Need help- TDEE Calorie ?'s

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enzosmama
enzosmama Posts: 134 Member
in Getting Started
Here are my stats:
Female
35 years
5'6"
260 lbs
desk job

Using the TDEE estimator at http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html my TDEE is 2920 (I entered 10 hrs resting, 11 hrs very light, 2 hrs light, 1 hr moderate activity- being conservative here so as not to over estimate)

If I set my calorie goal at TDEE -20% that brings me to 2336 calories/day. Assuming the above activity levels and that I don't have mroe activity in my day than that.

Now, same stats in MFP (female, 35 years, 5'6", 260 lbs, sedentary) plus 3 workouts at 45 min each per week, set to lose 2 lbs/week. MFP has me at 1360 calories.

I DO understand the difference b/w MFP's method and TDEE as with MFP you "eat back" your fitness calories. But on a GOOD day I burn around 400 calories with exercise. So that would bring me to 1760 calories according to MFP.

That's an almost 600 calorie/day difference between the two. 2336 calories SCARES the bejesus out of me. That seems like too high and I just don't believe I can lose weight at that intake.

Talk me off the ledge here- right now 1360 feels too low. And I get that I can increase that by changing my loss goal from 2 lbs to 1.5 lbs/week with MFP. But at 260 with a goal weight of 150 right now I DO want to lose 2 lbs/week. But 2336 seriously scares me.

Can I get some feedback on this? Is 2336 a realistic caloric intake for someone of my height/weight to lose 2 lbs a week? Should I just take the average of the two and shoot for that? I'd like to start tracking macros so I want to be sure my caloric intake is set accurately... but this just feels super high.

Replies

  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
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    I honestly don't think it's possible to lose weight having 2336 calories a day. That really is way too high.

    I'm hearing around here 1400-1600 is the norm for a healthy weight loss.
  • fvtfan
    fvtfan Posts: 126 Member
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    My only thought is that you say 2 hours of moderate activity - that is pretty high - do you exercise that much every day? Most of my exercise I consider light unless I am really sweating it out and I would never be able to do 2 hours a day.
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,525 Member
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    Unless you have a physical job, you estimated too much activity. I am a teacher, and so I am on my feet part of the day. I still only consider my activity level as light, including exercise. (I burn about 200-300 cals most days in exercise).

    I would run the numbers again, and be very honest, maybe even a bit more conservative. Then take a 250-500 calorie deficit.

    But for me, using MFP set for 1/2 lb loss worked.
  • enzosmama
    enzosmama Posts: 134 Member
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    Sorry, correction- 1 hour of moderate activity!
  • fvtfan
    fvtfan Posts: 126 Member
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    Maybe try a couple of other calculators and take an average:

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
  • shortnsassy1981
    shortnsassy1981 Posts: 154 Member
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    I fully believe in eating as much as I can and still losing. I eat between 1650 and 1800 calories with the same activity as you. But I am 205 and 5ft tall. I would start around 2000-2200 for a couple of weeks. As long as the scale is showing a downward trend, I would eat away lol. As your weight decreases, you will need less intake. I usually drop 100 calories at a time around the 10-15 lb loss marker. Best wishes on your new journey!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    For the 2 posters above, you don't understand TDEE method nor that site if you didn't look, that's all I can say.
    And there is not a calorie level you must eat at to lose weight - you must merely eat less than you burn to lose weight. If you burn 3000 calories a day, and if you weigh a bit and exercise that ain't hard to eat - then you could eat 2000 and lose 2 lbs weekly for a long while. So to 1400 being required - uh no.

    OP.

    While that is a great site to get a better estimate on TDEE, the issue is getting a true average daily.

    Use the spreadsheet on my profile page, which actually uses the same study details as that site uses, in a better activity calc that makes it easier.
    You may be close, but may not be depending on real daily activity.

    Stay on the Simple Setup and Progress tabs.
    Look at sample figures in yellow cells, change them to see how that changes things - then delete all the yellow cell data and enter your own stats.
    May look like a lot of info needed, until you actually read it, just your known stats, measurements if you got them to improve accuracy, and weekly breakdown of your time you already did.

    The difference between the methods - obviously MFP is using 1000 cal deficit based on your selection, and 20% is only about 600.
    Also, according to the TDEE entries, you should not use MFP Sedentary but Lightly Active, so that would actually increase MFP's goal too.

    The spreadsheet also will give an eating goal based on what your exercise really is, and amount to lose - all for the purpose of retaining muscle mass - so you don't have to repeat this again.

    So 2 lbs weekly could be reasonable for one heavy person for what they do, it may not be for another. At least to retain muscle mass.

    If you just want to lose weight and lose muscle and make this more difficult near the end, and perhaps make maintenance a failure, you can indeed be unreasonable.
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
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    I honestly don't think it's possible to lose weight having 2336 calories a day. That really is way too high.

    I'm hearing around here 1400-1600 is the norm for a healthy weight loss.

