Is this tdee calculator accurate?
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SparklesFer097
Posts: 27 Member
1
Replies
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All calculators are an estimate. Some will be more accurate than others for different people.
Are you planning on using your TDEE to change the calorie goals MFP gave you? If you are using the MFP numbers, then your TDEE is largely irrelevant. Following the program consistently with accurate logging will give you more accurate numbers than any calculator.4 -
I'm going to refer you to my response on your other TDEE thread:kshama2001 wrote: »I feel that when one is new it's simpler to just let MFP set your calorie goal, log your exercise, and eat 50-100% of your exercise calories. Adjust that percentage in a month if needed.
With 11 pounds to lose, do set your weekly weight loss goal to a half pound a week and be patient. You may only see weight loss once per month.7 -
Calculators aren't "accurate"...they provide an estimate which provides for a reasonably good starting point. Ultimately it comes down to just getting started and watching trends and making adjustments from there.6
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Scooby.com is pretty good.
The only way to really know is to eat that many calories for a couple of months and see if you maintain your weight.2 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Calculators aren't "accurate"...they provide an estimate which provides for a reasonably good starting point. Ultimately it comes down to just getting started and watching trends and making adjustments from there.
Very well said.
For me most calculators overestimate a bit because I don't move much in general. But I found out that they were overestimating after several months of tracking my own data - burns, food and weight - and logging it carefully every day.1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Scooby.com is pretty good.
The only way to really know is to eat that many calories for a couple of months and see uf you maintain your weight.
What is the actual website. When I enter scooby.com I get an "under construction" page1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Scooby.com is pretty good.
The only way to really know is to eat that many calories for a couple of months and see uf you maintain your weight.
What is the actual website. When I enter scooby.com I get an "under construction" page
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/0 -
gebeziseva wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Calculators aren't "accurate"...they provide an estimate which provides for a reasonably good starting point. Ultimately it comes down to just getting started and watching trends and making adjustments from there.
Very well said.
For me most calculators overestimate a bit because I don't move much in general. But I found out that they were overestimating after several months of tracking my own data - burns, food and weight - and logging it carefully every day.
I suppose those calculations use a bell-shaped distribution. Most people fall within a certain range of the given number, for a smaller number of people those calculators don't work too well. For me they are too low in general, and my tdee is about 200-250kcal higher than estimated. I do fiddle a lot though and have a good amount of muscle mass for my age.0 -
I found it accurate for me. (Except it has my BMR much higher than most)
I use my own data, after years of tracking in some way or other, and it gives me sedentary +no exercise, and sedentary + exercise, within 50 cals of what my numbers give me.
Over years of comparisons of various estimators, I found Scooby overestimates for me. My preferred TDEE calculator is
https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/
@SparklesFer097, if you don't want to use the MFP set up pick one TDEE estimate and run with it, making adjustments as needed.
Once you have a few months consistent data, then you can judge which works best for you.
Cheers, h.
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How about instead of second guessing every little detail you take the advice from the many threads you’ve started and questions you’ve asked and just focus on using MFP the way it was designed:
Enter your stats and a reasonable goal rate of loss.
MFP will calculate a calorie target.
Eat any foods you like within that calorie target focusing on those which provide nutrition, satiety, and enjoyment.
Log as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale.
If you exercise, log and eat back some of those calories.
BE PATIENT.
12 -
WinoGelato wrote: »How about instead of second guessing every little detail you take the advice from the many threads you’ve started and questions you’ve asked and just focus on using MFP the way it was designed:
Enter your stats and a reasonable goal rate of loss.
MFP will calculate a calorie target.
Eat any foods you like within that calorie target focusing on those which provide nutrition, satiety, and enjoyment.
Log as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale.
If you exercise, log and eat back some of those calories.
BE PATIENT.
Thank u! Mfp gave me a goal of 1200 calories. That’s too low right?
0 -
SparklesFer097 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How about instead of second guessing every little detail you take the advice from the many threads you’ve started and questions you’ve asked and just focus on using MFP the way it was designed:
Enter your stats and a reasonable goal rate of loss.
MFP will calculate a calorie target.
Eat any foods you like within that calorie target focusing on those which provide nutrition, satiety, and enjoyment.
Log as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale.
If you exercise, log and eat back some of those calories.
BE PATIENT.
Thank u! Mfp gave me a goal of 1200 calories. That’s too low right?
You're trying to lose 11lbs, how many lbs/week did you enter into the setup? That 1200 is without exercise. When you exercise, add it to the diary, and eat at least 50-75% of those calories as well.2 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »SparklesFer097 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How about instead of second guessing every little detail you take the advice from the many threads you’ve started and questions you’ve asked and just focus on using MFP the way it was designed:
Enter your stats and a reasonable goal rate of loss.
MFP will calculate a calorie target.
Eat any foods you like within that calorie target focusing on those which provide nutrition, satiety, and enjoyment.
Log as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale.
If you exercise, log and eat back some of those calories.
BE PATIENT.
Thank u! Mfp gave me a goal of 1200 calories. That’s too low right?
You're trying to lose 11lbs, how many lbs/week did you enter into the setup? That 1200 is without exercise. When you exercise, add it to the diary, and eat at least 50-75% of those calories as well.
