That's strange. My Fitbit is pretty much in sync with the Scooby calculator. The thing is, no one can give you the answer to this. Your best bet is most likely going to be trial and error. Make sure to keep detailed documentation with pictures, measurements and notes. Also, hunger is a pretty good guide. If you're starving when you eat the lower calorie amount, you might want to up it a little. You could always try something right down the middle of the two. Good luck. You'll figure it out.

Hi
I don't go on daily TDEE on fitbit ... I take a weekly TDEE and divide by 7 ..! It always comes out about 1900 .. So I take it as an average and not daily per se .! Although my fitbit doesn't take my lifting into account so I think I'm more into a TDEE of 2000-2100 that heybales spreadsheet and scoobys calculator comes out with :-)

I'm going by my BodyMedia Link because it's the best data I have that's realistic... I tried going by the calculators, but they are a bit off from my tested RMR. 200 to 300 calorie difference.

More or less ..???

That's strange. My Fitbit is pretty much in sync with the Scooby calculator. The thing is, no one can give you the answer to this. Your best bet is most likely going to be trial and error. Make sure to keep detailed documentation with pictures, measurements and notes. Also, hunger is a pretty good guide. If you're starving when you eat the lower calorie amount, you might want to up it a little. You could always try something right down the middle of the two. Good luck. You'll figure it out.

You are so right! Source of reason! Thanks

I will stop freaking out about the silly numbers, pay attention to my hunger, and give it a few weeks to see how my calorie levels affect me.

I upped my calorie goal on MFP, because at 10pm, I think that's what freaked me out was seeing those "I've gone over" reminders. Over what? Over a number that was likely too low? Big whoop!

Well, don't go by hunger totally either, because that can be suppressed by eating too little, just ask many on this group that had trouble eating more. You can also be hungry because of low blood sugar but you've actually had more than enough.

So think about your exercise, if FitBit and it's ability to track walking steps is going to be accurate for your exercise. As mentioned, lifting is out, spin bike is out, some dance stuff where movement is more than it would appear is out.
But that's just a small % of the week and TDEE calories.

Outside that is usually an inflated TDEE, based on inflated Harris BMR compared to a much smaller better estimated Katch BMR.

But you also can't compare a device if used properly to a table of 5 levels where you are picking the level. That's a big ballpark figure with more chance of being wrong than right by 100-200 calories (half the range from one level to another).

So indeed test it out.

One effect of undereating has been shown is the body causes other daily activity to slow down, to compensate for not getting enough calories for the BMR functions. So also watch if you are moving as much as you recall when eating more.