Do you trust the tdee calculators?
Famof72015
Posts: 393 Member
The tdee calculator So it says my maintenance calories are 2,052 and I should be eating 1552 for cutting. That seems like so many calories for my maintenance. 5'6 weight 134 age 35. Workout 5-6 hours a week and fitbit counts my steps averages between 10,000-17,000 a day. I'm scared to try it out at maintenance in fear of gaining so be kind with your replies. And I'm not at maintenance yet, would like to lose 5 more lbs. then I guess increase100 calories a week until 2000? Thanks!
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I have two different ones I have gotten from MFP and they are different by about 200 kcals. So it can be a bit frustrating I just go with the lower and monitor my progress.2
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My TDEE is about 200 calories higher than the calculators predicted for me. They can give a decent starting point for most people, but you'll want to adjust based on your real world results once you get to maintenance.7
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That's not that many calories. It sounds like you are too used to the idea that women have to eat tiny amounts of food to lose weight.15
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The calculators are just an estimate. So no I don't have 100% trust in them. That being said 1500 calories is not that much. Is the maintenance number you're getting from the web or your Fitbit?1
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amandacalories wrote: »The calculators are just an estimate. So no I don't have 100% trust in them. That being said 1500 calories is not that much. Is the maintenance number you're getting from the web or your Fitbit?
Web.
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And how does anyone know their real weight when water weight fluctuates my "real" weight all the time3
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Famof72015 wrote: »amandacalories wrote: »The calculators are just an estimate. So no I don't have 100% trust in them. That being said 1500 calories is not that much. Is the maintenance number you're getting from the web or your Fitbit?
Web.
What does your Fitbit tell you? It MIGHT be more accurate then a website. The only way to really know is through experience. If you're losing weight then it's working. You should be aiming for a small loss with only five pounds to go, no more then half a pound a week. When you increase calories even a small amount you will gain water weight so don't be shocked.
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2000 calories is a pretty average maintenance number. Yes, some will need a bit more or less, but even if it is high it's not likely high enough to cause a huge amount of weight gain in the month or so it will take to determine.2
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Famof72015 wrote: »And how does anyone know their real weight when water weight fluctuates my "real" weight all the time
You really just have to look at trends when you’re losing (or gaining) and then settle on a range when you’re in maintenance. If you’ve got enough data, you can probably flag your main water weight triggers and get a sense of about how big those fluctuations are. Set maintenance to allow for that range, and you should be good.0 -
Famof72015 wrote: »The tdee calculator So it says my maintenance calories are 2,052 and I should be eating 1552 for cutting. That seems like so many calories for my maintenance. 5'6 weight 134 age 35. Workout 5-6 hours a week and fitbit counts my steps averages between 10,000-17,000 a day. I'm scared to try it out at maintenance in fear of gaining so be kind with your replies. And I'm not at maintenance yet, would like to lose 5 more lbs. then I guess increase100 calories a week until 2000? Thanks!
All the calculators are just estimates, so you just have to pick a number, try it for 4-6 weeks to give your body a chance to settle in and go through a whole hormonal cycle, and tweak from there.
Having said that, considering your workout time and steps, 2000 doesn't sound high at all. I'm 44, 5'5 130, I don't work out as much as you and I do more like 8000 steps, and I maintain at 1700-1800.3 -
Famof72015 wrote: »And how does anyone know their real weight when water weight fluctuates my "real" weight all the time
At least pick a valid time to minimize known water weight fluctuations:
Morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.
And even then, you'll need a month of time to discern anything by the weight changes seen on valid days.2 -
Famof72015 wrote: »The tdee calculator So it says my maintenance calories are 2,052 and I should be eating 1552 for cutting. That seems like so many calories for my maintenance. 5'6 weight 134 age 35. Workout 5-6 hours a week and fitbit counts my steps averages between 10,000-17,000 a day. I'm scared to try it out at maintenance in fear of gaining so be kind with your replies. And I'm not at maintenance yet, would like to lose 5 more lbs. then I guess increase100 calories a week until 2000? Thanks!
