TDEE-What website is best for calculating that?

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shemama1
shemama1 Posts: 30 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I found one website yesterday, and according to that, I should be eating about 1,000 calories more a day than what MFP suggests. It was more in line with what I was eating with Weight Watchers. I'm just so confused. I don't know what to believe anymore, and where to start. Any advice? Thank you.

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  • elvensnow
    elvensnow Posts: 154 Member
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    Well the best thing to keep in mind with all the online calculators is that they are estimators. The only way to truly know your TDEE is either:

    1) Trial and error: Increase your daily calorie intake by ~200 every week until you start maintaining weight and feeling satisfied (i.e., not hungry and not stuffed all the time). That should be your TDEE. However this could take 8 weeks or more to stabilize so most people don't do it that way.
    2) Get your BMR and RMR tested at a facility and go from there.

    For #1 there's a lot more resources if you're interested in the "Eat More to Weigh Less" group among other places.

    Anyway, that doesn't exactly answer your question. Some of the best calculators:

    1) Scooby's: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    2) IIFYM: http://iifym.com/

    Both of those are pretty popular around these forums. I like the Katch-McCardle formula the best, but you need to know your body fat %. You can get an estimation of that at various sites like: http://www.calculator.net/body-fat-calculator.html

    Finally I would recommend this post if you're getting started:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    Edits: spelling
  • shemama1
    shemama1 Posts: 30 Member
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    Awsome thanks. :happy:
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    I use iifym.com, but I select "Enter Activity Level" and input my own activity rather than using their formulas.
  • bullsfan22
    bullsfan22 Posts: 104
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    All the above is a good way to measure your TDEE but the one thing that I could never accurately project was my daily activity level.

    Work at a desk so not much moving around, got a fitbit one, this thing forces me to get up and walk in order to hit the 10K steps daily, and what I noticed was I got a bunch of cals to eat from it as I was heavily understating my activity level (excluding workouts).

    You will surprise yourself at your true calorie burn.
  • BSdevon
    BSdevon Posts: 77
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    Agree with 'elevensnow' post.. Here is a simple, explained video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKIuW_-03wQ&list=PLiifvwf9Mx_1DNvEDJr0YA6YDv6RuR4dI from Michael Korey fitness :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    I found one website yesterday, and according to that, I should be eating about 1,000 calories more a day than what MFP suggests. It was more in line with what I was eating with Weight Watchers. I'm just so confused. I don't know what to believe anymore, and where to start. Any advice? Thank you.

    Were you looking at your Actual TDEE...that's maintenance...in which it would make sense that MFP is way lower. MFP has a calorie deficit built in for weight loss...1,000 calories deficit from TDEE is 2 Lbs per week weight loss goal. Also, you're supposed to NET to MFP's goal, which means you're supposed to eat back exercise calories that are accounted for in your TDEE, but not accounted for with MFP's NEAT method calculation.

    MFP (NEAT method) and TDEE method are two completely different ways of calorie counting, but if you do them right, they come out about the same...here's an example.

    My MFP net goal to lose 1 Lb per week is 1,850 calories...when I add exercise, it was roughly 2100 - 2200 gross calories per day. My TDEE is 2,650 calories....my TDEE - 500 calories to lose 1 Lb per week is 2,150 gross calories. See...6 of 1, half dozen of the other. You just need to understand the method and how it's used.

    You see that there is a gap of about 800 calories between my MFP weight loss goal and my TDEE...this is because my TDEE includes exercise in my activity level and my NEAT with MFP does not...the difference being roughly 300 calories per day exercise. It's all 6 of 1
  • daniellewillson3
    daniellewillson3 Posts: 20
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    These three gave me similar outcomes and all include BMR:
    http://www.freedieting.com/
    http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/
    http://iifym.com/

    There is a lot of good information out there about TDEE. I would suggest you read up and really become familiar with what it means and how to make it work with myfitnesspal. The post at the link below is extremely informative, I couldn't explain it any better so why try? :)

    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981
  • JenCatwalk
    JenCatwalk Posts: 285 Member
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    Bumpity
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    I found one website yesterday, and according to that, I should be eating about 1,000 calories more a day than what MFP suggests. It was more in line with what I was eating with Weight Watchers. I'm just so confused. I don't know what to believe anymore, and where to start. Any advice? Thank you.

    Were you looking at your Actual TDEE...that's maintenance...in which it would make sense that MFP is way lower. MFP has a calorie deficit built in for weight loss...1,000 calories deficit from TDEE is 2 Lbs per week weight loss goal. Also, you're supposed to NET to MFP's goal, which means you're supposed to eat back exercise calories that are accounted for in your TDEE, but not accounted for with MFP's NEAT method calculation.

