TDEE activity level question

Personally I would put 5 times a week. Maybe even 4 depending on how intense they are.

Is that cardio HIIT? It depends on how intense the cardio session is.
Strength workouts as in weight lifting?
If what you are doing is 15 minutes of HIIT (that is RPE +8) combined with weight lifting I would definitely go for 6 days.

That's why that's such a flaky TDEE calc, even though they are not using the 1919 Harris study TDEE table, but not sure what they use since they usually come in very low compared to any others.

So is 3 days of 2 hr bike rides the same as 3 days of walking for 45 min?

Obviously not, but where is that difference in their calc?

And why exercise daily with a physical job as option? What if you have physical job and workout 3 x weekly?

Such a strange TDEE calc for claiming in their write up to get your exact TDEE.

And as you mentioned, even 1 hr of walking doesn't match 1 hr of running doesn't match 1 hr of lifting.

I'd underestimate. Maybe 4 days. If you lose too much you can adjust next month.

Go with three days a week or don't list it at all and see how you feel.

I like Fat2Fit radio's TDEE calculator -20%.

Except their TDEE calculator, if you really input a goal weight, is giving you your TDEE using goal weight, not current weight.
If you want current weight TDEE to then take 20% off, you need to enter current weight as goal weight.
I also dislike that they help you get your bodyfat %, let you enter it, report the Katch BMR based on it - but the TDEE table does NOT use it at all.
Why have potential for something more accurate, and then not use it. (I do know why actually, they have to)

Scooby, fitnessfrog, bunch of others, all use the same Harris study from 1919.

The difference is how they divide the time or comment on it, days a week, hrs a week, ect, since it literally was a formula, to make it easier.

Or you could just plug the number of hours you workout into the same formula, and skip the 5 rough levels all together.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1018768-better-rough-estimate-of-tdee-than-5-level-chart

pick a number. log everything. religiously. accurately. for at LEAST 6 weeks. Weigh yourself and check for a trend. If you lose, then you've found your deficit. If you don't lose, you've found your tdee. If you gain, well then.. look at how much you've gained and adjust accordingly.

you can visit every single calculator out there... it won't matter until YOU test it yourself.

^^^This.

Weight loss takes a whole lot of trial & error to find what works for you. Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Google Percival Hackworth. He has a page at gainsandguns.com. He made an excel spreadsheet you can download. Plug all your data into it and it will be giving you all three versions of BMR and TDEE.

Of you can do what Jamie Eason does. Your ideal weight x 10 and then add 500 - 800 calories per day if you are quite active. I looked that up while mentoring someone who was looking for advice and it's a good easy method.


~2900 seems ludicrously high? I'm 50 years-old male and my TDEE is 3100.

I'm 35 6' tall 186 pounds small framed with a lean mass of around 135. Figure my BMR at about 1700 to 1800. I work out about 40 to 50 min 6 times a week other than which I am doing desk work. Figured my TDEE to be closer to 2400 than 2900 and my experience thusfar seems to match although I need more time for more data. Aiming for a 600 to 700 calorie deficit not a 1100 cal one.

Google Percival Hackworth. He has a page at gainsandguns.com. He made an excel spreadsheet you can download. Plug all your data into it and it will be giving you all three versions of BMR and TDEE.

Of you can do what Jamie Eason does. Your ideal weight x 10 and then add 500 - 800 calories per day if you are quite active. I looked that up while mentoring someone who was looking for advice and it's a good easy method.


~2900 seems ludicrously high? I'm 50 years-old male and my TDEE is 3100.

I'm 35 6' tall 186 pounds small framed with a lean mass of around 135. Figure my BMR at about 1700 to 1800. I work out about 40 to 50 min 6 times a week other than which I am doing desk work. Figured my TDEE to be closer to 2400 than 2900 and my experience thusfar seems to match although I need more time for more data.

You may want to run your numbers on a better calculator. I'm 10 years older than you, a woman, and I don't work out nearly that much, and I maintain at 2600. You're probably close to having a TDEE of 3200+.

That calc tells me my TDEE is 2900 which seems ludicrously high.

Compared to?

Compared to my personal ezperience with my current intake at which I feel satiated. MFP has me at 1520 cal net a day (I eat back my exercise cals to my estimate of expenditure). I was thinking my TDEE was closer to 2400 and I typically take in 1800 . I dont think in reality im at a 1100 cal deficit based on how I feel and my results thusfar.

Sadly that's a bad sign actually.
You can affect your hormone levels such that signs of hunger are no longer honest indicators to go by.

You feeling full and your body being fully fed are 2 different things.

But go by the results indeed as you are, keeping track real well of eating levels.
Realizing initial water weight loss in first week can't be counted.
Realizing that if any muscle is getting burned off because of too great a deficit, it only provides 600 cal of energy, so easier to lose a lb of muscle than a lb of fat.
Realizing that while strength training can help retain muscle mass in the face of a deficit, there can easily be muscle that is not being used to the same degree, and if the body has to chose which to spend limited resources on, it ain't the least used.
Realizing that making strength gains while a noobie (6-12 months) is no indicator of eating enough.
Realizing that muscle showing through fat that is disappearing is no indicator the muscle is growing.

Just trying to hit all the potential comments above there, may have been overboard, but those are many of the common misunderstandings and myths.

If it's useful to the OP, info here or new thread may be useful.

I'm 35 6' tall 186 pounds small framed with a lean mass of around 135. Figure my BMR at about 1700 to 1800. I work out about 40 to 50 min 6 times a week other than which I am doing desk work. Figured my TDEE to be closer to 2400 than 2900 and my experience thusfar seems to match although I need more time for more data. Aiming for a 600 to 700 calorie deficit not a 1100 cal one.

You are correct if that LBM estimate is really close, in fact BMR closer to the 1700 side, which is indeed below the average for your age, height, weight.
So that would make a smaller TDEE compared to others.

But not by that much.

What are your workouts for 40-50 min 6x weekly?

Might try the spreadsheet on my profile page for best estimates of BF% (in case you don't have, BMR (based on that), and more detailed activity assessment for better TDEE estimate.

Thank you for your comments they are appreciated and are not overload. I started posting about this in my own thread TDEE Doubts. Hope to see you there.