Calculated my TDEE...... Really?

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glubben
glubben Posts: 45 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey Everyone,

Ive been working out and trying to eat right since October of last year. I started using My fitness pal in January. So far Ive lost a little over 40 pounds. However in the last month Ive been platued at about 240. Ive been very strict on my diet keeping to the 1650 calories that My fitness pal has set for me. I work out for a couple hours every morning 5 days a week doing stregnth training and cardio. I eat back most but not all of my excercise calories. I even tried carb cycling for a couple weeks. i lost about 6 pounds but it came back when i started eating normal again. The only thing I can think of is my body is in starvation mode.

So I went on to the Scooby worskshop.com site beucase I've heard alot of people talking about TDEE and it Calculated my TDEE at 2547! That seems like alot to me. Just wanted to see if that sounded normal to the people who have experince with TDEE.

Thanks,

-Greg
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Replies

  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
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    I'm a 5'6", 120 lb female and my TDEE is 2200-2300, so yes, that seems reasonable to me.

    ETA: I run 5x/week and lift heavy 3x/week.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    It is a bit high, but if you're tall/overweight it sounds pretty normal to me. Especially for a guy. For most adult females TDEE is somewhere around 2000 and for males it's a bit higher. I definitely think you could eat more calories and still lose weight. Hope that helps!
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    I'm 5'0" and 129 lbs... my TDEE is 2400-2600.

    So yes, that sounds normal to me. Maybe even a little low. Maybe.
  • beccyleigh
    beccyleigh Posts: 847 Member
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    I have a fitbit & even when sitting at a desk all day & no exercise I burn around 3k caloried including sleep so if I wanted to eat TDEE -20% I would eat around 2400 calories.

    if you aren't comfortable eating that much try increasing by 50-100 cals every 5-7 days until you start seeing the scale move again.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    I'm 50yo, 5'4", 209 (started at 232 in Dec 2012), walk 4miles daily, strength train 3x/wk. My TDEE is 2466 and I eat TDEE-25% = 1850.

    Just remember - eating at TDEE will maintain your current weight. If you want to lose weight, eat at a deficit.
  • Chipmunk222
    Chipmunk222 Posts: 240 Member
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    Eat more !!!
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
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    Because my exercise varies, I worked out mine for Light and Moderate exercise - and then I took a look at what my FitBit typically thinks I burn and in general I fall between those two values.

    It may help to work out your values for a couple of levels to allow for lighter days if you do them and then perhaps take a mean of the two?
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
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    I'm a 39 year old male, 165 pounds, and ride pretty intensely for about 10 hours a week and my TDEE is around 3400 to 3600 calories a day. Eating 3000 calories a day, I've lost a good bit of weight over the last 8 months.
  • GODfidence
    GODfidence Posts: 249 Member
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    That's about right.
    If you could try eating 2200-2300 to start off and measure
    Results after a couple weeks?
    2500 is what Im eating per day. 6'0,184-185 pounds.
    Good luck man! Supply the body,exercise and everything
    Else should fall into place
  • smwooley
    smwooley Posts: 133 Member
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    Sounds about right. Remember, it calculates your exercise already in. If you exercise very regularly, then take that number at eat at 80% of that, and theoretically you should lose weight. As a guy, 1600 is probably too low and that may have caused your plateau. I figured my TDEE for sedentary, eat at 80% of that and then just eat back my exercise calories. Makes it simple if I miss a workout.
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
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    Hey Everyone,

    Ive been working out and trying to eat right since October of last year. I started using My fitness pal in January. So far Ive lost a little over 40 pounds. However in the last month Ive been platued at about 240. Ive been very strict on my diet keeping to the 1650 calories that My fitness pal has set for me. I work out for a couple hours every morning 5 days a week doing stregnth training and cardio. I eat back most but not all of my excercise calories. I even tried carb cycling for a couple weeks. i lost about 6 pounds but it came back when i started eating normal again. The only thing I can think of is my body is in starvation mode.

    So I went on to the Scooby worskshop.com site beucase I've heard alot of people talking about TDEE and it Calculated my TDEE at 2547! That seems like alot to me. Just wanted to see if that sounded normal to the people who have experince with TDEE.

    Thanks,

    -Greg
    1650 cals for a guy? Might work if you're 5' 3". 2500 sound about right. Mine is 2600 and I'm 5'10", 275 lbs and have a desk job.

