Help Calculating TDEE/Calories for Fat Loss

ea15b860 wrote: »

Need a some help figuring out my calories for a moderate 1lb/week deficit for fat loss. I'm a 5'5 female, 166lbs with a sedentary office job. I workout 4-5 days/week doing 90 min of weight lifting. My bodyfay ir roughly 29%. I've been weightlifting for about 7 months and have only lost about 6 lbs but my muscle has increased and my clothing size has decreased.

I've tried using multiple online calculators with varying results, anywhere from 1500-2100 calories/day. Im currently tracking 1800 calories and try to eat at least 140gms or protein everyday.

Is this too high/low for my level of activity? Thanks.

Nobody is going to be able to give you any better of an estimate than those calculators.

Also, remember different calculators use different methodologies...like MFP uses the NEAT method where your activity level only includes your day to day and you account for exercise by logging it after the fact and then you get additional calories to cover that additional activity. Other calculators use the TDEE method where exercise is already included in your activity level thereby giving you a higher calorie target from the start. Some calculators give you the option of X Pounds rate of loss while others have the option of a certain % and these aren't always apples to apples comparisons.

Are the 1500-2100 calorie targets your TDEE or the number those calculators are giving you to lose weight. 2100 would seem high as a weight loss target but completely reasonable for a TDEE. 1500 would be a pretty low TDEE and I would assume it is a calculator like MFP that is using the NEAT method where you'd have to account for exercise and those calories separately. 1800 calories per day to lose weight is probably a deficit, but likely a small one.

At any rate, they are all just giving you an estimate based on population statistics. Just pick one and get started and make adjustments per your real world results.