TDEE - have you mastered fat loss using TDEE ??

TDEE means TOTAL Daily Energy Expenditure. That means moving around, breathing, pumping blood, exercising, sleeping, everything.

So with the TDEE method, you calculate what you use on average every day. You do need to post how often you exercise, because that goes into figuring out what activity level you set.

Your TDEE (not BMR; that would be the amount of energy you'd use if you did nothing but lie in bed all day, and that should be 1289 given the numbers you posted) is somewhere between 1782 and 1999, depending on your activity - note that the equation is just a way to figure out a close number. I would be willing to bet money that the days you expend exactly 1782 calories and no more or less are pretty close to 0. So if you feel your activity level is somewhere in between there, you can say, look, I think it's 1850. Adjust as necessary if you're not getting the results you want.

1850 - (1850*.2) = 1480. So if you're doing TDEE-20%, you would eat 1480 calories every day, exercise or no. If you went out and ran a marathon or climbed a mountain or something, you'd eat more, but as long as you're sticking to your routine you don't change it.

BUT! You're really close to your goal. You probably don't want to do TDEE-20 - it's likely that will be too much of a deficit. You probably want to stick to TDEE-15 or 10.

Your TDEE-15 = 1572
Your TDEE-10 = 1665

And again, these are estimates. Maybe your metabolism is slowed, maybe you underestimate your food or overestimate your activity. You do it for a month, see how your loss tracks with your predicted loss, and then you can use your food and activity log to calculate your TDEE more accurately. (Don't try to do it sooner than that. You won't have the data you need to figure out what's wrong, much less fix it.)

Anyone want to help me figure mine out? I've read the info but I'm still confused! If so, I can supply all my stats.

I am a busybody! Post your stats and we'll work through it.

ok I have a challenge for you lol - just posted this/ so this is a cross post sorry:

Using the IIFYM website:

I don't understand why the numbers don't change if I vary my responses to the questions: I'm 50, Female, 5'5", 305. I have just started doing a little bit of exercise and am not as regular with it as I hope to be soon. So I looked at the numbers if I chose "little or no exercise" vs. "3 times per week" -- the Text book/ 20% the numbers and the aggressive/ 25% numbers all show 2440 for the total calories I should have, regardless of exercise or not, regardless of the 20% or 25%.

How can all the different criteria get the same result?

If 2440 is a min amount, then does that mean I should eat back exercise calories in that case?

Thanks and sorry OP for the hijack

Anyone want to help me figure mine out? I've read the info but I'm still confused! If so, I can supply all my stats.

Me too!
30 yrs Female
180lbs
5'6"
fairly active (I walk about 4 miles per day plus go running or play roller derby occasionally)

You can also start the math with a good estimate of body fat%, get best estimate of Katch BMR based on that, better activity calculator than just 5 levels, and deficit goal based on what you actually do and amount to lose, and track your progress.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm

Using the IIFYM website:

I don't understand why the numbers don't change if I vary my responses to the questions: I'm 50, Female, 5'5", 305. I have just started doing a little bit of exercise and am not as regular with it as I hope to be soon. So I looked at the numbers if I chose "little or no exercise" vs. "3 times per week" -- the Text book/ 20% the numbers and the aggressive/ 25% numbers all show 2440 for the total calories I should have, regardless of exercise or not, regardless of the 20% or 25%.

How can all the different criteria get the same result?

If 2440 is a min amount, then does that mean I should eat back exercise calories in that case?

Thanks and sorry OP for the hijack

That's interesting, because I put your numbers in and it gave me 2540 for cautious and 2440 for the other two. Clearly it is doing something that is not math; it calculates your BMR as 2173 so it's not doing a "don't go under BMR" thing. I have no clue.

Using the Fitness Frog calculator (which as far as I've seen works well enough), your TDEE comes out to 2816 at the 1-3x/week exercise level. TDEE-20 should be right up your alley, so all you have to do is multiply 2816*.8, which is 2250 after rounding. Given your stats, you could even start with TDEE-25 and see how that works for you; that would be 2816*.75, or 2110. Or anywhere in between those two numbers. (Ok, it's not a huge difference, but some days you just want that second banana, you know?)

So you would just eat that every day, and try to make sure you keep up with exercising 3x/week, and not worry about the exact amount you burn each day.

THANK YOU!! You are wonderful:) I shall go for the 2110 because I've been keeping it more like 1500-1800, rarely going over 2000. so hopefully this will explain why I haven't been losing and change that!! You are a Lifesaver :flowerforyou:

Ok:
Female
30 years old
5'8"
286 lbs (yikes)
sedentary lifestyle (I work a desk job, do chase 2 kids in the evening but I don't think that's enough to justify anything - I am also trying to do zumba but absolutely cannot dance for the life of me and am still teaching myself the steps! lmao)

Is there anything else you need?

Notes for everyone!
I realized I should post the link to the TDEE calculator I use, too, it's here: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

Remember you need to redo the calcuations every 10 lbs or so, because as you lose weight, it takes less energy to move your body around. And as you get closer to your goal, you should make your deficit smaller, because science. (There's a post around somewhere that explains it really well but I can't find it at the moment so just take it on faith until someone does.)

Back to Shimmer!

Ok, so it puts your TDEE at 2487. TDEE-20 would be 1990 and TDEE-25 is 1865. Like jolt28 you're starting out with a little more to lose, so you can pick a number between those two, like maybe a nice round 1900. If it sucks too much, bump up to 1990. And any exercise you can fit in is good exercise - if you get a regular routine going, you get to redo your calculations and eat more food!

Well, I have been doing what MFP said for calories and that's a little over 1600, and it hasn't sucked too badly. I've been able to have 3 good meals and a couple of snacks a day with that amount, so I can definitely do 1900! I'm curious if it will make the weight loss slower than if I were eating the 1600 a day? I guess I'll just have to up it and see and play around with it from there.

Thanks for your help!

I don't believe this hype.....Mine would calculate out to be 2118 calories needed to lose and I have tried 2,000 cals per day at Dr's request and gained weight.

How long did you try it for? If you have eaten low calories for a long time, your metabolism is likely suppressed. (Your energy slows down to match what you are feeding it). You would have to eat higher for perhaps 6 weeks (maybe longer) to start reversing the suppressed metabolism.

Unless I am doing it wrong on calculations.....I used Fitness Frog....
Help!!

I am 35, 5.6 1/2 and 210lbs.....today anyway......I am mod active...exercise 3 or more days per week and always burn 150+ calories.......I have gained and lost same 10lbs the last yr! I NEED HELP ON THIS!

Body fat percentage estimate?