TDEE method variation / Accounting for exercise undertaken - Questions

[ozjester]

Hi All,

I was wanting some advice around calculating my TDEE and the variation between the different methods.

Stats
Height: 172 cm
Weight: 93.5 Kgs
Body fat estimation: 28% (based on US NAVY method)
Age: 40
Activity Level: Sedentary: Light -- have not accounted for exercise and training here (this is what I read to do in the majority)

I read in a few forum posts that a good pint for fat loss is to aim for calorie intake of around 80% of your TDEE, and then to get you protien intake to around 1 g per lb of lean body mass. I understand all of this, but depending on which method of TDEE calculation I use I get different results.

Mifflin-St Jeor: 2178
Harris-Benedict: 2330
Katch-McCardle: 2189

So I have a few questions.

1. Which method is the most accurate ? (there is a 150 cal approx 6% variance)
2. Should I average the lot and work on that as my TDEE ?
3. Should I increase my Activity Level to Moderate (in TDEE Calculations to account for exercise) and not concern myself with Calories burnt during exercise?

Thanks in advance,

[dmacdonal9]

It really doesn't matter. Just use any method to take a wild guess. Then track calories carefully for 3 weeks and use actual weight lost to calculate your TDEE.

For example, you guess your TDEE is 2500 and so you eat eat 2000 in an effort to lose a pound a week. You find that after three weeks you have lost 2.5 lbs.

TDEE = ((3500 * weight lost) / (number of days)) + calories eaten
TDEE = ((3500 * 2.5 ) / 21) + 2000
TDEE = (8750 / 21) + 2000
TDEE = 2416

This completely frees you up from any need to count exercise calories. Redo this calculation every once in awhile to recalculate your actual TDEE, because it'll change over time.

3 weeks is about the minimum amount of time you should use so you can factor out random fluctuations. If you are just beginning your cut, do not count the first three days, that'll just be water weight.

[ozjester]

Thanks Dmac... great advice.