Most on the web use the same tired old Harris (of the BMR fame) version from his 1919 study.
(later studies have shown better BMR calculations, and TDEE estimates)
The one that only mentions exercise, not daily activity.
Some sites use original "days" (so 3 days of 3 hrs each is the same as 3 days of 1 hr each?) for 5 levels to select from.
Some sites changed to "hours" (so 5 hrs of walking is same as 5 hrs of cross-country skiiing?) to select from.
And then since daily life isn't mentioned - it appears 2 men of equal age, weight, height doing 5 hrs weekly exercise have the same TDEE - even if one is a desk jockey and gamer at home nights & weekends, and one is a mailman with 2 kids.
Not.
While it's true you can wait some time and see how the calorie level you are eating is causing in weight change - for women it takes more than a month to figure out then, and if seasonal changes or life changes - back to figuring it out after observing for some time again.
Why not try to nail it best you can from the get go, and when changes occur?
Just TDEE Please spreadsheet - better than rough 5 level TDEE charts from 1919 study.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G7FgNzPq3v5WMjDtH0n93LXSMRY_hjmzNTMJb3aZSxM/edit?usp=sharing
And why are you attempting to estimate from 5 levels when you have an almost infinite level device that MFP is trying to correct itself to?0 -
TDEE calculators over-estimated my maintenance level by 10-15%.
Got estimates of 2200-2300 cals but found that I only needed 1800-1900 cals to maintain my weight at 158 (+/-5), which I've been doing for the past 12 months.
That was a 400-500 cal difference and it didn't take long to discover that the TDEE estimates were wrong.
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c. 2000 doesn't sound a lot at all to maintain with your stats and activity. That's a pretty average number and you seem more active than average.
You could use your own data rather than an estimate. The biggest advantage of that method is that it corrects for your logging inaccuracy.
Add up your total calories for last the 28 days, add 3500 for each pound lost in that four week period, divide by 28.
Don't be afraid - maintenance is great!
The same maths that have resulted in your weight loss work for maintenance and weight gain, you can't gain the weight you lost without a sustained period of overeating and not intervening.1 -
Famof72015 wrote: »The tdee calculator So it says my maintenance calories are 2,052 and I should be eating 1552 for cutting. That seems like so many calories for my maintenance. 5'6 weight 134 age 35. Workout 5-6 hours a week and fitbit counts my steps averages between 10,000-17,000 a day. I'm scared to try it out at maintenance in fear of gaining so be kind with your replies. And I'm not at maintenance yet, would like to lose 5 more lbs. then I guess increase100 calories a week until 2000? Thanks!
use your actual data from losing weight...0 -
I'm 10 years older than you, same height, and a few lbs heavier, and I would easily maintain on more than 2000 at that activity level. I let my Fitbit do all the work for me, and comparing it with my real world data (weight loss and maintenance), it's very accurate. Trust the gadget you paid lots of money for.3
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I absolutely trust TDEE calculators as a starting point because that's the closest you can get to a reasonable estimate. If I find my results don't fit the estimate neatly it's very easy to adjust. For me, personally, I have certain health confounders that make me burn less than calculators expect me to burn. Some people find they burn more than expected and others are bang on close to what is estimated. No way of knowing unless you start somewhere, and that somewhere is more accurate to get from calculators than to randomly decide you won't lose on 1500 calories. As for your estimate, it sounds quite reasonable for your stats and activity level. Even though I'm more efficient with calories (burn less energy), I'm fully capable of losing weight on 1500 (guaranteed), 1800 (if not inactive) and even 2000 (if more active than usual).0
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@heybales - can you provide a link for a downloadable worksheet like the one you referenced? I would like to use that to get closer to my actual TDEE, it looks really helpful.
"While it's true you can wait some time and see how the calorie level you are eating is causing in weight change - for women it takes more than a month to figure out then, and if seasonal changes or life changes - back to figuring it out after observing for some time again.
