Figure your ACTUAL TDEE without a calculator

cedarghost

We know calculators just give us an estimate right? And ideally we need to use what we get from a calculator as a starting point, then adjust depending on how our bodies react, right?
It's really easy to do. It just takes a little time, consistency and commitment. And hell, we're all committed to our weight loss goal right?

OK. So heres what you do:
1. Figure your TDEE using http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html or whatever website you prefer.
2. Set your daily caloric intake to TDEE - 10% or 20% or whatever your goals are, just never less than 30%).
3. Eat as close as you can to that amount and record it daily for 6 to 8 weeks (the longer the better as far as accuracy).
4. Record your weight weekly or bi-weekly and at the end of the 6 to 8 weeks, compare your beginning and ending weight to determine how much you have lost, or gained.

Now you should have:
a. total calories for 6 weeks (or 8, just using 6 to keep it simple)
b. total weight gained or lost for 6 weeks.

Now you can figure your ACTUAL TDEE and daily caloric requirements using these numbers by recording the following:
X divided by 6= weekly calorie intake (where X = total calories for the 6 weeks), Call this Variable "A"
Y divided by 6= weight lost or gained per week (where Y = total weight loss or gained for the 6 weeks), call this variable "B"

B * 3500= caloric deficit or surplus per week. Divide this number by 7 and it will give you the amount of calories you were over or under maintenance each day. Call this variable "C". If you gained weight express C as a negative number.
To figure your actuall TDEE: A/7 + C = your maintenance.

An example:
Lets say the TDEE calculator says my TDEE is 3000. So I eat at 2400 per day (TDEE - 20%) for 6 weeks and I lose 4 pounds.
So X for me = (2400*7) = 16,800. 16,800 * 6 = 100,800 This is my total calories eaten in 6 weeks. A = 16800
Y for me = 4 4/6 = .67 So I lost .67 pounds per week. B = .67

B * 3500= .67* 3500 = 2345 This is my actual caloric deficit per week, based on the actual weight lost.
So 2345 / 7 = 335 calories per day UNDER maintenance (since I lost weight).
Since I have figured my average daily calories at 2400, I know that if I ate 335 more calories per day, I would be at maintenance.
So the calculator gave me 3000 per day, but my actual TDEE is 2400 + 335 = 2735.

So now If I wanted to up my loss to 1 pound per week as compared to the .67, I would just need to drop .33 more calories per week (or day). So since I am currently at a 335 calorie per day deficit, 335 * 1 .33 = 445. I would need to up my deficit to 445 per day.

Maybe I am making this too complicated, but it works for me. The key is consistency with diet and exercise. However if you miss a day at the gym or miss your calorie goals a day or two a month, it will still average out, and the longer amount of time you use to get your average, the better it will be.

If you have a drastic lifestyle change, it obviously won't work. For example if you decide to stop working out, or drastically change your workout routine. Likewise, extreme diet changes will affect it as well, as your macronutrient composition can drastically change when you totally switch all the foods you eat. Other than that it should work pretty well as you will be measuring YOUR SPECIFIC lifestyle, diet, exercise, etc. and NOT what is given to you via a calculator.

So if you have a cheat day once a week, work out 3 days a week, have a soda twice a week, or whatever. Just stay consistent with it or make small changes at a time.

I know looking at my example it could have been a lot easier as I used a consistent variable (2400) for my daily caloric intake, so I could have skipped some of the math. In reality, I personally have a hard time hitting my calories right on the nose every day, so using these formulas would allow me to get my daily average, when my days are inconsistent (which is most days for me!).

Anyway, hope this helps someone, or if someone has already done this and has a better way, I am all ears. I think I will put this in a spreadsheet to help track it over longer periods of time.

Chief_Rocka

Maybe I am making this too complicated,

this

yarwell

if you're doing all that "without a calculator" you better be good at mental arithmetic !

auroranflash

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html <-- BUT YOU LINKED ME TO A COWCULATOR

I NOT INTERSTANDING YOU POST??? HELP??

cedarghost

Sorry. Let me simplify.
Use the calculator I linked to get your starting point.
Use that starting point for 6 weeks.
Figure your average weight lost or gained per week based on that 6 week period. (total for the 6 weeks, divided by 6)
Figure your average calories per week based on that 6 week period. (total for the 6 weeks divided by 6)
That will give your your average calories eaten per week and how much weight you lost per week.
Now you can adjust by remembering that each pound of fat loss costs 3500 calories.

So if you lost a pound per week and wanted to lose an additional pound per week, You would just eat 3500 less calories per week.

fitQueenbeast

Correct me if I'm wrong but MFP already gives your TDEE in your goals section. You know, the "normal daily activities burned calories* number?

What you just wrote is way too complicated and too time-consuming.

Sorry.

onyxgirl17

This is kind of what I do. Because I'm a numbers person.

sunshinesquared

bump

siriusalien

OMG

WendyTerry420

Maybe I am making this too complicated,

this

:laugh:

bonster1983

MFP I don't think gives you the TDEE. Because TDEE takes into account exercise. MFP does not take into account your exercise when giving you your daily calories. You enter your food intake and you exercise both on MFP. With TDEE is says for example your TDEE is 1700. MFP Says it is 1700. But with MFP you can enter you exercise to get extra calories to eat more. With TDEE you can't get extra calories, whatever amount you get is it no matter the exercise, because the amount of exercise you do is already figured into your TDEE.

fattypattybinger

Does anybody really take the time out of their day to read long messages?

