Noob needs help understanding numbers and calculations

cnsenior77
cnsenior77 Posts: 9 Member
in Getting Started
hiya

So I need some help understanding these numbers because the MFP ones are very different than the last app I unsuccessfully used.

I'm 39, F, 185 and 5'4.

BMR 1499
TDEE 1798

Goal is 1 lb per week.

I engage in no purposeful exercise but have an active job, chase 4 kids, and periodically walk the dog.

MFP says to eat net cals of 1600 per day at lightly active. Thats a deficit of less than 200 which doesn't seem sufficient.

Thanks for the tips!

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,881 Member
    You say your have an active job, take care of 4 children and walks the dog. Why did you choose only lightly active?

    Aside from that, MFP does not use a TDEE method, it uses NEAT: the calorie goal given only takes into account your daily activity level, not any exercise (which should be logged separately and will increase how many calories you eat)

    Your calculated TDEE seems low, only 1800 for someone who's active and weighing 185lbs. Whatever calculator you used seems to estimate your calorie burns lower than MFP.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    MyFitnessPal isn't a TDEE calculator - the goal given intends you to add purposeful exercise afterwards.
    As you say you don't exercise it's not such an issue but you will find that whatever TDEE site you used will have combined exercise and activity multipliers applied to your estimated BMR whereas MFP uses an activity only multiplier against your BMR.
    They may also be using different studies to get an estimate - if you go to a different TDEE site https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/ you will get a whole buch of different TDEE estimates based on different studies.

    If you wish to set your daily goal to be 500cals less than whatever TDEE estimate you pick (to lose 1lb a week) you can set the number manually in the goal set up.

    Just keep in mind there's a multitude of estimates flying around in this calorie counting game including importantly your own food logging accuracy. Trial your numbers for a month, think about sustainability and energy levels and adjust if required.



  • cnsenior77
    cnsenior77 Posts: 9 Member
    I choose lightly active based on the descriptions provided in MFP. my job has me 90% on my feet. I only periodically walk the dog, once a week for 15 or 20 mins.

    I only chase the kids in the house or backyard. Our extra curricular activities have been on hold for a year. I think that's responsible for the recent 10 lb gain.

    Theres been an increase in couch sitting, TV watching and take out.

    BMR was done with MFP calculator. TDEE was done with an actual formula (like I mathed) using a multiplier based on activity levels, job and purposeful exercise. The multiplier was 1.2.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    cnsenior77 wrote: »
    I choose lightly active based on the descriptions provided in MFP. my job has me 90% on my feet. I only periodically walk the dog, once a week for 15 or 20 mins.

    I only chase the kids in the house or backyard. Our extra curricular activities have been on hold for a year. I think that's responsible for the recent 10 lb gain.

    Theres been an increase in couch sitting, TV watching and take out.

    BMR was done with MFP calculator. TDEE was done with an actual formula (like I mathed) using a multiplier based on activity levels, job and purposeful exercise. The multiplier was 1.2.

    That's a sedentary multiplier which is why your numbers are coming out so low.
    It's not the right multiplier for how you descibe your lifestyle.....

    "have an active job, chase 4 kids, and periodically walk the dog"
    "my job has me 90% on my feet"

    You are absolutely not sedentary,
  • cnsenior77
    cnsenior77 Posts: 9 Member
    Mmmm... the next multiplier up was 1.375 but the descriptions for job, activity, exercise were too high for my current situation.

    Even though my job, my morning rush and the dinner hour (4-5) are active, an absurd amount of my evening is spent with my butt on the couch. I sorta figured split the difference. Active day + sedentary evening = light activity.

    I'll split the difference and use 1.3 as the multiplier?
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
    Well if you're only walking the dog once a week for 15-20 min and chasing kids around the house/garden, lightly active may be correct.

    Bear in mind though that MFP is set up so that any intentional exercise is logged separately and you should eat back at least some of those calories, so if you do any exercise, go for a long walk, run, gym etc., you should add that on top.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Find your CORRECT TDEE and subtract 500 calories.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited February 2021
    Since it sounds like you may desire to use the TDEE method, use something better if you don't want to use MFP (where you are lightly-active moving into active probably).

    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

    ETA - you'd be 3rd daily activity option down too. Active job and kids.
    You probably have a few household duties you attend to, not home from work and hit the couch and then bed and nothing else to do.
  • LisaGetsMoving
    LisaGetsMoving Posts: 663 Member
    Why not try the net calories of no more than 1600 for a few weeks and see how good the MFP and your input was? I'm 63, 5'4" and slightly heavier than you and have been truly sedentary for a very long time. MFP gave me 1200 plus exercise calories, which for me is averaging about 300 calories for a total of 1500 calories. I'm walking 45 minutes most days, averaging 1450 calories in daily, and consistently losing 1 to 1.4 pounds per week.

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