Knowledge drop….
(You guys MAY want to BOOKMARK this)
Calculating TDEE Precisely w/ Trial & Error:
Remember, TDEE is a fancy way of saying “calories burned per day”
STEP 1: Track your calories & macros every day and take the average at the end of the week
STEP 2: Track your step count every day and take the average at the end of the week
STEP 3: Track your bodyweight every day and take the average at the end of the week
STEP 4: Plot your rate of gain/loss (in terms of bodyweight) across 6-8+ weeks
STEP 5: Use the 3,500 calorie rule (1 pound gained or lost = 3,500 calories) in accordance with your data to determine a BALLPARK ESTIMATE of your calorie burn figure
So, if an individual loses 8 pounds in 8 weeks while consuming 2,000 calories per day (assuming activity stays fixed), we can reasonably assume their maintenance calories are AROUND 2,500 (REMEMBER: ACTIVITY CANNOT CHANGE OR THIS WILL CHANGE ENERGY OUTPUT)
Once you know your estimated maintenance calories, simply add 200ish calories per day to that number if MUSCLE GAIN is your TOP priority OR subtract 500-1,000 calories per day from that number if FAT LOSS is your TOP priority (all while keeping activity FIXED)
You will know things are going well if you’re gaining .5ish pounds per week ON AVERAGE & strength is increasing regularly (assuming you elect to make the addition) OR you’re losing .5-1% of your total bodyweight per week & strength is staying intact (assuming you elect to make the subtraction)
If things are NOT going well, adjust calories up/down by 100-200 per day ON AVERAGE and/or steps up/down by 1000-2000 per day ON AVERAGE (give 2-4 weeks to allow adjustments to play out — don’t OVERREACT)
If strength is NOT trending well despite rate of gain/loss being on point, you likely have a programming issue that needs fixing!
For those that would like a BALLPARK calorie figure to shoot for on average each day as you begin to compile the necessary data to help determine your TDEE, please SEE BELOW
𝗜𝗙 𝗙𝗔𝗧 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬:
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 10 (if sedentary)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 12 (if moderately active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 14 (if very active)
𝗜𝗙 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗖𝗟𝗘 𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬:
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 14 (if sedentary)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 16 (if moderately active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 18 (if very active)
𝗜𝗙 𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬𝗪𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬:
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 12 (if sedentary)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 14 (if moderately active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 16 (if very active)
𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵:
The figure each of these equations will spit out MAY NOT result in you actually achieving your desired outcome with regards to weight loss/gain/maintenance. It would be silly to expect these simple equations to work perfectly for everyone. These equations are designed to give you a BALLPARK STARTING POINT. It is up to you to consistently track your calories, activity level, and bodyweight going forward to ensure you're trending in the direction of your goal.
the reason why it's a bad definition is because 'calories burned' is near impossible to determine. bmr calculators don't take into account genetic differences in how energy is used between different people. thermic effect of food also creates differences in the calories burned