Help understanding TDEE
daisyamber
Posts: 27 Member
Hi I'm 5ft and weight 121 pounds. I've started stronglifts about four weeks ago as I really want to get strong and tone up.
I'm struggling to work out what calories I should be eating - I've tried numerous on-line TDEE calculators but they all give different results varying from 1200 calories up to 1650.
Any 5ft ladies out there on strong lifts who could give me some pointers?
Thank you.
I'm struggling to work out what calories I should be eating - I've tried numerous on-line TDEE calculators but they all give different results varying from 1200 calories up to 1650.
Any 5ft ladies out there on strong lifts who could give me some pointers?
Thank you.
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Replies
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have you tried this one? http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced0
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^^That's the one I prefer - but you can't fudge anything. And it's also important to remember that it will just give you an estimate. You'll have to play around with how much is enough, and how much is not enough, and how much is too much. If you aren't trying to lose weight, then by all means try to find your TDEE and stay there - it makes lifting SO much more fun. A good way to find your TDEE is to estimate the number, track for a week or two, see if things are going up/down/staying the same, and then do tiny adjustments from there (like adding or subtracting only 100 calories). 0
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I'm a little nervous about eating more calories, even though I know I probably should be. I'm eating about 400 calories below TDEE right now. I don't need to lose weight, but would like to lose a little more BF and put some more muscle on.
Tell me it will be ok! :O
I'm about 17% BF right now according to the handheld thing. Every single time I use it it's the same number, and I'm in my 3rd week of SL (3rd month of lifting heavyish). I have had great results in the last couple of months - I've lost a few pounds, more definition, inches lost (although my jeans are tighter in the thighs). Anyway I'm just having a hard time mentally accepting the fact that I won't gain weight eating more calories!!0 -
Thank you, that one looks good I will check it out
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Thanks for this, I am trying to lose about 10 pounds so that's where I'm struggling to work out calories as if lifting supposedly need more, but as I'm only small on some calculators this comes out at 1300 calories a day even if lifting.
Anyway thanks for the tips, I'm going to try 1450 with lifting (not that I lift heavy yet but am trying :blushing: ) and track my progress.
Thanks again.0 -
Thanks for this, I am trying to lose about 10 pounds so that's where I'm struggling to work out calories as if lifting supposedly need more, but as I'm only small on some calculators this comes out at 1300 calories a day even if lifting.
Anyway thanks for the tips, I'm going to try 1450 with lifting (not that I lift heavy yet but am trying :blushing: ) and track my progress.
Thanks again.0 -
I'm a little nervous about eating more calories, even though I know I probably should be. I'm eating about 400 calories below TDEE right now. I don't need to lose weight, but would like to lose a little more BF and put some more muscle on.
Tell me it will be ok! :O
I'm about 17% BF right now according to the handheld thing. Every single time I use it it's the same number, and I'm in my 3rd week of SL (3rd month of lifting heavyish). I have had great results in the last couple of months - I've lost a few pounds, more definition, inches lost (although my jeans are tighter in the thighs). Anyway I'm just having a hard time mentally accepting the fact that I won't gain weight eating more calories!!0 -
Sounds like you are doing great 0
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Ooops sorry not sure how to reply to a reply! Hence all the posts 0
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I'm a little nervous about eating more calories, even though I know I probably should be. I'm eating about 400 calories below TDEE right now. I don't need to lose weight, but would like to lose a little more BF and put some more muscle on.
Tell me it will be ok! :O
I'm about 17% BF right now according to the handheld thing. Every single time I use it it's the same number, and I'm in my 3rd week of SL (3rd month of lifting heavyish). I have had great results in the last couple of months - I've lost a few pounds, more definition, inches lost (although my jeans are tighter in the thighs). Anyway I'm just having a hard time mentally accepting the fact that I won't gain weight eating more calories!!
17% BF is really low for a girl, why do you want to lose more? You will struggle to put on muscle while in a big deficit like that. You probably need to assess what your priorities are, and how much putting on weight will freak you out.0 -
I'm a little nervous about eating more calories, even though I know I probably should be. I'm eating about 400 calories below TDEE right now. I don't need to lose weight, but would like to lose a little more BF and put some more muscle on.
Tell me it will be ok! :O
I'm about 17% BF right now according to the handheld thing. Every single time I use it it's the same number, and I'm in my 3rd week of SL (3rd month of lifting heavyish). I have had great results in the last couple of months - I've lost a few pounds, more definition, inches lost (although my jeans are tighter in the thighs). Anyway I'm just having a hard time mentally accepting the fact that I won't gain weight eating more calories!!
