For those using TDEE calculators, or hearing about them now, just wanted to give a little summary of the numbers and how they can be used as it can be confusing.
Typically they need the following info : your sex, age, weight, height and activity level.
Activity level
- sedentary (office job, walking to and from car, up and down the stairs a couple of times but nothing really that would count as actual exercise)
- light (1-2 x 30 minutes sustained activity a week that gets your heart rate up)
- moderate (3-5 x 30 minutes sustained activity a week)
- Heavy ( 6-7 x 39 minutes activity a week)
Results
BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate - calories you use just to exist every day. So this is if you were to sleep for 24 hrs, how many calories would your body use to breathe, think, process waste etc
TDEE - this adds in your activity level and calculates how many calories your body uses to exist and do the activity you have said you do. If you eat this amount you should expect your weight to stay stable. Often known as 'maintenance calories'
To lose weight
You target a number below your TDEE, there's a balance to be found here that might take some experimenting. Too low and you may feel deprived, weak, tired, just plain miserable and hungry leading to binges. Too high and weight loss will be slower or plateau. It's the Goldilocks number. As a rough starting point, going for 500 below TDEE usually equates to a 1-2 lb loss per week.
So my numbers as a 41 yr old woman, 5ft 9, light activity would be:
BMR - 1500
TDEE - 2063
Target for a daily 500 calorie deficit - 1563
If I add a couple of extra work outs to my week and increase to moderate activity
BMR - 1500
TDEE - 2326
Target for a daily 500 calorie deficit - 1826