Am i calculating my TDEE wrong?

Marks281172
Marks281172 Posts: 127 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All,

Now we are edging into winter and being a fair weather runner im focusing on getting at least some of my old powerlift strength back and reducing my running, with that in mind i want to eat enough to build strength again but not gain too much fat. I accept that i will gain some fat but im still running once a week so ill focus on taking it off again in the spring when the weather turns.

So with that in mind i thought id just work out my TDEE and make sure i eat at it, or just above it for the winter... ive used several sites with their own calculator and done it myself long hand.,. and it comes out roughly the same.. around 3670 calories!!

I weight around 106kg, my height is 72 inches and i consider myself to be moderatly active. I have a desk job but (weather permitting) walk several times a week in my lunch break (30 mins) weight train heavy 3 times a week (5x5 routine with some assistance lifts, Benching up to 145kg, Squatting around 160kg and deadlifting up to 220kg) and run 5k each weekend. I turn 40 in a couple of weeks.

Plugging that in gives me a BMR of

66 + (13.7 x 106) + (5 x 182) - (6.8 x 40) = 2156

Taking the moderately active multiplier of 1.55 that gives me 3341

and then the 10% for 'digestion'... total of 3675 calories a day!!!

Ive clearly done something very wrong here or misunderstood BMR/TDEE etc

When i was powerlifting i was eating probably at least that.. but i was over 310lbs back then!!


Any help to point me in the right direction or just 'YOURE DOING IT WRONG!!' appreciated :)

Thanks

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Try Katsch-McArdle instead of Harris Benedict:
    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981


    Alternatively, you could also just use a set intake value and monitor results over two weeks, and adjust based on that. 1.55 activity factor may be a bit on the high end with a 3/week weight session given you have a desk job.


    EDIT: Nice lifts!
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    The corrected HB equation gives you about 3000 TDEE for active (x 1.45). Why are you using a 'digestion' modifier? Unless you are eating at very high fiber levels, the efficiency is above 95% and I would not calculate in a modifier - I'd likely do as SideSteel suggested and calculate the the KMcA as you are a lifter.

    Try one TDEE, stick to it, track everything to see your gain/loss, adjust after a few weeks. Drink lots of water for high clearance so that sodium/minerals does not screw up with weighing variability.
  • agentphantom
    agentphantom Posts: 30 Member
    If I were you I would take the average of "lightly active" and "moderately active" and play with those numbers. Based on your stats, your range is 2776 (lightly active) to 3129 (moderately active). 2952 (average of both) for TDEE seems like a good place to start. I did not factor in the 10% "digestion" cals, not familiar with that. Good luck!!
  • Marks281172
    Marks281172 Posts: 127 Member
    Thanks all, some much more sensible numbers there.

    The 10% thing i saw on a couple of sites calculations... thats the trouble with google, it can lead you to as much BS as it does good info :)

    Ill take a read of that Katsch-M link at home, bit too much to take in to read at work :)
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Thanks all, some much more sensible numbers there.

    The 10% thing i saw on a couple of sites calculations... thats the trouble with google, it can lead you to as much BS as it does good info :)

    Ill take a read of that Katsch-M link at home, bit too much to take in to read at work :)

    The 10% is probably an arbitrary value for TEF but that should be included in the base calculations in some form or another.
  • VelvetAcidVixen
    VelvetAcidVixen Posts: 25
    I don't use TDEE because my activity level varies from day to day. So, I'll eat BMR + Exercise calories and it works for me.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I don't use TDEE because I find it estimates too high even if I use sedentary. My method is BMR plus 200 calories, add my exercise calories and maybe eat some of them if I'm really, truly hungry. Using TDEE means that you are always going to be at that activity level and my life just never works that way.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Using TDEE does not mean you need to stay at a specific activity level. Average intake over time is what matters and it's absolutely fine, once you get a good estimate of your TDEE, to just eat based on that value, daily.

    If your average intake is appropriate, you will make progress.

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