17% BF is really low for a girl, why do you want to lose more? You will struggle to put on muscle while in a big deficit like that. You probably need to assess what your priorities are, and how much putting on weight will freak you out.
I'd like to add more muscle - I'm thinking that number may be low but who knows. I have a smallish frame and know I can lose a little more fat, and I'd LOVE to actually have visible shoulder muscles! I know they are there hiding somewhere! I think I'll up the calories a little bit and see what happens. 0 -
Thanks for this, I am trying to lose about 10 pounds so that's where I'm struggling to work out calories as if lifting supposedly need more, but as I'm only small on some calculators this comes out at 1300 calories a day even if lifting.
Anyway thanks for the tips, I'm going to try 1450 with lifting (not that I lift heavy yet but am trying :blushing: ) and track my progress.
Thanks again.
Keep us posted!0 -
I'm a little nervous about eating more calories, even though I know I probably should be. I'm eating about 400 calories below TDEE right now. I don't need to lose weight, but would like to lose a little more BF and put some more muscle on.
Tell me it will be ok! :O
I'm about 17% BF right now according to the handheld thing. Every single time I use it it's the same number, and I'm in my 3rd week of SL (3rd month of lifting heavyish). I have had great results in the last couple of months - I've lost a few pounds, more definition, inches lost (although my jeans are tighter in the thighs). Anyway I'm just having a hard time mentally accepting the fact that I won't gain weight eating more calories!!
17% BF is really low for a girl, why do you want to lose more? You will struggle to put on muscle while in a big deficit like that. You probably need to assess what your priorities are, and how much putting on weight will freak you out.
I'd like to add more muscle - I'm thinking that number may be low but who knows. I have a smallish frame and know I can lose a little more fat, and I'd LOVE to actually have visible shoulder muscles! I know they are there hiding somewhere! I think I'll up the calories a little bit and see what happens.
Sounds like you need to find your maintenance levels - which are probably higher than you think. As a for-instance, I have been eating at maintenance for 3 months. In that time, I have stayed pretty much the same weight, but my body fat % has gone down by 3 percentage points - and I can SEE the muscle I'm building. Keep your protein above 100g or so, and eat enough to to maintain, and you'll see the change happen - it may include gaining some body fat, but 17% is pretty low for a woman, and you may find that you lift better, and FEEL better at a higher BF percentage.0 -
Thanks for this, I am trying to lose about 10 pounds so that's where I'm struggling to work out calories as if lifting supposedly need more, but as I'm only small on some calculators this comes out at 1300 calories a day even if lifting.
Anyway thanks for the tips, I'm going to try 1450 with lifting (not that I lift heavy yet but am trying :blushing: ) and track my progress.
Thanks again.
Daisyamber - if you are only 10 pounds away from your goal weight, I would suggest that perhaps you ought to focus on recomposition instead of fat loss. That means that you would eat close to a maintenance level, keep lifting and doing whatever else activities you enjoy, and just keep going that way for a while - eventually you would build muscle (thus re-composing your body make up) and end up with a different fat-muscle ratio. That might mean that you stay at the heavier weight - but you would LOOK like you had lost those 10 pounds, if that makes sense. And, unless you are really tiny, 1450 is probably not enough food for your body. Try the Scooby calculator or the health-calc - then use those as an estimate to find what the best intake for YOU might be.0 -
I'm a little nervous about eating more calories, even though I know I probably should be. I'm eating about 400 calories below TDEE right now. I don't need to lose weight, but would like to lose a little more BF and put some more muscle on.
Tell me it will be ok! :O
I'm about 17% BF right now according to the handheld thing. Every single time I use it it's the same number, and I'm in my 3rd week of SL (3rd month of lifting heavyish). I have had great results in the last couple of months - I've lost a few pounds, more definition, inches lost (although my jeans are tighter in the thighs). Anyway I'm just having a hard time mentally accepting the fact that I won't gain weight eating more calories!!
17% BF is really low for a girl, why do you want to lose more? You will struggle to put on muscle while in a big deficit like that. You probably need to assess what your priorities are, and how much putting on weight will freak you out.
I'd like to add more muscle - I'm thinking that number may be low but who knows. I have a smallish frame and know I can lose a little more fat, and I'd LOVE to actually have visible shoulder muscles! I know they are there hiding somewhere! I think I'll up the calories a little bit and see what happens.
Hi
I'm a noob so can't help much, but I did just watch a YouTube video with Nia Shanks saying that the first time she thought her shoulder development was what she would like was when she started learning to do hand stand push ups. She also has videos on how to work up to it.
