Understanding TDEE

^
What HappyCampr1 said.

OTOH, a 3000 calorie TDEE? What kind of mongrel workouts did you punch into the calculator?

http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/

I like to use this calculator.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

^ Good reference for you

Why don't you just use the MFP guidelines to begin with? If you have 82 pounds to lose you can keep the goal at 2 pounds a week for a while, I think. To net 1460 you will enter your exercise efforts and MFP will calculate calories. Most people claim that MFP gives you too many calories, as much as twice as much as you have actually burned though. So plan accordingly. This way on days you do not exercise you will eat 1460 and on days you exercise you may get a couple hundred calories more. Try it for a month and see how it goes.

I learned that once I became more experienced with weighing foods, logging accurately and moving more, I was able to eat more even when MFP adjusted a lower calorie amount because I've lost weight. I also learned, thanks to wearing a Fitbit, that I do not burn the same amount of calories every day. Fitbit automatically adjusts my MFP calorie goal based on my activity and I do eat my calories back (well, most of them) and have been losing accordingly. Net calories work, IMO.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide

Happy camper1 - that is the best explanation I heard.