Can metabolism calculators be wrong?

[pumpkinHead1]

Hi I'm new to this forum. I have lost weight years ago and need to lose at least 30 pounds. In my past 3 or 4 diets I only had to lose 10-15 pounds and did so successfully for a couple years or so at a time.

Anyway, I used to use weight loss calculators, that factored in age, sex, height, weight and activity level. That seemed to be accurate at the time.

But now it seems pretty far off from my calorie intake. For example, the calculator says I burn about 1900 calories a day. My weight has been stable for a few months. I can figure out a good approximation of the calories I have been eating. That would be 2300 calories a day, not the 1900 the calculator suggest. And again, it's not like I have a surplus now, as my weight has been stable for at least 6 months.

This would be important to know, so that I can figure what my actual calorie deficit will be if I cut down calories in my diet regularly. The difference between 2300 and 1900 is pretty large. Thanks for any input!

 

[Trusylver]

The different formula for calculating calorie needs will always be just an estimate, unless you have your metabolism measured in a lab. The Katch-McArdle equation is one of the best as it takes body composition into account. Activity level is also difficult to accurately estimate.

If you have a steady weight and a reasonably accurate count of your regular calorie intake, then use that as your maintenance base number.

 

[pumpkinHead1]

The different formula for calculating calorie needs will always be just an estimate, unless you have your metabolism measured in a lab. The Katch-McArdle equation is one of the best as it takes body composition into account. Activity level is also difficult to accurately estimate.

If you have a steady weight and a reasonably accurate count of your regular calorie intake, then use that as your maintenance base number.

Thank you! This is kind of what I though, but wanted to see what others said. The only way I was able to lose weight in the past was by figuring out the numbers, so this is important to know.