From what I've read she advocates similar beginning programs for heavy lifting like 5x5 and starting strenghth and is very highly regarded for her simple and no bs ideas about how to train to "lift like a girl"0 -
Hi
I'm a noob so can't help much, but I did just watch a YouTube video with Nia Shanks saying that the first time she thought her shoulder development was what she would like was when she started learning to do hand stand push ups. She also has videos on how to work up to it.
From what I've read she advocates similar beginning programs for heavy lifting like 5x5 and starting strenghth and is very highly regarded for her simple and no bs ideas about how to train to "lift like a girl"
I just went to her website and watched a few videos - thanks!
Kirabob - True. I have added about 200 calories for the past couple of days so it's probably too soon to tell (but I swear I had an easier time squatting this morning...). Yeah I don't care about the scale so we'll see. Oddly enough I dropped over 1 # in weight but 2 days is not really an indicator of anything.0 -
I just checked this, and it says on a typical day I burn about 3,000 calories (not including exercise or lifting). Which means that my goal of 1650 is very low, and also explains why I am having difficulty only eating 1600 calories. Maybe I will up it to 1800 and see what happens. I have gained 5 pounds since I started lifting back at the beginning of Sept, but my size hasn't changed. I don't think it is all muscle as my mid section looks thicker to me, but my shoulders are quite large now and my butt is higher and less squishy. (my stats are 39yo, 185 pounds and 5'7") I am eating probably an extra 500-100 calories a day. I thought I was just lacking willpower...because I don't have enough to feel guilty about.have you tried this one? http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced0 -
I just checked this, and it says on a typical day I burn about 3,000 calories (not including exercise or lifting). Which means that my goal of 1650 is very low, and also explains why I am having difficulty only eating 1600 calories. Maybe I will up it to 1800 and see what happens. I have gained 5 pounds since I started lifting back at the beginning of Sept, but my size hasn't changed. I don't think it is all muscle as my mid section looks thicker to me, but my shoulders are quite large now and my butt is higher and less squishy. (my stats are 39yo, 185 pounds and 5'7") I am eating probably an extra 500-100 calories a day. I thought I was just lacking willpower...because I don't have enough to feel guilty about.have you tried this one? http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced
Yeah, at 185, you need a LOT more fuel. I'm 170, and I maintain at 2500. 2500. That's 900 more calories than you are eating now. I lift for 30-45 minutes 4 times a week, and do about an hour of cardio total for the week. I'm also a SAHM, so pretty active. The health-calc puts me at 2700, but I found that I gained (very slowly, but still gain) at that intake - most likely that's due to the fact that I eyeball everything instead of weighing (so the error is on my end, not the calculators end). I lowered it to 2500, and voila, no more gain. My body is changing shape, my lifting progresses well, and I am never hungry, unless it is time to eat. Of ALL the diets/food changes/lifestyle changes I have ever tried - eating enough to fuel my activity is the ONE AND ONLY thing that has helped me stop bingeing and feel like food is my friend, not my enemy. I know my solution is not going to be comfortable for everyone - but I feel like it's important to put it out there - that sometimes what you need is to give your body MORE fuel, not less.
Some weight gain is natural when you start lifting - your muscles are fueled by glycogen, and glycogen has to be stored in water - so if you start demanding work from your muscles, they will start storing water and glycogen. I have actually found the scale to only be useful to determine intake while lifting. Pictures, your clothes and a measuring tape will be much more accurate reflections of your progress. For instance - last month I stayed the same weight, lost nothing off my waist - but my thighs? Down 1" - each of them. And they are pretty much all muscle now. I had to buy new jeans because the shape of my thighs and butt has changed (in a good way) such that my old jeans kept falling down.
One last thought (sorry, I had a HUGE coffee today, so wordy) - It's important to remember that our bodies are much like pools: When you drain a pool, it loses water from all over, but the deep end will always be the last to empty. We all have a 'deep end' on our bodies - for me it's my waist. That will be the last place I lose any fat I don't need. Once I realized that, I was able to see all the other points of progress my body and lifts were showing.0 -
That's its right there!!! Trial and error to find that sweet spot!!^^That's the one I prefer - but you can't fudge anything. And it's also important to remember that it will just give you an estimate. You'll have to play around with how much is enough, and how much is not enough, and how much is too much. If you aren't trying to lose weight, then by all means try to find your TDEE and stay there - it makes lifting SO much more fun. A good way to find your TDEE is to estimate the number, track for a week or two, see if things are going up/down/staying the same, and then do tiny adjustments from there (like adding or subtracting only 100 calories).0
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Great analogy with the pool!! Love it!!0
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I actually got the analogy from a friend in another forum - but it really makes it all make sense, doesn't it?0
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have you tried this one? http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced
wow this one gives my TDEE as a lot higher than any other calculator.0