    MFP (NEAT method) and TDEE method are two completely different ways of calorie counting, but if you do them right, they come out about the same...here's an example.

    My MFP net goal to lose 1 Lb per week is 1,850 calories...when I add exercise, it was roughly 2100 - 2200 gross calories per day. My TDEE is 2,650 calories....my TDEE - 500 calories to lose 1 Lb per week is 2,150 gross calories. See...6 of 1, half dozen of the other. You just need to understand the method and how it's used.

    You see that there is a gap of about 800 calories between my MFP weight loss goal and my TDEE...this is because my TDEE includes exercise in my activity level and my NEAT with MFP does not...the difference being roughly 300 calories per day exercise. It's all 6 of 1

    I just wanted to quote this because people make it so complicated, and the above is a really good explanation of the differences, so just pick one. If you are going to use MFP, why not just use all the tools available here? It's not rocket surgery.

    MFP works just fine. All the other calculators use a "weight loss" number that is 500 cals less than your TDEE. That would give you a One Pound Loss Per Week. (500Cals X 7 = 3500 which is a one pound loss per week.) You probably chose "lose two pounds per week" - which is fine since you have a lot to lose. So that works out to 1000 cal deficit per day. (1000 X 7= 7000 or two pounds per week) - and then you add in and eat the calories earned with exercise.

    If you use MFP the way it is designed to be used, it recommends a One Pound Loss Per Week. That would be the exact same thing...keep it simple. This site works, don't get all complicated.

    .
  • wanderlustlover
    wanderlustlover Posts: 84 Member
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    Oh, now I'm confused. I had used one of those websites 2-3 weeks ago and it told me around 1447 (for 144/5, 5'3", 1-3 workouts).

    And today, using the above one for IIIFYM (which -- did that site background just change recently?) now says 1674 at the lowest number for (140, 5'3", 1-3 workouts).


    Which is right? What should I be eating at?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    Oh, now I'm confused. I had used one of those websites 2-3 weeks ago and it told me around 1447 (for 144/5, 5'3", 1-3 workouts).

    And today, using the above one for IIIFYM (which -- did that site background just change recently?) now says 1674 at the lowest number for (140, 5'3", 1-3 workouts).


    Which is right? What should I be eating at?

    Just pick one - or use MFP. If you aren't getting results, adjust. No one here can decide for you.
  • elvensnow
    elvensnow Posts: 154 Member
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    Oh, now I'm confused. I had used one of those websites 2-3 weeks ago and it told me around 1447 (for 144/5, 5'3", 1-3 workouts).

    And today, using the above one for IIIFYM (which -- did that site background just change recently?) now says 1674 at the lowest number for (140, 5'3", 1-3 workouts).


    Which is right? What should I be eating at?



    Just pick one - or use MFP. If you aren't getting results, adjust. No one here can decide for you.

    Pretty much this. All calculators are estimates. If you try a # and don't lose, then just adjust a little lower and see how it goes.

    And in regards to a post further up, MFP does make it simple. And it works for a lot of people. But some of us like a little more control over our macros =) And there's no harm in learning about the differences. Knowledge is power, as they say.
  • kevinjb1
    kevinjb1 Posts: 233 Member
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    bump
  • jenns1964
    jenns1964 Posts: 384 Member
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    bump!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    Oh, now I'm confused. I had used one of those websites 2-3 weeks ago and it told me around 1447 (for 144/5, 5'3", 1-3 workouts).

    And today, using the above one for IIIFYM (which -- did that site background just change recently?) now says 1674 at the lowest number for (140, 5'3", 1-3 workouts).


    Which is right? What should I be eating at?

    Just pick one - or use MFP. If you aren't getting results, adjust. No one here can decide for you.

    Pretty much this. All calculators are estimates. If you try a # and don't lose, then just adjust a little lower and see how it goes.

    And in regards to a post further up, MFP does make it simple. And it works for a lot of people. But some of us like a little more control over our macros =) And there's no harm in learning about the differences. Knowledge is power, as they say.
    You can manually adjust your Macro percentages in your Food Diary

    Go to MY HOME> Goals> Change Goals> Custom

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_custom


    Knowledge is power, I agree. It's just that people get so confused, believe me - after six years here, this is still beyond the average new user's comprehension. They just need to get started and start losing weight. All this micromanaging is counter-productive in the beginning. It tends to overwhelm them.
    .
  • Vini9
    Vini9 Posts: 343 Member
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    Bump
  • wordstill
    wordstill Posts: 16 Member
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    try this spreadsheet and input your data if you have excel or open office. the link is in the first post. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones

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