how do you KNOW your TDEE is anywhere near accurate?

stines72

just curious. people swear by the TDEE thing and it got me thinking about BMR and how most ppl who get their BMR tested are surprised by the results... couldnt TDEE be the same way? how do you know its actually accurate?

tryclyn

You can start with the calculated value, stay with it for a month, track the changes and then adjust up or down as needed. It is easier to take calories away from a higher number than it is from the 1200 that many people think that they need to start with.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm

NocturnalGirl

Well the calculators give you an idea of whereabouts it might be and you just have to test it out and adjust your calories up/down while watching how the calorie intake affects you.

maricash

Trial and error. I am eating about 500 calories below what my TDEE is supposed to be and I am losing approximately 1 pound a week, so I think it's probably about right. I know it's not going to be exact for everyone, but you can get a good idea by just giving it some time and seeing whether you lose/gain/maintain. And by "some time" I mean a month at least.

stines72

thanks for the responses guys. wish i had done this at the start of my weight loss journey.

RainbootsToBikinis

I have a bodybugg, at the end of the day it tells me exactly what my TDEE is, it can easily vary between 2,000 calories on a very sedentary rest day to 3,300 on a very busy workout day.

etoiles_argentees

Mine varies so much...it's a guessing game. My resting metabolism rate was 970 and a few weeks later something like 1170. Averaging a net of 2400 calories for the last few months I've gained 7 pounds, went from 100 lbs to 107. Inactive, hamstring injury and I don't even work, lazy too. Go figure.

jofjltncb6

You can start with the calculated value, stay with it for a month, track the changes and then adjust up or down as needed. It is easier to take calories away from a higher number than it is from the 1200 that many people think that they need to start with.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm

Yay, this^!

mirthfuldragon

I'm a numbers guy, so I went back over the last 90 days, exported my calories in and exercise burn to excel, and calculated back against my weight loss. I try to be 100% accurate with my food logging, and I estimate my exercise burn as best I can, and I do use a heart rate monitor for everything other than the pool.

Looking back, based on food in minus calories out, over the last 90 days, to get my weight loss, my BMR is approximately 2,200, which is consistent with most calculators online.

There is some fluctuation week to week, but as a general trend, the math seems accurate and any inaccuracies will, ideally, cancel themselves out.

gingerjen7

I have a bodybugg, at the end of the day it tells me exactly what my TDEE is, it can easily vary between 2,000 calories on a very sedentary rest day to 3,300 on a very busy workout day.

I understand the Mio Active Connect will do that as well. Yet another reason I'm hoping Santa is really real and he'll bring me one, despite the fact that I already told my son there's no such thing as Santa...

mfpcopine

Of course it could be off. That's why people have to use the guidelines as guides, that is, suggestions, and monitor their progress.

gingerjen7

I'm a numbers guy, so I went back over the last 90 days, exported my calories in and exercise burn to excel, and calculated back against my weight loss. I try to be 100% accurate with my food logging, and I estimate my exercise burn as best I can, and I do use a heart rate monitor for everything other than the pool.

Looking back, based on food in minus calories out, over the last 90 days, to get my weight loss, my BMR is approximately 2,200, which is consistent with most calculators online.

There is some fluctuation week to week, but as a general trend, the math seems accurate and any inaccuracies will, ideally, cancel themselves out.

WOW! If your BMR is 2200, what is your TDEE?

mgobluetx12

I know mine's off because I was eating 900 calories below it and not even losing 1lb per week. YES, I was measuring and logging every single bite.

stines72

I'm a numbers guy, so I went back over the last 90 days, exported my calories in and exercise burn to excel, and calculated back against my weight loss. I try to be 100% accurate with my food logging, and I estimate my exercise burn as best I can, and I do use a heart rate monitor for everything other than the pool.

Looking back, based on food in minus calories out, over the last 90 days, to get my weight loss, my BMR is approximately 2,200, which is consistent with most calculators online.

There is some fluctuation week to week, but as a general trend, the math seems accurate and any inaccuracies will, ideally, cancel themselves out.

wow can i hire you? lol!

WendyTerry420

just curious. people swear by the TDEE thing and it got me thinking about BMR and how most ppl who get their BMR tested are surprised by the results... couldnt TDEE be the same way? how do you know its actually accurate?

Nineteen weeks of results shows me that it must be close.

EllyG08

Bump.

WendyTerry420

I'm a numbers guy, so I went back over the last 90 days, exported my calories in and exercise burn to excel, and calculated back against my weight loss. I try to be 100% accurate with my food logging, and I estimate my exercise burn as best I can, and I do use a heart rate monitor for everything other than the pool.

Looking back, based on food in minus calories out, over the last 90 days, to get my weight loss, my BMR is approximately 2,200, which is consistent with most calculators online.

There is some fluctuation week to week, but as a general trend, the math seems accurate and any inaccuracies will, ideally, cancel themselves out.

This too.

I love spreadsheets!

heybales

I have a bodybugg, at the end of the day it tells me exactly what my TDEE is, it can easily vary between 2,000 calories on a very sedentary rest day to 3,300 on a very busy workout day.

If you do the right kind of activities, it can be very close.

It is great for daily activities, and progressively worse as the exercise gets more intense, either in motion the device has no idea about (bike riding or weight lifting) or how intense or fast you are going (hill sprints).

