TDEE Calculators

Has anyone used Health-Calc.com health calculators? My friend suggested it because it measures your daily activity by the amount of time doing the activity and the intensity level so she said it might be more accurate but it gives me a much different TDEE than Fat2FitRadio.com calculator. It's almost a 600 calorie difference. Health-Calc has me at 2,544 and Fat2Fit has me at 1995 calories. I am calorie phobic so this whole eating more concept has been hard for me to adjust to. I had been eating at 1200-1300 and I myself figured that was too low for my activity level. I have since tried to up my calories but still get panicky when I eat much more than about 1600 calories a day. That being said I still want to do this right and lose healthfully so I'm willing to deal with the anxiety of eating more to lose the weight, but now I'm not sure which number I should be going off of. I would really hate to be eating either too much or not enough. My stats are that I'm 5'1", 46 year old female, I weigh 129 lbs, I work out 5-6 days a week doing 55 minute spin classes 3x a week, 2-3 miles on the elliptical 5x a week, 30 minute strength training sessions 3x a week, 60 minute Body Pump type workout (low weights and lots of reps) 1x a week. So I guess anywhere from an hour and 30 minutes to two hours of exercise 5x a week. I'm guessing I still have about another 7-10 lbs to lose. Which TDEE seems more accurate?? That's a HUGE calorie difference. Ideas??

Replies

  • wattsy84
    wattsy84 Posts: 123
    I'm the same I've tried solo many calculators as I'm very active at work 8 hrs a day and exercise 5 days a week I find it hard to calculate!
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,472 Member
    For me, personally, it seems way out (i.e vastly overestimates my BMR and TDEE). I mean the health-calc one. I think Fat2fit is also a bit too high for me.

    I prefer the ones at http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ . I use the Katch-McArdle one, with my body fat entered. If I didn't have a body fat estimate, I'd use the Mifflin-St.Jeor one.
  • wattsy84
    wattsy84 Posts: 123
    I just did mine on there and it's well off, I wouldn't use that health-calc one try scoobysworkshop or http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
    For me, personally, it seems way out (i.e vastly overestimates my BMR and TDEE).

    So you would stick with the lower TDEE estimate?? That would be easier on my psyche!! lol
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,472 Member
    Personally, I go with the lower estimate (and the one I'm using is even lower than Fat2Fit). I'm losing weight at roughly the "correct" rate, which makes me think that the estimate I'm using must be fairly close.

    By the way, I had a play with the health.calc calculator, and it had me burning over 2000 calories a day if I did nothing but sit and sleep. That can't be right for a short, 49 year old woman.
  • mzteebell
    mzteebell Posts: 44 Member
    As with some of the others, I prefer Scooby's: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
    Personally, I go with the lower estimate (and the one I'm using is even lower than Fat2Fit). I'm losing weight at roughly the "correct" rate, which makes me think that the estimate I'm using must be fairly close.

    By the way, I had a play with the health.calc calculator, and it had me burning over 2000 calories a day if I did nothing but sit and sleep. That can't be right for a short, 49 year old woman.

    Scooby and Fat2Fit are relatively close in number so I'm going to go with about 1700 calories a day which, ironically, is the amount my health conscious son set up for me on mfp. lol Truly, the hardest part of my journey has been the "mental" aspect of it. Getting over the fear of eating on a "diet".
  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 994 Member
    no i would absoloutely not recommend using that one, it was almost 1000 over my TDEE when i entered everything.
    I have a Body Media Fit, soi know my exact TDEE and it was no where close.

    Scooby and Fat 2 Fit are closer.
  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 994 Member
    p.s. on a day where i don't work out and just walk to the subway (15mins) and to work from the subway (15 mins) twice a day plus my daily walkign around i burn around 2200-2400 Im 5ft 7 177 lbs.

    Most of us burn more than we think we do.
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
    Thanks so much for your replies!! It helps to make me feel more confident in my calorie goals!! :smile: