On your first time, was it lower than you had initially thought?

[faithbrah]

Does anyone remember their first time trying to count calories? Was your TDEE considerably lower than you thought, did you nail it on your first try or was it significantly higher than you thought?

I remember using a TDEE calculator a few years ago for a rough starting point, and it estimated my TDEE to be about 2500 calories. I tried eating 2500 and maintained my weight for around two weeks, so basically a hole in one. Needless to say I was pretty happy after getting it right on my first try.

[AdamWW]

First time I tried controlling calories i was like 17-18... all I did was randomly pick a number below 2000 and eat a lot of protein. I think i ate like 1800... lost a bunch of weight... became anorexic... not a fun time.

I think since then my estimates on TDEE have been pretty reliable.

[desslok]

It was where I thought, but smelled different than i thought. Thanks for asking.

[snailsrus]

Mine was higher. Calculators also set me around 1500-1600 which is not enough.

I found I need 2100 to maintain to lower end of ideal weight

Middle school wrestling and being a flyer in cheer from a very young age, I was fairly aware of my intake. Also, my mom has counted calories neurotically my whole life, so I learned about them around 4

[AdamWW]

Mine was higher. Calculators also set me around 1500-1600 which is not enough.

I found I need 2100 to maintain to lower end of ideal weight

Middle school wrestling and being a flyer in cheer from a very young age, I was fairly aware of my intake. Also, my mom has counted calories neurotically my whole life, so I learned about them around 4

Yeah my TDEE is like 300-500 over what any calculator tells me as well.

[snailsrus]

Yeah my TDEE is like 300-500 over what any calculator tells me as well.

sometimes I wonder if they under estimate figuring most people under estimate their intake

[Strawng]

Mine was higher. Calculators also set me around 1500-1600 which is not enough.

I found I need 2100 to maintain to lower end of ideal weight

Middle school wrestling and being a flyer in cheer from a very young age, I was fairly aware of my intake. Also, my mom has counted calories neurotically my whole life, so I learned about them around 4

Yeah my TDEE is like 300-500 over what any calculator tells me as well.

sometimes I wonder if they under estimate figuring most people under estimate their intake

Yup. Mine has always been about 500 above those fuking calculators. It helped contribute to my anorexia when I started tracking & eating what the calculators told me instead of what my body actually needed.

[desslok]

Yup. Mine has always been about 500 above those fuking calculators. It helped contribute to my anorexia when I started tracking & eating what the calculators told me instead of what my body actually needed.

The calculators probably had included the old effects of activity levels on TDEE

[AdamWW]

The calculators probably had included the old effects of activity levels on TDEE

That, or Strawng has finally uncovered that weird ancient trick he stole from a grade-school teacher to burn calories like a furnace!

Personal trainers HATE him!