Apple Watch TDEE Accuracy?

[holly]

Hey girls! I just wanted to start a conversation about how accurate the TDEE is calculated on apple watch?

My move goal is 600 calories and I meet this everyday, if not I go over it. My workouts over the week are 4 lifts (2 upper and 2 lower), and I usually do 2 HIIT sprint sessions on the treadmill (5-6 miles total), and a long run on Saturdays (15+ km). I also do cardio 6 days a week usually stairs on the days I'm not running for minimum 25-30 minutes. Everyday 10k steps minimum too, a lot of the days I will hit 15-20k steps especially if I ran that day.

I ask because I think I burn A LOT. I'm usually in the gym for 2 hours, and if it's a shorter one it's really intense. My TDEE on my apple watch is all over the place. For example, Tuesday I did a really hard sprint workout, walked 18k steps, burnt 716/600 for my move goal. It says my TDEE for that day is only ~1600? Whereas another day I burnt and walked less (closer to 600) and my TDEE was 2000?

It's just discouraging because I feel like I work out SO Hard. I feel confident in that. But if my TDEE is low and i'm trying to cut I feel like i'm hardly eating enough to even fuel my activity. I know as petites we obviously burn less because less of us exists lol, but I almost feel like i'm burning more than my watch is telling me?

Curious if anyone else has the same experience ?

 

[dimples3130]

@holly My Apple ultra was accurate to the T when I was tracking while only calorie counting and not exercising. I kept a log of calories in vs calories out and at the end of the week I would be down almost exactly what the difference was. Now that I’m lifting the scale has gone up and down so it’s not consistent enough to track. But in my experience, yes. A lot of people say it doesn’t but for me it was right on point

 

[zastari]

@holly All devices that “measure” calories expended are inaccurate. It’s trying to measure internal mechanisms externally. I think it would be best for you to stop looking at the numbers all together, you’re clearly conducting a lot of activity

 

[holly]

@zastari Yeah I agree. When I compare it to online TDEE calculators they usually have my TDEE sitting around the 2100-2300 range for a highly active person. I weigh about 107 at 5'2. For a while my watch made sense...It had my TDEE around 2k, which felt right. But I swear if I eat 1500 cals I maintain my weight. I have to eat 1200-1300 to lose. Being a petite sucks sometimes

 

[jacquelinejean]

@holly My Apple Watch shoots about 25% high on my movement calories. I compensated by setting it to 650. I’m very consistent about wearing my watch.

I track this by verifying my total move calories against my MacroFactor calculated expenditure. MF basically plots my actual loss against my actual intake and solves the calories in - calories out = weight loss equation for calories out =calories in - weight loss.

 

[holly]

@jacquelinejean Yeah I feel like its the opposite in my case. After a super intense run on the treadmill for 40 minutes (I'm talking like incline sprints, im winded at the end) it will tell me I burned ~250 calories. Versus running for 50 minutes outside at an easy pace I'll burn near 500. That makes no sense to me??

 

[jacquelinejean]

@holly Hmmm…maybe change your watch band? If it’s not getting good heart rate data I’m sure the numbers are further off.

If you plug your run into a running calculator with weight, pace, terrain, etc, what does that spit out for your 50 minute run?

 

[ewells36]

@holly For me it’s quite accurate or slightly less. I’ve eaten my daily calories for maintenance for few months and had some weekend wine nights (3-4k cal) and maintained my weight.
(Fitbit on the other hand gave me about 500cal more per day)