Big Sigh... TDEE & Calories for weight loss :-(

JennieAL
JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
edited October 31 in Food and Nutrition
I just found this site: http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm

I input my info and I'm getting a higher amount of calories to eat for weight loss than what I've been following. It explains my weight plateau... and I have been justifying the plateau to allow for water accumulation & holding for any muscle tearing I've been doing while strength training.

I've been aiming for 1400 but this calculator says if I am only active 3-5 days (moderate) per week, my min is 1600 for weight loss. Now, I do usually work out 6 days with 1 rest day, so I'm even closer to the 1900 calories!! I can hardly believe this, but this seems like a really good site.

Can anyone attest to this site's accuracy? I found it searching for "Katch-McArdle".

Replies

  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    the thing about calculators like that vs mfp is they include "exercise calories" in that number. so you eat that much and you exrecise. dont eat any more.
    mfp gives you a number based on no exercise (as long as you didnt include exercise in your activity level settings), so you eat your mfp goal plus anything burned from exercise.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    the calculators are good to get a starting cal target. If you have actual recorded proof of progress that is going to better.
  • JennieAL
    JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
    I took a bikini pic back in July or August. No body pics since then. I was 137 then and I'm 129 now. I've lost 2 inches in both my waist and hips since 12/15 - one month ago. The inches were lost I guess because I finally started regularly exercising and strength training. Basically, I did nothing special since this summer except give up alcohol. Started tracking food & upping the exercise in earnest only a month ago, so really haven't been at it that long. I guess I get paranoid about my calories... I'm trying to find the magic number or something.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    no magic number :) It changes. You've made good progress though & that means you're on the right track.

    search for a thread by stroutman called "frantic about adhering to the right calorie intake"
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    the thing about calculators like that vs mfp is they include "exercise calories" in that number. so you eat that much and you exrecise. dont eat any more.
    mfp gives you a number based on no exercise (as long as you didnt include exercise in your activity level settings), so you eat your mfp goal plus anything burned from exercise.

    This^

    The Katch-Mcardle model accounts for planned exercise. Read this:

    by ladyhawk00
    MFP doesn't "add in" or take back cals for exercise until/unless you enter exercise for each specific instance. While it asks for your "exercise goals", it does NOT take out or add any cals based on that goal - only when you actually DO the exercise and log it specifically.

    When you set your account up, it asked for height, weight,, etc, to determine your BMR (the minimum cals you need just to exist). It then adds in the activity level you chose (sedentary, lightly active, etc). Just as an example, say that number (your maintenance cals) is 1800. MFP then subtracts a set amount based on the loss/week goal you chose - if you chose 1 lb/week, the amount subtracted is 500 per day (for 3500 cal per week= 1 lb).

    So, with these hypothetical numbers, you're at 1300 cals for your daily goal. If you do nothing, that is the daily goal you'll always have. If you exercise today, and log it today, MFP will add cals in for that exercise, to keep you at that 500 cal deficit you initially chose. So if you burned 300 cals, you'll now have 1600 cals for your goal for the day = which still gives you a 500 cal deficit.

    Other than that, MFP does not add or subtract any cals to your set goals...

    Pasted from <http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/160535-setting-my-daily-calorie-goal&gt;
    by Ladyhawk00
    MFP chose to use the Mifflin-St Jeor formula because it is generally considered more accurate. They created this site to be different from other sites for a specific reason. Most sites use Harris-Benedict and use exercise to create the deficit for weight loss, keeping the daily cal goal static.

    MFP recognizes that many people cannot exercise regularly, or maybe at all, due to physical limitations or time. And many people set up an exercise plan, but as we know, that's not necessarily what actually happens every day. So they wanted to create a site that allows for weight loss, regardless of exercise. So, they set it up to use BMR + activity level. The activity level is not intended to include any purposeful exercise.

    That way, if you do no exercise, you still have a built in deficit for weight loss. When you do log exercise, cals are added back in to keep that deficit stable.
    Pasted from <http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/245189-bmr-tool&gt; by Ladyhawk00
  • JennieAL
    JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
    That helps!!!! Thanks you guys... I've bookmarked both those articles and I'm reading some now. Ok, so MFP chose to use that one method and now I understand WHY! Finally... it's sticking. I've read that a few times but now it's making sense.

    I think I really need a HRM. And to be more consistent and accurate with weighing my food.
  • JBorg039
    JBorg039 Posts: 24
    Hey if you are still searching for an accurate calculator you can try the one on http://www.fatcuda.com. It's clear & the most accurate calorie calculator I have ever used.
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