Why not try to nail it best you can from the get go, and when changes occur?
Just TDEE Please spreadsheet - better than rough 5 level TDEE charts from 1919 study.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G7FgNzPq3v5WMjDtH0n93LXSMRY_hjmzNTMJb3aZSxM/edit?usp=sharing"0 -
When you are viewing the one at that link - just have to use the page option to download as personal copy, either kept in Google sheets format in your own Google Drive space, or Excel or such.
I know after I created this Google made it possible to tag a file as download only and it auto-copied to your space when you clicked on it - I'll have to have some time to look at how to do that to current linked spreadsheet.
Right now only option is to share - and that doesn't work or next person to use it changes your settings.0 -
Trust them? I trust them to do what they do, which is spit out an estimate based on a particular research-based formula(s) that rely on data from large-group research studies. Basically, what they give you is an average from the study population, for your age/weight/etc.
Do I trust that the results will be exactly correct for every individual? No, of course not. Most people are close to average with respect to these data, but a few aren't.
So, you use the calculators to get an estimate when starting to lose weight, then adjust based on your actual experience, as so many others have said.
Or, if you weren't logging during weight loss, you do the same thing in maintenance: Use the calculator estimate for maybe 6 weeks so you have enough time that random weight fluctuations average out, then adjust (unless things are obviously crazy sooner, but not as soon as a few days craziness).
I'm 5'5", weight in the 120s, sedentary outside of intentional exercise, rowing or spinning 6 days a week for 45-90 minutes each time, and my TDEE is in the mid 2000s, much higher than the calculators estimate. Oh, and I'm 61 years old.
Your calculator estimate is plausible. Experiment.2 -
Famof72015 wrote: »And how does anyone know their real weight when water weight fluctuates my "real" weight all the time
IMO, we have no "real weight".
We have a current range, and a long-term trend. Scale weight fluctuates constantly.
My current range is about 127-132, and my trend is verrrry sloooowly downward (I'm in maintenance, have crept up a few pounds from my desired range closer to 120, but am still at a healthy weight, so I'm running a slight average calorie deficit.)
If you're heading for maintenance, set a maintenance range of a few pounds on either side of what you think of as your best weight. Set the width of that range wider than typical day to day fluctuations. For example, if you regularly see scale jumps and drops of 3 pounds from water weight (or whatever), set your range as +/- 4 pounds.
Then, if your first-thing-in-AM fasted, naked weigh-in stays at best weight + 4 for more than a couple of days, cut back eating or add activity until you get low in the range. If you get to best weight - 4 for more than a couple of days, eat more.
Trying to maintain "one true weight" is a path to madness. IMO.1 -
Famof72015 wrote: »The tdee calculator So it says my maintenance calories are 2,052 and I should be eating 1552 for cutting. That seems like so many calories for my maintenance. 5'6 weight 134 age 35. Workout 5-6 hours a week and fitbit counts my steps averages between 10,000-17,000 a day. I'm scared to try it out at maintenance in fear of gaining so be kind with your replies. And I'm not at maintenance yet, would like to lose 5 more lbs. then I guess increase100 calories a week until 2000? Thanks!
Doesn't seem that high to me given your stats and activity level.
My wife is 5'2" - 5'3" and 42 and she maintains on around 2000 - 2300 with her activity level...mostly running 4x per week and lifting 1x per week.
That said, all of these calculators are meant to provide a reasonable estimate for you to start with...nobody has a TDEE of exactly XXXX calories. And really, your maintenance calories are going to be somewhat of a range given variable activity.Famof72015 wrote: »And how does anyone know their real weight when water weight fluctuates my "real" weight all the time
You don't really have a "real weight"...maintenance is a range. The best thing you can do if you need to see it visually is use a trend app and you can see the trend line through the ups and downs over time.1 -
I 'trusted' what the TDEE calculators told me but until you have several weeks of data noone can be really sure, plus our TDEE changes if we are less consistent with our activity.