Some possible problems others may see with it though.

It's foundation of estimating non-moving calories is based on your BMR, age, weight, height of Harris calc, which could be 200-400 inflated above a more accurate Katch BMR using bodyfat%.

This base foundation of resting calories is adjusted based on sleeping heat, but it's still based on a foundation possibly off a lot.

All non-moving calories is based on this level or slightly higher, which for most folks is 14-16 hrs of the day.

All moving calories is then based on that MET level too of BMR, so moving calories may be off. Though the walking stuff is based on calculations involving bodyweight, so possibly decent.

So if you follow the TDEE estimate given, and knock 500 off, and lose 1 lb weekly - then you are doing activities that are right on for it estimating.

But for many, it's off. And only closer on rest days.

When I used mine, it was underestimated for the BMR because I had more LBM than expected, and way under-estimated on my selected exercises it just couldn't estimate, bike and hills.

So I actually had a steeper deficit than it thought, too much in fact that weight loss was slower than expected. Which would tend to make one think it was actually inflated and they needed to cut more.

So really bad direction for me.

heybales

I know mine's off because I was eating 900 calories below it and not even losing 1lb per week. YES, I was measuring and logging every single bite.

Well, you can also get to a point where the body doesn't like that deficit and will just slow down metabolism to balance lower, so you don't have as much deficit.

Really scare it, you could wind up with no deficit.

Then again, sometimes you are making body improvements which are about weight gain, LBM, and fat loss at the same time, so no weight changes - just measurements.

So kind of hard to actually base it only on weight loss, unless you do minimal exercise. In which case chances are decent amount was muscle loss.

DavPul

everyone should wear hrms, all day, everyplace. eating, working out, showering, pooping. everyone knows that it's scientific fact that weight cannot be lost without 24/7 hrm wearing. mine works so good i'm gonna check with my doc to see if there's a way to have it surgically attached to my body.

janehlansing

Where is that calculator?

jane

jofjltncb6

I have a bodybugg, at the end of the day it tells me exactly what my TDEE is, it can easily vary between 2,000 calories on a very sedentary rest day to 3,300 on a very busy workout day.

Exactly???

Oh really?

o_O

jofjltncb6

thanks for the responses guys. wish i had done this at the start of my weight loss journey.

The "good" news is, your TDEE changes as you make progress, so knowing it back then may be a different number than knowing it now. Besides, start now and a month from now, you'll be that much closer to having the answer.

wolfchild59

For me, I've worn a BodyMedia Fit for just over a year and a half, so I feel pretty confident in my TDEE knowledge. There's still a margin of error, of course, but I keep a spreadsheet of all of the data so I can look at averages, exclude extremes, look at workout days vs. non-workout days, and all of that kind of stuff.

I feel like it's been one of the biggest helps overall. But, that being said, I'm just wearing it right now until the cancellation on my account clears and it's shut down. Because after wearing it for a year and a half and doing all of the above stuff, I'm very rarely ever surprised by the results, so I feel confident in letting the tool go and moving on without it.

wolfchild59

You can start with the calculated value, stay with it for a month, track the changes and then adjust up or down as needed. It is easier to take calories away from a higher number than it is from the 1200 that many people think that they need to start with.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm

I also check in with this spreadsheet every now and again, entering all of the data to calculate my TDEE and then compare it to my BMF averages and everything always lines up pretty well.

heybales

everyone should wear hrms, all day, everyplace. eating, working out, showering, pooping. everyone knows that it's scientific fact that weight cannot be lost without 24/7 hrm wearing. mine works so good i'm gonna check with my doc to see if there's a way to have it surgically attached to my body.

Neck, chest, arm, or leg version embedded?

And the optional LED lights for coolness, and to let you know you've been sitting too long or warning on going over the fat-burning zone? :laugh:

RainbootsToBikinis

I have a bodybugg, at the end of the day it tells me exactly what my TDEE is, it can easily vary between 2,000 calories on a very sedentary rest day to 3,300 on a very busy workout day.

Exactly???

Oh really?

o_O

For the average person there is less than a 5% margin of error. Plenty accurate enough for weight loss.

DavPul

everyone should wear hrms, all day, everyplace. eating, working out, showering, pooping. everyone knows that it's scientific fact that weight cannot be lost without 24/7 hrm wearing. mine works so good i'm gonna check with my doc to see if there's a way to have it surgically attached to my body.

Neck, chest, arm, or leg version embedded?

And the optional LED lights for coolness, and to let you know you've been sitting too long or warning on going over the fat-burning zone? :laugh:

I am going to patent your LED idea, sell it to polar, and make a gazillion dollars.

geebusuk

I use a motoactv and do often have the HRM on 16 hours a day - though it only uses the HRM for 'activities' rather than normal daily stuff.

When I hit my goal I think I will try and get to a 'maintenance' level based on my weight staying constant and being incredibly pedantic about recording everything.
(I plan to bulk at 250 calorie surplus after goal weight loss.)

This will give me an idea of matching the inaccuracy of the motoactv to the inaccuracy of food labelling and some idea of a median I can base my calculations on.

HeidiHoMom

Trial and error for me.

I have been losing just about every week eating at my TDEE minue 500.

stines72

the problem for me is im already at my goal weight.. under actually. do i just up my calories until i stop losing?