Yeh I guess, I dnt really know how to count the exercise calories.0 -
SparklesFer097 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How about instead of second guessing every little detail you take the advice from the many threads you’ve started and questions you’ve asked and just focus on using MFP the way it was designed:
Enter your stats and a reasonable goal rate of loss.
MFP will calculate a calorie target.
Eat any foods you like within that calorie target focusing on those which provide nutrition, satiety, and enjoyment.
Log as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale.
If you exercise, log and eat back some of those calories.
BE PATIENT.
Thank u! Mfp gave me a goal of 1200 calories. That’s too low right?
I saw your stats in another of your threads. 5'3 and in the high 120's?
Looking to lose a small (10lbs-ish) amount of weight.
The 1200 given is probably correct (a loss of between 0.5-1 lbs a week) if you are sedentary- sitting all day at work/home and get in less than ~3500 non-exercise steps a day.
On top of that you will add your exercise cals using either MFP, machine data, or a personal tracking device.
You may want to eat back a consistent 75 or 50% until you have enough data, 4-6 weeks, to determine if you are losing at the rate you initially established, then adjust.
Cheers, h.2 -
SparklesFer097 wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »SparklesFer097 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How about instead of second guessing every little detail you take the advice from the many threads you’ve started and questions you’ve asked and just focus on using MFP the way it was designed:
Enter your stats and a reasonable goal rate of loss.
MFP will calculate a calorie target.
Eat any foods you like within that calorie target focusing on those which provide nutrition, satiety, and enjoyment.
Log as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale.
If you exercise, log and eat back some of those calories.
BE PATIENT.
Thank u! Mfp gave me a goal of 1200 calories. That’s too low right?
You're trying to lose 11lbs, how many lbs/week did you enter into the setup? That 1200 is without exercise. When you exercise, add it to the diary, and eat at least 50-75% of those calories as well.
Yeh I guess, I dnt really know how to count the exercise calories.
It gets added in as you do it. On exercise days, you'll be eating a bit more, or you can carry some over for another day.
This is why, in your other thread, I suggested you do some more reading. Really understanding the program is important. Otherwise you are worrying about things that are irrelevant, and that's just a lot of wasted mental space.3 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »SparklesFer097 wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »SparklesFer097 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How about instead of second guessing every little detail you take the advice from the many threads you’ve started and questions you’ve asked and just focus on using MFP the way it was designed:
Enter your stats and a reasonable goal rate of loss.
MFP will calculate a calorie target.
Eat any foods you like within that calorie target focusing on those which provide nutrition, satiety, and enjoyment.
Log as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale.
If you exercise, log and eat back some of those calories.
BE PATIENT.
Thank u! Mfp gave me a goal of 1200 calories. That’s too low right?
You're trying to lose 11lbs, how many lbs/week did you enter into the setup? That 1200 is without exercise. When you exercise, add it to the diary, and eat at least 50-75% of those calories as well.
Yeh I guess, I dnt really know how to count the exercise calories.
It gets added in as you do it. On exercise days, you'll be eating a bit more, or you can carry some over for another day.
This is why, in your other thread, I suggested you do some more reading. Really understanding the program is important. Otherwise you are worrying about things that are irrelevant, and that's just a lot of wasted mental space.
You re right! Thank u for ur advice0 -
Thank u everyone!!!!0
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SparklesFer097 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How about instead of second guessing every little detail you take the advice from the many threads you’ve started and questions you’ve asked and just focus on using MFP the way it was designed:
Enter your stats and a reasonable goal rate of loss.
MFP will calculate a calorie target.
Eat any foods you like within that calorie target focusing on those which provide nutrition, satiety, and enjoyment.
Log as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale.
If you exercise, log and eat back some of those calories.
BE PATIENT.
Thank u! Mfp gave me a goal of 1200 calories. That’s too low right?
That is the minimum intake recommended for women. It comes from your stats and what rate of loss you chose. If you have less than 20 lbs to lose as others have indicated, then choosing 0.5 lb/week is reasonable. Also, it’s a net goal, so if you exercise - log the type (walking, running, swimming, stationary bike, elliptical, etc) and the duration and MFP will adjust your calorie target for you. Most people start with eating back about half to 75% of those calories - so if you do the elliptical for 40 minutes, and it gives you a 200 cal adjustment then eat back about 100 of those cals.0 -
"It gets added in as you do it".
The calories do get added in, but you have to log your exercise (or synch to a fitbit or similar) for MFP to calculate how many additional calories you can eat. The number of calories (fat, sugar, carbs etc) still available for that day will automatically update and it'll say underneath how many exercise calories you've gained.0 -
gebeziseva wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Calculators aren't "accurate"...they provide an estimate which provides for a reasonably good starting point. Ultimately it comes down to just getting started and watching trends and making adjustments from there.
Very well said.
For me most calculators overestimate a bit because I don't move much in general. But I found out that they were overestimating after several months of tracking my own data - burns, food and weight - and logging it carefully every day.
I suppose those calculations use a bell-shaped distribution. Most people fall within a certain range of the given number, for a smaller number of people those calculators don't work too well. For me they are too low in general, and my tdee is about 200-250kcal higher than estimated. I do fiddle a lot though and have a good amount of muscle mass for my age.
Yes, my point was that they are estimates and the only way to know your own TDEE is by gathering data for yourself.0
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