

    MFP drastically underestimates TDEE levels. The 600 more calories you are getting from the formulas is probably pretty close to being accurate.
  • scubahsteve69
    scubahsteve69 Posts: 37 Member
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    bump
  • free2live72003
    free2live72003 Posts: 186
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    bump
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
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    I'm one of those total newbies to MFP, but I do have a little common sense. I have noticed that after about a month I have been losing on average 1.5 - 2lbs per week instead of the 1lb I set it too. I figured out I am burning more calories that MFP says I am, because I KNOW exactly how much I am eating. For now I am content to lose the extra weight. I anticipate when I hit my goal weight I will either have to do a bunch of math or I may just do a little trial and error with my calories to account for that. Leaning against the math . . . .
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
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    So when I do all this higher math (I joined MFP so I would not have to) I get that I need to be eating about 600 more calories then I get.with MFP....Seems kind of high to eat 600 more calories in a day....

    MFP drastically underestimates TDEE levels. The 600 more calories you are getting from the formulas is probably pretty close to being accurate.

    Do you think MFP drastically underestimates TDEE or do people just choose the wrong activity level? I know I chose sedentary just because I sit at a desk all day, but my TDEE would actually be more accurate if I put "active". I their descriptions are sorely inadequate.
  • jaabee11
    jaabee11 Posts: 322 Member
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    I'm so confused.
    I just wanted MFP to tell me what to eat per day and then lose weight.

    I'm struggling atm so reading a few threads like this but it all seems to much like hard work.

    I need a weight loss for dummies.

    I'm glad you put the explanation of the abbreviations because you lost me with those in the first post straight away.
    I haven't got out the calculator yet to see what I'm supposed to be on but I still can't get my head around the fact I'm probably not eating enough which seems to be what a lot of these replies are eluding too.
    My head hurts.....
    Now where's that calculator.
  • twisted88
    twisted88 Posts: 330 Member
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    bump
  • sectornine
    sectornine Posts: 24 Member
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    bump for later.
  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
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    According to this I should be eating 1500 calories a day to maintain my weight. That is way lower than MFP says.
    This may be a stupid question, but at 1500 a day would I NOT eat back my exercise calories, because that doesnt sound right, but I entered in the days I would be working out.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    So when I do all this higher math (I joined MFP so I would not have to) I get that I need to be eating about 600 more calories then I get.with MFP....Seems kind of high to eat 600 more calories in a day....

    MFP drastically underestimates TDEE levels. The 600 more calories you are getting from the formulas is probably pretty close to being accurate.

    Do you think MFP drastically underestimates TDEE or do people just choose the wrong activity level? I know I chose sedentary just because I sit at a desk all day, but my TDEE would actually be more accurate if I put "active". I their descriptions are sorely inadequate.

    I think people are choosing the wrong activity level. The problem is that it's only a guess. Even using a BM Fit it's still not 100%, more likely 90-93% accurate. The formulas are even less because everyone has a different activity level.

    Sedentary activity levels is pretty inaccurate. Almost no one is sedentary because that basically means you don't do anything but sit down all day and then do some light walking around the office or the house. Sedentary is extremely light activity. Someone that does normal day to day basic activities can realistically say they are "Active".
  • kimmyj74
    kimmyj74 Posts: 223 Member
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    Ok, thanks and I got out a piece of paper and did my math. :wink: BUT (and that's a big BUT) when I figure this out I get:
    1986 TDEE x7 = 13902- 3500 = 10402 divided by 7 = 1486/day
    MFP has me at 1200 (which I do manager to lose weight at, but I'm begining to think I'm starving my body).
    I tried changing my calories to 1350 for about 4 months and I only maintained my weight all that time. Exercising an average of 4-5 days/week/30 minutes a day. (about 285 calories burned each day)
    So am I to conclude that my BMR or TDEE is actually different? I'm a nurse and my day consists of sitting and walking and standing, plus I exercise average 30 minutes/day 5 days week.

    Am I wrong with my math or thinking and why am I not losing at 1350/day?
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    Also guys it's alot easier to do this than you think.

    The hardest part is finding your TDEE which can be found a number of ways. The easiest way is to go to Best Buy or another store, and buy a Bodymedia FIT or a Bodybugg. Wear it every minute of every day (except in the shower) and give it a week or two and then see what your TDEE weekly average was for the 2 weeks you were wearing the device. Then calculate what you should eat daily based on my original post.

    Another way of getting TDEE is eat the same amount of calories every day, and weigh yourself once a week on the same day. See if your weight goes up or down each week. Don't weigh yourself every day. Once a week on the same day. The reason for this is water weight will fluctuate your weight levels making you think you're gaining weight when it was just excess water.

    Another way of getting TDEE is to use one of the formulas on the first page of this thread that I posted. One of them requires you to know your bodyfat% but it's pretty accurate once you find that out.

    There's alot of different ways of obtaining TDEE. Some are free, some cost. Some are more accurate than others, etc.

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