Confused about conflicting information between TBAB-article and NIH calculator

Hi Jordan, I appreciate all the information from you that I’ve put to good use over the years. One thing confuses me at the moment: I’m trying to shed a few kg’s at the moment while getting back to strength training after more than a year off (doing BM’s beginner prescription and HIIT), so I am cutting calories. I am following your To Be a Beast-articles recommendation of 11.43 calories per pound of bodyweight. Yet I see that you’re now recommending the NIH calculator (Body Weight Planner - NIDDK) for caloric intake guidelines (as far as I understand). That calculator puts my caloric intake significantly above (600+ calories) your recommendations from the article, even if I don’t put in any physical activity. So I don’t know which one to follow.

To make it specific: I’m 165 cm, 59 kg and “skinnyfat” - undertrained after a year of zero activity and skinny enough to fit into a size XS, but do have some very visible lovehandles and a little potbelly that I want to get rid of (cooking and baking bread is my main hobby lol). So I am now training 3x a week and I am implementing cardio as well.

What do you recommend? Big surprise, I know, but I’d obviously love to keep my caloric intake as high as possible while still being able to lose weight.

Thanks a lot.

Opf,

I think the NIH calculator is based on better data than my article and, additionally, it’s more dynamic. That said, both are just educated guesses that may or may not be correct. Pick one, see how you do, and adjust as necessary.

-Jordan