WHAT does the TDEE even include?

Your TDEE is 1337.
It doesn't matter if it's a+b+c or x+y+z
Forget where those 58 cals fit as it just plain doesn't matter and is just adding to your anxiety.

Your TDEE is 1337 because that is what you have been eating to maintain your weight. It really is that simple.

The above quoted is the answer to your question.

Keep eating 1337 each day. If in another month you've gained another pound, start eating 1300 each day. If in a couple months after that you have lost a few pounds, try eating 1315 each day.

TDEE = calories needed to maintain your weight. Period. With TDEE, you don't need to track calories burned by exercise. It is already taken into account.

Your TDEE is composed of many things you will NEVER nail down exactly like you want to nail down that 58 calories for walking - which is frankly probably wrong.

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is composed of -

BMR - you can't measure that, you could get an RMR test which is higher than BMR, and that frankly changes through out the day - and for you throughout the month as a woman.

NEAT - non-exercise activity of which your walking was probably part of, and fidgeting, making food, brushing teeth, ect. You'll never be able to measure all that.

TEF - calories burned processing food you eat, changes with the macro composition of the food and how much you eat. You'll never be able to measure that.

EAT - exercise calories you purposely set out to do. You could get this measured on treadmill and bike, but it'll change depending on your effort at any 1 time.

And that's why no one can answer your question - because your question cannot be answered the way you think it can or should be answered.

What is known though was pointed out very clearly in the math above.
If that whole 2 lbs really was fat, then TDEE was as given. If some water (as you've seen that fluctuates) and only 1 lb fat, then that was given.

You can NOT discern the other parts of that like you want to.

Yes, that walking if exercise was part of EAT. If that was totally new walking compared to what you have done the last month, then you burned some extra calories and your TDEE has gone up compared to prior average.

If that was walking part of normal average day, and this is just your first chance to see how much that happens to burn, than that was part of NEAT. A NEAT level you've already had, whether you knew about it or not.

If this was increased movement through the day because the pedometer got you to move more, then again, your NEAT is higher than average from past month, as is your TDEE higher too compared to prior average.

And correct, if you gained 2 lbs then your NEAT and EAT went up ever so slightly for moving an extra 2 lbs around.
Your BMR went up maybe 5 calories.
But it will never offset what increased eating would continue to do - cause weight gain.

Your TDEE is composed of many things you will NEVER nail down exactly like you want to nail down that 58 calories for walking - which is frankly probably wrong.

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is composed of -

BMR - you can't measure that, you could get an RMR test which is higher than BMR, and that frankly changes through out the day - and for you throughout the month as a woman.

NEAT - non-exercise activity of which your walking was probably part of, and fidgeting, making food, brushing teeth, ect. You'll never be able to measure all that.

TEF - calories burned processing food you eat, changes with the macro composition of the food and how much you eat. You'll never be able to measure that.

EAT - exercise calories you purposely set out to do. You could get this measured on treadmill and bike, but it'll change depending on your effort at any 1 time.

And that's why no one can answer your question - because your question cannot be answered the way you think it can or should be answered.



What is known though was pointed out very clearly in the math above.
If that whole 2 lbs really was fat, then TDEE was as given. If some water (as you've seen that fluctuates) and only 1 lb fat, then that was given.

You can NOT discern the other parts of that like you want to.

Yes, that walking if exercise was part of EAT. If that was totally new walking compared to what you have done the last month, then you burned some extra calories and your TDEE has gone up compared to prior average.

If that was walking part of normal average day, and this is just your first chance to see how much that happens to burn, than that was part of NEAT. A NEAT level you've already had, whether you knew about it or not.

If this was increased movement through the day because the pedometer got you to move more, then again, your NEAT is higher than average from past month, as is your TDEE higher too compared to prior average.

Read heybales in his entirety; get his spreadsheet; and a thread is a public entity; it isn't your thread....next caller.

The conventional thinking is that a pound of weight is 3,500 calories. You would have to eat 3,500 calories over your TDEE in a week to gain a pound. 3,500 divided by 7 days is 500 calories per day. Half a pound would be 250 a day.

