Proxy for estimating TDEE?

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brownvs
brownvs Posts: 40 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm curious. I'm kind of a newbie to all this (101 days on MFP) but I was curious about whether I could use this as a proxy for measuring my TDEE (at my current level of activity).

(Total Calories consumed PLUS 3500 calories for each lb lost) DIVIDED BY (# of days).

Or rewritten:
(Total Calories each day + 3500 per lb lost) / (101 days of MFP)

I know there are other ways of estimating with the Scooby calculator yada yada - I'm just curious if this will give me an estimate or whether my math is off or if there are other things I need to take into account (?)

Obviously there are things like water weight and muscle that are hard to account for, but I doubt I either gained *that* much water weight or that much muscle in the last 101 days (unfortunately).

Thanks.

Replies

  • 777twist
    777twist Posts: 75 Member
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    Yeah, it seems like it works out. It's tough to figure exactly, only because your activity level daily/weekly isn't really going to be the same unless you literally do the same thing all the time, which isn't good.

    But I ran the numbers for myself the same way you are trying to figure it and it seems like it works outs.

    The problem is activity level is so hard to really and truly figure out. Short of wearing a heart rate monitor all day for a week and averaging out your numbers, it's tough to figure.

    But it does seem like if we assume our activity level is what it is right now, the numbers do seem to work out. At least for me.
  • 777twist
    777twist Posts: 75 Member
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    One more thing... I think these numbers would only work out in the long term. Because if I were to check after only 2 or 3 weeks, I'm sure the numbers would be way skewed.
  • brownvs
    brownvs Posts: 40 Member
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    Thanks for your thoughts! It looks like my TDEE is almost exactly 1700 (which, coincidentally, is almost exactly what I get when I input "sedentary" into the MFP website). I'm losing somewhat slowly (but acceptably) at about 1450 calories per day - not feeling that hungry overall, not a huge decrease in what I ate before (I've also never been BMI-overweight, my eating habits have never been a problem, mostly just fitness - my bodyfat is >26%).

    Incidentally, I could see how someone my size would be tempted to try to lose faster at 1200 cal/day.

    Hopefully strength training will increase my TDEE a bit (if I increase my muscle). That is a major goal for me.

    Let me know if there are gaps in my logic here...

    This is why I'm asking if my formula is correct, since I'm seeing some people here eating like 2000+ calories a day.
  • 777twist
    777twist Posts: 75 Member
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    Incidentally, I could see how someone my size would be tempted to try to lose faster at 1200 cal/day.

    Hopefully strength training will increase my TDEE a bit (if I increase my muscle). That is a major goal for me.

    Let me know if there are gaps in my logic here...

    This is why I'm asking if my formula is correct, since I'm seeing some people here eating like 2000+ calories a day.

    Why not try something like http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ to verify your numbers.

    Also, have you checked your numbers using MFP's system? This is what I have been telling people to do:

    1. Just use MFP's numbers. Unless you have hit plateaus with those numbers, they should be fine for a good while
    2. Set your activity level to Lightly Active or Active, this is just a starting point. I don't think people who work a job are really
    ever Sedentary... unless they work a job where they sit 95% of the time, and never go anywhere for breaks or lunch.
    3. Add your goal, which if you want to lose a lot fast, you can go for the 2lbs loss, or go with 1lbs if you aren't in a hurry
    4. Work that for 6 - 8 weeks, and see what happens.
    5. If you are losing... keep going. If you aren't losing at the rate you want, then you can drop the Activity Level one notch, and that will give you less calories to eat. Or you could workout more.

    For MFP, the workout component doesn't need to be set. You can if you want to set a goal for yourself, but it doesn't do anything for you calories or math. Your exercise in MFP is just BONUS points.

    I think girls shoot way low when they calculate their calories. Especially ones that workout a lot. It's tough to compare yourself to others on this site, as the numbers don't tell the whole story. But if your TDEE is about the same as what MFP says with a zero gain/loss goal, then add your goal in and you should be good to go.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
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    How cool! I am a numbers guy also. I get very very close with this formula also. Within 100 of 3 calcs online.

    I wish MFP gave us more access to the numbers we have tediously entered. If seems like such an easy thing to do from a programming point of view.

    I keep saying I am going to log everything into a spreadsheet but so far I haven't done it.

    I currently eat at 2090.
  • endoftheside
    endoftheside Posts: 568 Member
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    I think it's going to need to be more complicated as you lose more weight. My TDEE has gone down by about 200 calories since I started, just because I am at a lower weight now, so I would be overestimating my current TDEE by quite a bit if I used the calories in/out from when I was 20+ pounds heavier.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
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    I think it's going to need to be more complicated as you lose more weight. My TDEE has gone down by about 200 calories since I started, just because I am at a lower weight now, so I would be overestimating my current TDEE by quite a bit if I used the calories in/out from when I was 20+ pounds heavier.

    Very true. Needs more thought. Like a forecast or scale based on starting weight. current weight and number of days. Must think on this.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Sounds like you are losing at a healthy rate, doing what you are doing. So if it aint broke, don't fix it. Keep up the good work!
  • brownvs
    brownvs Posts: 40 Member
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    So if it aint broke, don't fix it. Keep up the good work!

    Thanks! I think I've lost at a very reasonable weight for my size. Mostly it's sustainable, but I'm having an off-week this week which is making me think about everything.
    Why not try something like http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ to verify your numbers.

    Also, have you checked your numbers using MFP's system?

    Yup, I get 1700-1900 no matter what I enter into any calculator and I tend to think with a pretty decent percentage body fat, the low end of that is where I sit.

    MFP puts me at 1700 for the sedentary option - but if I am honest with myself, I have been sedentary my whole life; probably more than anyone I have ever met or known about.
    I wish MFP gave us more access to the numbers we have tediously entered. If seems like such an easy thing to do from a programming point of view.

    ^^^YES - THIS, SO MUCH. That TDEE calculation took FOREVER.
    I think it's going to need to be more complicated as you lose more weight.

    I agree, but I didn't have too much weight to lose in the first place. I've lost about 7lb. Honestly, at this point, my weight is fine, I just need to get some more muscle strength.

    I'm just dinking around with TDEE out of curiosity/boredom. :-p

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