From MFP to TDEE....

Stargazer525

I apologise in advance because there's bound to be other posts similar but I have other questions on top.

I have been logging for 80 days now. I'm 5'0" 34 years old woman and I have around 20 lb to go before I hit the upper end of a healthy weight for me.

Up until now I have been steadily losing using MFP's numbers but I decided toswitch to TDEE.

Before, MFP told me my goal was 1310. I have recalculated 2/3 times over the last few weeks as I've been losing, this is my most recent figure.

Today when I calculated my TDEE using the guide posted in Getting Started and my own logs my total came out as 2085, or 1668 with a 20% deficit.

* Firstly, is this right?? I can have an extra 300 odd calories and still lose??

* Secondly, the calorie numbers I used were not NET calories, is that right? Should I have used the Net ones??

The above question is because I don't know whether to eat back my exercise calories...

* Thirdly, what do I do about my fitbit one? Do I still log all my exercises and calories burned?

Chrisparadise579

for TDEE you do not eat back your exercise calories. In my opinion tdee is the most consistent and reliable way to track. And yes 1668 sounds like a perfect number for a weight loss of about 1-2lbs per week.

Stargazer525

Thanks Chris!

For years I've been thinking that to lose you had to eat such small numbers that 300 extra calories might as well be 3000! :-D