Again, your TDEE isn't going to be exactly the same every day, but if you look at weeks and months of data, you can begin to see trends.

The conventional thinking is that a pound of weight is 3,500 calories. You would have to eat 3,500 calories over your TDEE in a week to gain a pound. 3,500 divided by 7 days is 500 calories per day. Half a pound would be 250 a day.

Again, your TDEE isn't going to be exactly the same every day, but if you look at weeks and months of data, you can begin to see trends.

firstly, you are simply restating things other people have said before. second, that isn't new knowledge to me. third...what are you getting at? i don't understand how this comment helps at all.

I want to know if 1337 is my real TDEE or on most days would it be WAY lower...

look...today I burned only 58 cals walking, i don't even know if it took into account my bmr or what...otherwise i do NOTHING all day. so i think my TDEE must be way lower. thats where the fear is. i don't even feel hungry enough to eat 1337 cals a day. i do so little. i don't want to have gained 2 pounds and KEEP gaining it

I don't understand where your confusion is. You are making this way too complicated. If you gain weight every week, then eat less or move more.

If you burned 58 calories walking today, but you normally do NOTHING, then if you did that every day, you would lose almost a pound. 58 x 7 = 406 calories.

Your TDEE is composed of many things you will NEVER nail down exactly like you want to nail down that 58 calories for walking - which is frankly probably wrong.

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is composed of -

BMR - you can't measure that, you could get an RMR test which is higher than BMR, and that frankly changes through out the day - and for you throughout the month as a woman.

NEAT - non-exercise activity of which your walking was probably part of, and fidgeting, making food, brushing teeth, ect. You'll never be able to measure all that.

TEF - calories burned processing food you eat, changes with the macro composition of the food and how much you eat. You'll never be able to measure that.

EAT - exercise calories you purposely set out to do. You could get this measured on treadmill and bike, but it'll change depending on your effort at any 1 time.

And that's why no one can answer your question - because your question cannot be answered the way you think it can or should be answered.

What is known though was pointed out very clearly in the math above.
If that whole 2 lbs really was fat, then TDEE was as given. If some water (as you've seen that fluctuates) and only 1 lb fat, then that was given.

You can NOT discern the other parts of that like you want to.

Yes, that walking if exercise was part of EAT. If that was totally new walking compared to what you have done the last month, then you burned some extra calories and your TDEE has gone up compared to prior average.

If that was walking part of normal average day, and this is just your first chance to see how much that happens to burn, than that was part of NEAT. A NEAT level you've already had, whether you knew about it or not.

If this was increased movement through the day because the pedometer got you to move more, then again, your NEAT is higher than average from past month, as is your TDEE higher too compared to prior average.

And correct, if you gained 2 lbs then your NEAT and EAT went up ever so slightly for moving an extra 2 lbs around.
Your BMR went up maybe 5 calories.
But it will never offset what increased eating would continue to do - cause weight gain.

Your answer was probably most helpful...from what i can take away from this...

1. I'll never be able to accurately have a set TDEE

2. Apparently at 1337 my TDEE is close enough to NOT equate to long term weight gain (right?)

3. I'm not gonna gain at 1337 because the apparent 63 extra calories a day are burned elsewhere in my TDEE?

4. Those 53 cals are PART of my TDEE as a whole, but not my whole TDEE

Am i getting this?

You got it.

As you comment, some days lazier than others, so TDEE literally is lower. Some days busier, so TDEE is literally higher.

You can't measure that finely, nor can you with logging food either. So you must take valid data points over a decent period of time to tell from results what must be happening.

Valid weigh-in - day after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.

Since you comment you rarely do much, that sodium difference is the only kicker for you. Normal, not high prior day which would give false water weight gain, not lower than normal or false water weight loss.
Your 2 lbs could have been totally related to that, 1 lb is nothing to achieve by different sodium level.

So if the 2lbs was valid, I think that was like 60 calories less each day. That could be attempted to be that exact.
And if you eat that much for a month and nothing changes, it was correct, and you'd have to eat less to lose it.
If you lose the 2lbs, you adjust back up.

