Help me wih my TDEE

chuisle

So I am planning on readjusting calories next week and I am overwhelmed by the number of ways I've been told to do this, the various formulas and methods. My main goal right now is to lose fat. I am also working on developing strength but am not trying to gain muscle. I realize I need my TDEE minus a relatively small percentage (10-20%) to create a deficit. But want opinions:

1. I've been told katch-mcardle is the best. Is this true in your opinion?

2. Further, I struggled with my activity multiplier. I lift heavy 3 days a week and my cardio work varies from one short interval style session to 2-3 sessions just depending on how I feel that week and my schedule. But I work a desk job. So is it better to use a higher multiplier and eat at a consistent level all week or to use the lowest activity multiplier and and eat back my exercise calories?

3. On exercise calories...I've been told I should be eating more on training days which makes sense to me. I use a heart rate monitor to compare workouts (in terms of peak heart rate, recovery, etc) though I fully realize they aren't particularly accurate for lifting so I only count around a third of the calories it says I burn. Does that seem reasonable?

My stats:
5'6"
143 lbs
21% body fat by last measure

kblue2007

bump

chuisle

Try googling TDEE and you will find lots of calculators like this one:

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

Yes, there are LOTS of calculators out there and website. Which is why I posted this thread, to get opinions that will help me sort of the tons of information out there.

That one, for instance, doesn't take into account leanness and further I don't know which formula it is using.

carrie_eggo

So I am planning on readjusting calories next week and I am overwhelmed by the number of ways I've been told to do this, the various formulas and methods. My main goal right now is to lose fat. I am also working on developing strength but am not trying to gain muscle. I realize I need my TDEE minus a relatively small percentage (10-20%) to create a deficit. But want opinions:

1. I've been told katch-mcardle is the best. Is this true in your opinion?

2. Further, I struggled with my activity multiplier. I lift heavy 3 days a week and my cardio work varies from one short interval style session to 2-3 sessions just depending on how I feel that week and my schedule. But I work a desk job. So is it better to use a higher multiplier and eat at a consistent level all week or to use the lowest activity multiplier and and eat back my exercise calories?

3. On exercise calories...I've been told I should be eating more on training days which makes sense to me. I use a heart rate monitor to compare workouts (in terms of peak heart rate, recovery, etc) though I fully realize they aren't particularly accurate for lifting so I only count around a third of the calories it says I burn. Does that seem reasonable?

My stats:
5'6"
143 lbs
21% body fat by last measure

1. Yes. If you have a good understanding of your body fat, The Katch-McArdle method is best.
2. I use 1.5-1.6 for an activity factor. You would not eat back your exercise calories unless you did more than 2 days of strenous cardio in addition to your lifting days.
3. See #2.

Let the tape measure and scale be your guide. Unless you rapidly lose or gain, give it a good month before you come to any conclusions on how the new caloric intake is working.

Cindym82

I'm confused by all these, cause when I do all these different calculations they all say I should eat between 1370-1500 calories a day yet MPF says 1200......

therealangd

1. I've been told katch-mcardle is the best. Is this true in your opinion?

IMO, yes. This is correct.

2. Further, I struggled with my activity multiplier. I lift heavy 3 days a week and my cardio work varies from one short interval style session to 2-3 sessions just depending on how I feel that week and my schedule. But I work a desk job. So is it better to use a higher multiplier and eat at a consistent level all week or to use the lowest activity multiplier and and eat back my exercise calories?

If you want to eat the same amount of calories each day, then set your multiplier to your workout level. Then do not eat back your exercise calories. If you want to eat low on non workout days and eat more on workout days then set your level based on your regular daily activities. Eat that, and then eat your workout calories.

3. On exercise calories...I've been told I should be eating more on training days which makes sense to me. I use a heart rate monitor to compare workouts (in terms of peak heart rate, recovery, etc) though I fully realize they aren't particularly accurate for lifting so I only count around a third of the calories it says I burn. Does that seem reasonable?

See my answer to number 2

carrie_eggo

Katch-McArdle:
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM in kg)
Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

Your BMR = 1479
* 1.55 activity factor = 2292 (TDEE/maintenance)
-20% (458) = daily calorie intake of 1834 for ~0.9lb per week loss.

This is how I figure mine. And I tend to zig-zag my calories between workout and non-workout days.

shander7

bump

chuisle

Thanks all. Carrie - I think I am going to try what you suggested.