TDEE and FitBit
roxigirl89
Posts: 39 Member
Hi,
I am trying to figure out correct TDEE and having some trouble deciding how active i am. Hoping someone can help here.
I run 2-3 times a week ( at least 6 miles per run) and other 2 days i do DVD workouts ( anything from J. Michaels collection). I look after very active 2 year old so i do lots of walking ( easy over 10k + steps on daily basis )
In my calculation i used Moderate Active and i came up with TDEE of 2048 calories. ( BMR is 1321, i am 5.1 and weight 127 pounds)
I have a FitBit which i started using in the beginning of August and my average calorie burn differs from 2200 to 2700. Here comes my confusion. How accurate are reading from Fitbit? I would really like to know how much i should be eating as i have been trying to loose 5 pounds for over a year now with no result. Somehow i managed to put this weight in 2012 and i have been struggling since.
Formula says that If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725 - and this would give me 2278.
I would appreciate any suggestion.
Thank you
I am trying to figure out correct TDEE and having some trouble deciding how active i am. Hoping someone can help here.
I run 2-3 times a week ( at least 6 miles per run) and other 2 days i do DVD workouts ( anything from J. Michaels collection). I look after very active 2 year old so i do lots of walking ( easy over 10k + steps on daily basis )
In my calculation i used Moderate Active and i came up with TDEE of 2048 calories. ( BMR is 1321, i am 5.1 and weight 127 pounds)
I have a FitBit which i started using in the beginning of August and my average calorie burn differs from 2200 to 2700. Here comes my confusion. How accurate are reading from Fitbit? I would really like to know how much i should be eating as i have been trying to loose 5 pounds for over a year now with no result. Somehow i managed to put this weight in 2012 and i have been struggling since.
Formula says that If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725 - and this would give me 2278.
I would appreciate any suggestion.
Thank you
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Replies
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Don't pick from 5 rough levels when you have a device that can be much more accurate and infinite levels.
As you are concerned though, it's how correct is the FitBit?
It bases all moving time on weight and step based activity, as their FAQ states, rowing, lifting, cycling type stuff will be bad estimates, usually underestimated.
So log that type of stuff using MFP database for exercise. Or HRM if you have it.
It bases all non-moving time on your BMR using age, weight, height, gender. Depending on how sedentary or active you are, that could be decent % of time, usually 1/3 with 8 hrs sleeping, or 2/3 if deskjob with long commute, or longer if TV watcher in evenings/weekends too.
That's where a confirmation can come into play.
Your best estimate of BMR is based on weight and bodyfat %, Katch BMR.
If that is close to Mifflin (which they use a similar one), then trust the FitBit TDEE figures after you have corrected exercise it'll be wrong about.
If Katch is much lower than Mifflin, than you can correct the height on the FitBit stats so it does calculate a BMR closer to your best estimate.
And then you'll have to adjust the stride length because it's default calc's are wrong now for the step based activity, but that should be done anyway to increase accuracy.
To do that check, get bodyfat estimate, and then see what Katch BMR is, and see what the height adjustment would be if any - use the spreadsheet on my profile page.
Do the Simple Setup tab down to activity calc, but don't need to do that unless curious if it matches FitBit, or TDEE level you were picking.
Then go to FitBit_BodyMedia tab and delete RMR value if you have none, and see the results of comparing Katch to what they use, and if height should be adjusted much.
That tab will also help you figure out how you want to handle syncing with MFP, adjustable eating goal daily, set amount, ect.
I'll bet with your schedule, exercise on top of already Lightly Active because of child, you are into Very Active range, as FitBit seems to indicate, if good estimate of TDEE anyway.0 -
I agree with haybales, you certainly are not moderately active, but very active.
Since you are doing mainly moved based workouts, the FitBit is probably quite accurate.
If anything, I would say it tends to underestimate your burns, especially if you are doing strength training as well0 -
Thank you for your advice. Must admit that i didn't understand everything that Heybales kindly written to me . But i have used spreadsheet and it gave me following numbers:
BMR - 1318
TDEE - 2373 ( i have entered my average exercise minutes but wasn't sure about low cardio exercise so i just put 2 hours a day.
If i were to make a cut of 15% i have to eat 2000 calories. Wow, it a huge number. I eat about 1800 on my running days.
I think i will try to increase slowly as i don't want to put any more weight.0 -
Thank you for your advice. Must admit that i didn't understand everything that Heybales kindly written to me . But i have used spreadsheet and it gave me following numbers:
BMR - 1318
TDEE - 2373 ( i have entered my average exercise minutes but wasn't sure about low cardio exercise so i just put 2 hours a day.
If i were to make a cut of 15% i have to eat 2000 calories. Wow, it a huge number. I eat about 1800 on my running days.
I think i will try to increase slowly as i don't want to put any more weight.
Might confirm the Activity Calc.
Low cardio is not entered with hrs per day. It's minutes per week.
So do you mean you entered in 2 hrs daily or 1680 minutes weekly of walking up to 3 mph or equal exercise?
Now, if you literally do walk 2 hrs daily, 1 hr somewhere, 1 hr back, then fine and absolutely correct. If not, not correct.
You might want to read through the differences in BMR and TDEE here. Which will explain why the spreadsheet does what it does.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones
Good idea increasing slowly.
And also keep in mind, unless you logged your prior eating level, before you perhaps even were running, you have no foundation really to base high or low calorie level on. Only thing with calories you've probably seen otherwise is what MFP assigned you, and the 1200 so many get by their choices, and the level you selected.0 -
Thank you. I have entered 680 minutes per week. I don't really keep a track on how long do i walk. I am on my feet all day long with every day trips to the park or soft play.
I wouldn't know my eating level before i started running as it has been about 13 years ago. I have increased my distance in the last couple of years.
I just want to get rid of those last few pounds. it never made any sense to me why this is no happening if i do everything right no weight is lost.
Thank you for your help0 -
Huh oh. Long distance runner?
What's your resting HR in the morning?
When you get done exercise, how much does the HR drop in say 1 min?
Once you've eaten at what appears to be reasonable deficit for a few weeks, and no weight or measurement loss, then you likely have a slower metabolism from endurance cardio. Might also see if performance improves. it should if eating at maintenance.
Then it will be time to lower cal's by 100 for a few weeks at a time.
But try that when you are eating too little, you get just more suppressed metabolism. So gotta weight.0 -
I wouldn't call myself long distance runner. I only run 7-8 miles per run. I use to go for 12 miles on weekend but stopped because my weight was going up after each run. Its like never ending story- you loose a pound , go for a run and next day its two pounds up. So I am working on loosing same pound again. And honestly I dont care if this is muscle gain because my jeans feel tight. I dont want to giveoup my running because it makes me feel good. It amazing that your body can do and I don't feel even tired afterwards.0
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Going for a run tomorrow and will be able to check my heart rate.0