    Deduct 20% from 2547 and you should be eating in approx. 2000 cals plus you're exercise cals.
  • rocket_ace
    rocket_ace Posts: 380 Member
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    aren't you supposed to eat 80% of the TDEE?
  • mcouturezz
    mcouturezz Posts: 145
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    I'm 5'8'' Female, 193 lbs I workout 6 days / week and my TDEE is 2842 so yours is perfectly fine, you are not eating enough try to up your calories to match approx TDEE - 20%, check your macros :)
    Up your calories by 200 / day for 2 weeks, see how it goes and if it's not enough up them again for another round of 2 weeks that should get the scale moving :)
  • glubben
    glubben Posts: 45 Member
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    I'm 5'0" and 129 lbs... my TDEE is 2400-2600.

    So yes, that sounds normal to me. Maybe even a little low. Maybe.

    I should clarify that 2547 number is my TDEE minus 20%. Thanks for the feed back everyone
  • cjlorigan
    cjlorigan Posts: 209 Member
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    What they all said.

    I'm 5'7" female @ 165# (started at 185#)

    TDEE is about 1998 and -20% is 1598 - I selected light exercise (1-3x/week) in case I don't make it to the gym.

    I have MFP set for 1650 and have lost the 20# since 1/9/13 (started TDEE about 2/1/13).

    So that sounds about right for you.
  • cjlorigan
    cjlorigan Posts: 209 Member
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    Just a note, work UP to your TDEE - 20%. Don't just jump straight there or you will gain a little before losing and that can be depressing. Even a little gain upfront is ok...just your body resetting itself.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
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    Yes your TDEE would be that high if you factor in your exercise.

    MFP assigns you a calorie goal based on what "activity rate" (and rate of weight loss) you choose assuming that eat back calories on any exercise above what the setting included.

    The TDEE you calculated was calculated using different factors the one through MFP because if the factors in both calculations were the same the calorie goal would be approximately the same. Just one way you'd eat different amounts daily based on exercise and the other you'd eat the same every day because it would be the assumed exercise would already be factores in.

    I like to calculate my TDEE without exercise and then eat back exercise calories... that way if I can't work out for a few days I am still at a deficit. This is a matter of personal preference.
  • KristyTonn
    KristyTonn Posts: 46 Member
    Options
    Hey Everyone,

    Ive been working out and trying to eat right since October of last year. I started using My fitness pal in January. So far Ive lost a little over 40 pounds. However in the last month Ive been platued at about 240. Ive been very strict on my diet keeping to the 1650 calories that My fitness pal has set for me. I work out for a couple hours every morning 5 days a week doing stregnth training and cardio. I eat back most but not all of my excercise calories. I even tried carb cycling for a couple weeks. i lost about 6 pounds but it came back when i started eating normal again. The only thing I can think of is my body is in starvation mode.

    So I went on to the Scooby worskshop.com site beucase I've heard alot of people talking about TDEE and it Calculated my TDEE at 2547! That seems like alot to me. Just wanted to see if that sounded normal to the people who have experince with TDEE.

    Thanks,

    -Greg
    1650 cals for a guy? Might work if you're 5' 3". 2500 sound about right. Mine is 2600 and I'm 5'10", 275 lbs and have a desk job.

    Deduct 20% from 2547 and you should be eating in approx. 2000 cals plus you're exercise cals.

    With TDEE you don't eat back the exercise calories....they are already calculated into your TDEE. So TDEE-20%, and NOT eating your exercise calories. I fyou ate them back, you'd probably be back about your TDEE, therefore at maintenance, and not lose weight....
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
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    I'm male, 6' and 240. I eat at 2090 and eat back most of my exercise. TDEE is 2600 (without exercise, I prefer it this way)

    Very nice progress for me at those numbers. 1.35 lbs a week so far.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
    Options
    Sounds about right. Remember, it calculates your exercise already in. If you exercise very regularly, then take that number at eat at 80% of that, and theoretically you should lose weight. As a guy, 1600 is probably too low and that may have caused your plateau. I figured my TDEE for sedentary, eat at 80% of that and then just eat back my exercise calories. Makes it simple if I miss a workout.

    Definately agree with this - I top out at 1600 on exercising days and I am female, 5'2" and limited to low impact thanks to wrecked knees... so long as you at least cover your BMR and then land somewhere in a 15-20% deficit you should see things moving again

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