That's why goal weight should always be a 5 lb range, otherwise it's too exact to do much about over a long time. For you, perhaps 3 lb range.

http://imgur.com/xo753pZ

For instance, this is the exercise I've had today with sleep. Now why does this TDEE calculator go so much higher than 1337? And how do I know how many calories I burn laughing, walking, etc?

You will never be able to know the exact number of calories you burn in one day. You have very clearly found your TDEE because your weight has stayed relitivly the same for 4 months. If you are worried that much about it, weigh yourself everyday and if you are constantly going up without going down, try to lower your intake slightly. As far as your new app that is counting your steps, unless you are going out of your way to include extra steps in your day, those 68 calories are PART (not all) of your TDEE. Hope that helps

I agree with others you are WAY overcomplicating this, especially for 58 calories per day. My suggestion would be to take the time you have spent obsessing over this number, and the time you have spent thinking that people are criticizing you on the internet and go for another walk to burn another 58 calories or so... and then you can eat more food!

Since you seem to want absolutes, here are a couple for you:

Your TDEE will fluctuate every single day. As people have said, the walk you took, working (even if at a desk), getting up to go to the bathroom, standing at the stove to make your dinner, getting in arguments with people on the internet, and banging your head against your desk in frustration because people don't seem to understand what you are asking are all included in your TDEE FOR TODAY. Tomorrow, if you do other stuff, like suddenly decide you want to take up tennis - then your TDEE tomorrow will be different. If you do relatively similar activities every single day, then you can come up with an average TDEE. But the best way to figure it out is to pick a number you think is close, eat at that level, if you stay the same, that's your average TDEE. If you lose, you are not eating enough. If you gain, take some calories off. Everyone has given you plenty of math formulas to calculate what you need if you want to revise.

The other absolute is that your weight is going to fluctuate. Most people who successfully maintain do so by having an acceptable range for their weight. 1-2 lbs is a very narrow range - a lot of people allow up to 5 lbs fluctuation in maintenance.

Good Luck.

well if 5 pounds is maintaining, i understand why it is an estimate. just to me, personally, 5 lbs is revealing on me and i don't wanna have an extra 5 pounds on my body. it goes right to my face. -_- at least you guys don't have the excessive worry that i do right now. I've been online for 3 hours and this is the first day of my summer vacation. i hate obsessing, but i can't help but wonder and wonder and wonder and wonder and wonder :sad:

do you think if i keep eating the 1337 i will gain? or would you say that 2 lbs in 4 months is likely sodium?

2 pounds could be from the sodium, it could be from other normal female fluctuations. I fluctuate +/- 5 pounds from water weight. I know it is not real pounds because I did not eat 3,500 or 7,000 or more over maintenance.

people get way to hung up on trying to work out there TDEE and BMr, the fact is that it will fluctuate each day and your never going to be able to measure it accurately tre are just to many variables.

Set a calorie goal and eat that amount of calories for 2 weeks. If after two weeks you have gained weight you are eating above your TDEE if you have lost weight you are eating below it. if you loose more then a pound then increase what you are eating, if you gain weight then decrease what you are eating . Then keep repeatingthis cycle

This is the best info on this thread, I think. Pick a number. Eat that number, accurately, for two weeks. Did you lose, gain, or stay the same? Adjust from there.

Okay, next question, why are you so fearful of gaining any weight, since you are already about 20 pounds below the low end of healthy for a small framed 5'2" woman?

This, along with your obsessing about the numbers tells me you may not have an entirely healthy relationship with food.

ok, next answer, I explained this in this thread right at the start. i had to have surgeries when i was a kid because my kidneys were all messed up due to diet. i had several large kidney stones due to sodium issues as well, and then i was morbidly obese for, oh, idk, my whole childhood, and had high cholesterol at age 15. so when i turned 18 and moved out of my parents house, i took action and lost all the crap weight. hows that?

I'd say you overdid it and should work to bring it into healthy range and find some balance.