    It varies for every person, 1400-1600 might work for some but not others. OP's higher weight indicates a need for additional calories. I'd check into the TDEE method. I'm 5'5, 150 lbs and I eat 1700-1800 a day and am losing.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
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    I honestly don't think it's possible to lose weight having 2336 calories a day. That really is way too high.

    I'm hearing around here 1400-1600 is the norm for a healthy weight loss.

    It varies for every person, 1400-1600 might work for some but not others. OP's higher weight indicates a need for additional calories. I'd check into the TDEE method. I'm 5'5, 150 lbs and I eat 1700-1800 a day and am losing.

    Sorry - my bad. I'm still learning! It just seems like that's just sooooo many calories. I don't know if I'd ever have the time to eat 2300 calories unless I ate a whole pizza or something.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    I honestly don't think it's possible to lose weight having 2336 calories a day. That really is way too high.

    I'm hearing around here 1400-1600 is the norm for a healthy weight loss.

    It varies for every person, 1400-1600 might work for some but not others. OP's higher weight indicates a need for additional calories. I'd check into the TDEE method. I'm 5'5, 150 lbs and I eat 1700-1800 a day and am losing.

    Sorry - my bad. I'm still learning! It just seems like that's just sooooo many calories. I don't know if I'd ever have the time to eat 2300 calories unless I ate a whole pizza or something.
    or just real food. you know, avocado, nut butters, a handful of almonds...

    if you don't understand and if you're still learning, don't immediately throw out numbers.

    ask questions first.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    I honestly don't think it's possible to lose weight having 2336 calories a day. That really is way too high.

    I'm hearing around here 1400-1600 is the norm for a healthy weight loss.

    It IS possible - I'm doing it. Actually I'm losing on 2400 gross calories a day currently.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
    Options
    I honestly don't think it's possible to lose weight having 2336 calories a day. That really is way too high.

    I'm hearing around here 1400-1600 is the norm for a healthy weight loss.

    It varies for every person, 1400-1600 might work for some but not others. OP's higher weight indicates a need for additional calories. I'd check into the TDEE method. I'm 5'5, 150 lbs and I eat 1700-1800 a day and am losing.



    Sorry - my bad. I'm still learning! It just seems like that's just sooooo many calories. I don't know if I'd ever have the time to eat 2300 calories unless I ate a whole pizza or something.
    or just real food. you know, avocado, nut butters, a handful of almonds...

    if you don't understand and if you're still learning, don't immediately throw out numbers.

    ask questions first.

    I'm starting to think that you have a personal issue with me....it's getting rather tedious.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
    Options
    I honestly don't think it's possible to lose weight having 2336 calories a day. That really is way too high.

    I'm hearing around here 1400-1600 is the norm for a healthy weight loss.

    It varies for every person, 1400-1600 might work for some but not others. OP's higher weight indicates a need for additional calories. I'd check into the TDEE method. I'm 5'5, 150 lbs and I eat 1700-1800 a day and am losing.



    Sorry - my bad. I'm still learning! It just seems like that's just sooooo many calories. I don't know if I'd ever have the time to eat 2300 calories unless I ate a whole pizza or something.
    or just real food. you know, avocado, nut butters, a handful of almonds...

    if you don't understand and if you're still learning, don't immediately throw out numbers.

    ask questions first.

    I'm starting to think that you have a personal issue with me....it's getting rather tedious.
    no issues with you. giving bad blanket advice on this forum is bad for everyone involved. sorry you're taking it personally.
  • skinnyD2308
    skinnyD2308 Posts: 92 Member
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    I started at 211 and set myfitnesspal setting to maintain weight, then set my macros to 40% carbs, 30%protein, 30% fat, and then I just set myself a goal of eating under my maintenance goal thinking that the weight would come off more slowly, but I would also not be gaining more weight. My start calories were around 2000 calories a day - some days I would eat 1500 calories and feel satisfied and some day I would eat at the maintenance limit to feel satisfied. I've been logging for just over 100 days (just over 3 months) and I am down 18 pounds - no starvation! Yay!

    THEN I read the community forums that talk about TDEE, my weight loss slowed down in August, due in part to vacation and going for my calories on quite a few days (but I still tracked it). Once I calculated my TDEE, I realized the reason I was losing while eating pretty close to MFP maintainance settings. I have since customized my settings and have worked out a new food plan to eat at my TDEE-20%, but I still allow for some flexibility to eat up to my TDEE maintenance calories for 1 day on the weekend and on days where I am truly hungry. I'm looking for a lifestyle change, not rapid weightloss, so this works for me. Give yourself time, eat somewhere between 1600 - 2200 for the first couple of weeks, track everything, and measure the strategy against your results -if you are losing weight and not deperately hungry all the time, then you know you're doing it right. If you are not loosing weight, cut another 100-200 calories to keep the scale moving down. Use you food diary, exercise diary, scale, and measurements as logs to figure out what's working and what's not, and you'll figure out how to eat in a way that is enjoyable, sustainable, and promotes your health goals!

    Good luck on your journey!

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