How do you figure out your TDEE?

Not sure how to figure out a my TDEE since calorie calculators are a very generous estimation and, imo, can only be used as a starting place.

Currently trying to eat at maintenance for the first time ever, and trying to get used to the "not hungry all the time" thing is weird.

The scale is being pretty useless, since, carbs + glycogen + water-weight blur the results, so, I'm not sure if I'm still losing or gaining or maintaining or whatever.

How do you guys do it?  Just eat till your not-hungry/full? Trial and error? Just eat whatever and not count at all?

Figuring out one's daily calorie budget HAS the be the most annoying part of nutrition.

If I ate until I was full, it would be roughly double my TDEE, so counting calories is a must for me.

The way I really locked down my TDEE was by trial and error.  While yes, calorie requirement calculators can seem generous, the one aspect of them that is almost always accurate is the BMR assessment.  BMR formulas are pretty spot on, and starting there as a baseline is a good place to begin.

Although you're right, one's scale weight can change on a whim - I weigh 7-12lbs more in the evening than in the morning due to hydration/stomach content/glycogen etc.  However, if you weigh yourself in a relatively consistent physical state, you can get a rough idea.

I weigh myself in the morning, dehydrated, after I use the bathroom.  Even this weight will fluctuate, but by watching WEEKLY trends, you can determine if you're (on average) losing/gaining/maintaining your scale weight.  If your weight is being maintained, then you've found your average TDEE and are indeed eating at it.