Yours sounds ok to me, I'm 5ft 2 / 127lbs/ 48yrs and maintain my weight eating 1950-2050 (I'm fairly active).1 -
Yes. Sometimes it's higher or lower depending on my activity. The pacer app syncs with mfp and monitors your movement throughout the day. It has a separate section that shows THAT days tdee based on your movement. Granted, it doesn't work if your phone is lying on a table somewhere.. but I usually compare it to mfp's tdee for me. MFP stays the same, but pacer has me jumping from 200 less to a 100 more depending on my activity. I don't do a lot in the exercise department, just steps, so I trust pacers lower end for me than mfp's average for sedentary.0
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What does your FitBit say for total calories burned? That's essentially your TDEE only from a device that you wear, not from estimates from online calculators... why wouldn't you go with that?
On that same point, do you have MFP and FitBit synced and are you using the adjustments from FitBit to determine how many calories to eat back? Are you losing at the rate you want to lose? How many calories are you consuming now? You said you have about 5 lbs to lose, do you have your goal set at lose 0.5 lb/week?
To your original question, that doesn't sound high to me at all. I'm 5'2 and 118 and average 15k steps/day, my TDEE according to FitBit and my actual results is around 2200 cals.0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »What does your FitBit say for total calories burned? That's essentially your TDEE only from a device that you wear, not from estimates from online calculators... why wouldn't you go with that?
On that same point, do you have MFP and FitBit synced and are you using the adjustments from FitBit to determine how many calories to eat back? Are you losing at the rate you want to lose? How many calories are you consuming now? You said you have about 5 lbs to lose, do you have your goal set at lose 0.5 lb/week?
To your original question, that doesn't sound high to me at all. I'm 5'2 and 118 and average 15k steps/day, my TDEE according to FitBit and my actual results is around 2200 cals.
I wasn't sure how to figure out my tdee through Fitbit?... it says I burned 2937 calories yesterday. And yes it's synced with mfp. I haven't ate anything back wasn't sure what to eat back?
I'm consuming 1500 calories. Well I really just got back into the swings of things a week in a half ago so....
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Famof72015 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »What does your FitBit say for total calories burned? That's essentially your TDEE only from a device that you wear, not from estimates from online calculators... why wouldn't you go with that?
On that same point, do you have MFP and FitBit synced and are you using the adjustments from FitBit to determine how many calories to eat back? Are you losing at the rate you want to lose? How many calories are you consuming now? You said you have about 5 lbs to lose, do you have your goal set at lose 0.5 lb/week?
To your original question, that doesn't sound high to me at all. I'm 5'2 and 118 and average 15k steps/day, my TDEE according to FitBit and my actual results is around 2200 cals.
I wasn't sure how to figure out my tdee through Fitbit?... it says I burned 2937 calories yesterday. And yes it's synced with mfp. I haven't ate anything back wasn't sure what to eat back?
I'm consuming 1500 calories. Well I really just got back into the swings of things a week in a half ago so....
On your FitBit dashboard you should be able to see the total calorie burned average over time - week, month, etc I think. That's your TDEE that FitBit estimates for you - if yesterday is a normal day, your TDEE is around 2900.
When you set up MFP and FitBit to sync, the FitBit should provide an estimate of how many calories it thinks you burn, compared to how many MFP projects you would burn based on the stats you entered. What activity level have you chosen? What rate of loss did you select? With 5 lbs to lose you should be aiming for 0.5 lb/week, and as active as you are - at a minimum lightly active or even active is the setting that is most appropriate for you. That may give you a higher baseline target than 1500 calories, but then the adjustments from FitBit would be a little lower.
I see you said you are just getting back in the swing of things - does that mean you haven't been tracking calorie intake and weight loss for very long? Have you only recently linked FitBit to MFP? If so, you may want to be a little conservative with eating back all of the calories, but certainly eating back 50-75% of the adjustment while you sort out your true numbers would probably be safe.
Hope that helps - check out the FitBit user group here on MFP for additional questions and information from long time users.
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Thank you winogelato0
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