CindyMarie_

I gave up after the second paragraph, sorry. Simply everyone that's using their TDEE should keep track of their progress or lack of and adjust their calorie intake as they feel needed. The end.

gazelleintraining

Wouldn't there be some misattribution with unpredictable exercise; for instance, I start rotating my exercise videos or add a weekend hike every now and then?

TJtastic

I'm a numbers person myself, so I appreciate you taking the time to explain all this.
YES, i read the entire thing!

heybales

Oh, just make it easier with a calculator that includes that in it. Use the Research Model Katch-McArdle.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

For the calibration, use the calculator.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator-calibration/


Even easier than described though, taking any block of time where weight loss was consistent.

Avg daily eaten during that 3 weeks say + (total loss over 3 weeks * 3500 calories in lb fat / 3 weeks / 7 days) = real TDEE for whatever level of activity you were doing.

I just wrote this this morning in a post. Huh.

Now, here's the plus, if you plan on maintaining that same type of workout.

Get your BMR for that avg weight during that 3 weeks.

TDEE / BMR = your personal multiplier for that activity level.

You lose weight, get your new BMR x your personal multiplier = your new TDEE to take a deficit from.

Nothing like having your personal activity multiplier if you plan on keeping to your same routine.

Chief_Rocka

Sorry. Let me simplify.
Use the calculator I linked to get your starting point.
Use that starting point for 6 weeks.
Figure your average weight lost or gained per week based on that 6 week period. (total for the 6 weeks, divided by 6)
Figure your average calories per week based on that 6 week period. (total for the 6 weeks divided by 6)
That will give your your average calories eaten per week and how much weight you lost per week.
Now you can adjust by remembering that each pound of fat loss costs 3500 calories.

So if you lost a pound per week and wanted to lose an additional pound per week, You would just eat 3500 less calories per week.

Problem is, everything you lose isn't fat. So now you have to account for water, glycogen, muscle mass, connective tissue, etc.

I'd rather spend my time actually working out, but to each his own.

Lazygal53

All you really need to do to find out your maintenace calories here is to put in your actual starting weight as your goal weight then MFP will give you your calories to maintain. If you want to lose a lb a week then just subtract 500 cals per day and you're good to go.
All without factoring in exercise. If you exercise then just log that to get your extra cals for that day. Or not!

Silly_Sara

Hi! Having some way to calculate my TDEE more accurately has been something I've wondered about. So, I appreciate this, and don't listen to the other people. Thanks!

cmriverside

MFP makes this about as simple as it could possibly be. Why oh why does everyone make this sooooo freakin complicated?

flag91

Interesting post. Thx for the info! Ignore the bonehead comments.

cedarghost

Sorry. Let me simplify.
Use the calculator I linked to get your starting point.
Use that starting point for 6 weeks.
Figure your average weight lost or gained per week based on that 6 week period. (total for the 6 weeks, divided by 6)
Figure your average calories per week based on that 6 week period. (total for the 6 weeks divided by 6)
That will give your your average calories eaten per week and how much weight you lost per week.
Now you can adjust by remembering that each pound of fat loss costs 3500 calories.

So if you lost a pound per week and wanted to lose an additional pound per week, You would just eat 3500 less calories per week.

Problem is, everything you lose isn't fat. So now you have to account for water, glycogen, muscle mass, connective tissue, etc.

I'd rather spend my time actually working out, but to each his own.

Absolutely. There are a lot of other things to consider based on your goals. For example, I am working to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, so my macros will be different than someone who is cutting, etc. This just helps to make micro adjustments to diet to line up with your goals. One piece of the puzzle, if you will.

Lazygal53

This ^^^

funkyspunky872

Ugh, wish some people would just shut up. It's not complicated in the least. If you don't want to read about it, don't read about it.

Thanks OP for the information.

cedarghost

I gave up after the second paragraph, sorry. Simply everyone that's using their TDEE should keep track of their progress or lack of and adjust their calorie intake as they feel needed. The end.

In a nutshell, this is what I was getting at. Not everyone knows how to do that. This is my attempt at explaining what I do personally.

Lazygal53

MFP makes this about as simple as it could possibly be. Why oh why does everyone make this sooooo freakin complicated?

This too! LOL

cedarghost

I'm a numbers person myself, so I appreciate you taking the time to explain all this.
YES, i read the entire thing!

Thanks!

gargisingh

I like the idea behind you calculations! Cool!

heybales

All you really need to do to find out your maintenace calories here is to put in your actual starting weight as your goal weight then MFP will give you your calories to maintain. If you want to lose a lb a week then just subtract 500 cals per day and you're good to go.
All without factoring in exercise. If you exercise then just log that to get your extra cals for that day. Or not!

You think that is anywhere near an accurate estimate?

That's what the suggestion is, getting a better estimate - because MFP with YOUR choice of activity level could be WAY off.

secretlobster

it said my TDEE is five

I'm going to eat at TDEE for maintenance and I'm going to blame you if this goes wrong

funkyspunky872

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator-calibration/

This is basically the same suggestion for getting a more accurate TDEE than what a calculator will tell you. All about spending some time monitoring your weight and calorie intake VERY CLOSELY to see how far off the calculator is.