TDEE HELP!!

bethanimal4
bethanimal4 Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For those of you that use the TDEE method, I need some help figuring this out. I did hydrostatic body fat testing for the first time this weekend and was pleasantly surprised by the results. I'm appx 118 pounds (give or take a pound based on the day – water weight) and 11.4% body fat with a lean body mass of appx 104 pounds. The report was pretty detailed and also listed my BMR as 1540.

I tried to use this new information to figure out a more accurate TDEE so I can properly set my goals to maintain/only lose fat (I plan to be retested in a few months) The problem is, all these calculators I've seen referenced here give me a lower BMR than was reported at the time of my test, so now I'm just really confused. Is there a calculator anyone knows of where I can enter my body fat percentage AND the BMR information I've been given? Any help/explanation would be very appreciated!

Replies

  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Your reports did not come with a est TDEE? Also as I, look at my bod pod results, it say TDEE is BMR(RMR) x daily activity level. I think you are able to google the average multiplier for levels.
  • bethanimal4
    bethanimal4 Posts: 41 Member
    nope, no RMR or TDEE. i did hydrostatic and not bod pod.. does that make a difference?
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Interesting. well BMR and RMR are basically the same thing. Resting metabolic rate Basal metabolic rate.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    You can try http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/, which lets you input body fat, calibration, and try a couple of different calculations to find the model that most closely approximates your body.

    Not knowing your age or height, it's hard to say, but it looks like the report you got may have been using the Cunningham model, which uses lean body mass instead of total weight to calculate. Play around with it and then, most importantly, track your own calorie intake and weight loss for a few weeks to gauge.
  • paxbfl
    paxbfl Posts: 391 Member
    First of all, congrats on your progress so far. To lose over 60 pounds and be at 11% body fat is awesome (for a woman especially).

    This calculator allows you to input your body fat % but when I tried to do it for you, I got a BMR of 1303. But give it a shot.

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

    Also check out this site with photos of men and women at various body fat %s. For a woman, 11% is low. Definitely probably looking at maintenance at this point. Maybe shift focus more to lifting to build muscle mass and work on toning.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/

    One last thing... I'd also recommend setting a goal, sticking to it, and then watching to see what your weight does. Wait a few weeks and then adjust as needed. That's probably a more effective way to maintain than using the calculators anyway. Good luck!
  • bethanimal4
    bethanimal4 Posts: 41 Member
    @paxbfl thank you! but i'm not totally convinced my results are even accurate. and the photo you linked to (and others like it) is one of the main reasons. I went into the test estimating my BF% around 16-18% based on these photos. I understand that bodies are built differently, and I am very muscular and strong, but I look nothing like the woman listed in my range. Just take a look at my profile photo. Currently, I only do yoga (albeit very regularly) and occasional weekend hiking. That woman clearly lifts, and heavy.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    First of all, just wanted to reiterate paxbfl's point of your BF% already being in the essential body fat range for women. If you want to build more muscle mass, that's one thing but I wouldn't think losing more fat would be a good idea. At least not without physician's approval. Please refer to the link provided above for more information.

    Second, here are some TDEE multiplies that might help. I've seen other instances where the "times per week" is translated to hours for the same multiplier.

    Little or No Exercise (sedentary): TDEE = 1.2 x BMR
    Light Exercise/Sports 1 to 3 Times Per Week: TDEE = 1.375 x BMR
    Moderate Exercise, Sports 3 to 5 Times Per Week: TDEE = 1.55 x BMR
    Heavy Exercise, Sports 6 to 7 Times Per Week: TDEE = 1.725 x BMR
    Very heavy exercise (e.g., physical job; training 2x/day): TDEE = 1.9 x BMR





  • bethanimal4
    bethanimal4 Posts: 41 Member
    @minnieinmaine thanks for the reply! I should've clarified that my goal isn't really to lose any more weight, just to make sure that any weight lost isn't from my LBM. my primary goal is to maintain at this point, and I'm confused as to why my BMR listed in the report is higher than all the other calculators I've found online. What other factors can affect my BMR? I'm also a little concerned about the legitimacy of my results as I mentioned earlier because I don't look like any of the "example" photos of women I've seen in my BF% range.
  • bethanimal4
    bethanimal4 Posts: 41 Member
    @segacs thanks for the reply! scooby's workshop is one of the ones I'd been looking at, as I found it on a forum here. I left the "calibration" section blank as I'm not really certain what it's for.

    And yes, I should've mentioned, so for the record:

    Height: 5'4.75"
    Age: 24
  • bethanimal4
    bethanimal4 Posts: 41 Member
    Also, I've always been fairly confused by all the "activity level" on all of these calculators. If, on average, I do about 10 hours of vinyasa yoga and around 5 miles of hiking weekly, what in the world do I set my activity level to? (for the TDEE calculators) all of the light/moderate/strenuous distinctions are so subjective!

    In the past, I've set my MFP account to sedentary (as I do have a desk job) and have logged all my exercise manually. I wanted to switch to the TDEE method, but now I think I'm just getting more confused.

    PS, I know I'm totally overthinking this, I just want more realistic goals without losing more weight, and these calculators have me overshooting my current intake of around 1700 by about 700 calories and that just seems like too much of a jump for me to be comfortable with.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    bethanimal4 wrote: »
    Also, I've always been fairly confused by all the "activity level" on all of these calculators. If, on average, I do about 10 hours of vinyasa yoga and around 5 miles of hiking weekly, what in the world do I set my activity level to? (for the TDEE calculators) all of the light/moderate/strenuous distinctions are so subjective!

    In the past, I've set my MFP account to sedentary (as I do have a desk job) and have logged all my exercise manually. I wanted to switch to the TDEE method, but now I think I'm just getting more confused.

    PS, I know I'm totally overthinking this, I just want more realistic goals without losing more weight, and these calculators have me overshooting my current intake of around 1700 by about 700 calories and that just seems like too much of a jump for me to be comfortable with.

    It makes sense you want to know what your maintenance should be. I have no idea what type yoga that is so I am not sure where you would place your activity level.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    If you have a higher lean mass than the typical person of your height/weight/age - then you'd have a higher BMR than the typical person also.

    From here though, its mainly trial and error. If you've been losing at 1700, increase by 200-300/day and assess after a few weeks.
  • bethanimal4
    bethanimal4 Posts: 41 Member
    @yopeeps025 thanks for the reply and thanks for your understanding. vinyasa yoga just means moving through yoga poses with the breath, but it can vary a lot from class to class so it's difficult to estimate.
  • bethanimal4
    bethanimal4 Posts: 41 Member
    @stacimarie1974 thanks for the reply, trial and error seems like the consensus.
  • bethanimal4
    bethanimal4 Posts: 41 Member
    does anyone have any suggestions for a macro mix as I increase calories? I had been maintaining a high protein count (averaging 1 gram per lb of body weight) to maintain muscle mass with my calorie deficit

    I'm beginning to think I should repost this in maintenance.
  • paxbfl
    paxbfl Posts: 391 Member
    I think you'll probably get the same answer in the maintenance forum, because it's the right answer. Increase your calories slightly while keeping your %s the same (make sure you keep your protein up to support your muscles). Then assess after a few weeks and see how it's going.

    I gained 10 pounds this year while supposedly in "maintenance". So after I lose that weight (AGAIN, sigh) I'm going to keep my maintenance levels a little lower to compensate for the occasional "bad days" which seem to be inevitable for me - especially when I'm in maintenance and trying not to be too hard on myself.

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