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Can I get a sanity check? Calorie goal-

enzosmama
enzosmama Posts: 134 Member
edited March 1 in Food and Nutrition
Ok, I read the sexypants post (General Weightloss Help board) on calculating TDEE etc. So based on the information I entered using a TDEE calculator (http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html) my calorie goal is about 600 calories off from what MFP is setting me at. Can I get a sanity check here? I am wondering if I'm not eating enough calories...

Here's my stats:
Female, age 35. Height 5'6". Current weight is 264.2. Goal weight is 150 lbs. BMI is currently 43.
I estimated my activity levels as follows:
Resting- 9 hours
Very Light- 12 hours
Light- 2 hours
Moderate- 1 hour

I'm getting a TDEE of 2986 (BMR- 1937, Activity- 1049). If I assume a 25% reduction in calories that puts me at 2240.

Setting my goal on MFP of losing 1.5 lbs/week and burning 1310 calories/week through activity (3 45 minute workouts weekly, which is really on the low end as most weeks I'm getting in 4 45-60 minute workouts) MFP is giving me a calorie goal of 1640.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • centaurizoe
    centaurizoe Posts: 115 Member
    Sounds right to me...
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Choose a method, TDEE or MFP.... They should work out pretty much the same anyway once you eat back exercise cals if you use MFP method.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Just to keep in mind, MFP is based off the NEAT method - which means you eat your exercise calories back.

    TDEE method includes exercise calories, which is why you'll see people logging exercises as 1 cal burns so they don't double dip.
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
    I ran your numbers with a height of 5'5" (just an average guess, as you didn't provide your height) and came up with 1940 as a 25% cut off a lightly active TDEE calculation and 2187 as a 25% cut off a moderately active TDEE

    If your BMR is 19xx, you don't want to eat below that. MFP tends to underestimate, so realistically, you'd probably be fine eating around 2000 calories a day.
  • enzosmama
    enzosmama Posts: 134 Member
    I ran your numbers with a height of 5'5" (just an average guess, as you didn't provide your height) and came up with 1940 as a 25% cut off a lightly active TDEE calculation and 2187 as a 25% cut off a moderately active TDEE

    If your BMR is 19xx, you don't want to eat below that. MFP tends to underestimate, so realistically, you'd probably be fine eating around 2000 calories a day.
    Thank you- realized I forgot to add my height which is 5'6"
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
    I ran your numbers with a height of 5'5" (just an average guess, as you didn't provide your height) and came up with 1940 as a 25% cut off a lightly active TDEE calculation and 2187 as a 25% cut off a moderately active TDEE

    If your BMR is 19xx, you don't want to eat below that. MFP tends to underestimate, so realistically, you'd probably be fine eating around 2000 calories a day.
    Thank you- realized I forgot to add my height which is 5'6"

    no problem.

    Ran it again with your age and came up with TDEE of 2631 for lightly active and 2966 for moderately active.Based on what you said about your activity habits, I took the midpoint of those numbers (2798) and cut 25% off it for a total calorie intake goal of 2099. You get a whole 99 calories more for being an inch taller than I guessed! :laugh:

    (remember with this method, you do NOT eat back calories; exercise calories are included in the activity level)
This discussion has been closed.

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