TDEE vs. MFP suggested daily caloric intake

allison1983weber

Can someone please tell me which number to follow? I am a 31 year old female. Starting weight was 266lbs, now down to 250lbs in first month but no loss in about 2 weeks. I am taking in MFP's suggested daily at 1660. I burn between 400-600 calories per day and rarely eat back my workout calories. I had a friend suggest the IIFYM tdee calculator and it shows that I should be eating 2322 calories per day. That is huge compared to what I am taking in. I am also not watching my macros at 1660 calories per day. Currently I am doing Beach Bodies T25 daily plus a 4km walk about 3 days per week.

juggernaut1974

Well..keep in mind, both numbers are estimates based on a generic population.

That being said, the numbers aren't all that far off each other.

MFP method is designed to be used to give you a baseline daily caloric goal, and then you also eat calories burned from exercise - ie 1660 + 600 = 2260

TDEE method averages out your exercise calories and just gives you an overall daily goal of 2322 - only a difference of 62 calories.

Those numbers sound pretty close based on your stats, so if you're not losing, then you're most likely underestimating calories eaten. How are you calculating that currently?

Amanda4change

I started at 251 doing 1770 per day (based on sedentary TDEE) when I upped my workouts (well added them at that point) I did start eating up to 25% of my exercise calories. You can do either and they basically work out to the same. IF you stay on MFP at 1660 it's set up that you eat back your execs calories that day (however MFP exercise burns are often high so I would keep it to 50%-75%). If you do the TDEE method you NEED to make sure you get your exercise in. You said no loss in the past two weeks, have you taken measurements? I lose a couple pounds, then the scale stalls(for a week or two) and I lose inches, then the scale drops again.

allison1983weber

Oh, yes...they are close. I am using the calories portions on the backs of packaging or just using google for the calories and putting them into MFP, or finding the closest one to what it is on google.

diannethegeek

Assuming that your calories burned are accurate, 1660+600=2260, which is really not that far off from 2322. The two methods are actually giving you similar numbers, they just get there in different ways.

Pick one, use it consistently for a while. If you like your weight loss rate, great! Keep it up. If you're not losing/losing too slowly, then start dropping your calories a little at a time until you get where you want to be.

allison1983weber

Ok, makes sense, but then I should be eating back my exercise calories? I am currently not doing that. I may dip into them a tiny bit but not much. I am also not watching macros at all.

TimothyFish

I agree that you are probably underestimating calorie intake. You're a little heavier than me and I've been losing weight at 1600 calories per day.

allison1983weber

I wish I could accurately determine my calories lost. Right now I am using a table that suggests how many calories burned in the amount of time and based on weight for T25

allison1983weber

Ok, I will try to be close to that. I did lose 16lbs in my first 30 days on MFP and T25 but now it has slowed to nothing. Granted I did indulge a few times, but generally I do not

Amanda4change

allison1983weber wrote: »

Ok, makes sense, but then I should be eating back my exercise calories? I am currently not doing that. I may dip into them a tiny bit but not much. I am also not watching macros at all.

It depends on which one you are using. If your daily goal is the higher number 2322, NO you don't eat them, as they are already accounted for in the higher goal. If you stick with MFP at 1660 then YES you should be eating your exercise calories back.

Macros don't matter when it comes to weight loss (unless you find fats, or proteins or carbs help you stay fuller longer), Macros matter when it comes to overall health.

segacs

Both should come to about the same, as others mentioned. MFP + Exercise Calories = TDEE, roughly.

The bigger issue might be that you're actually eating more than you think you are. Are you weighing all the food you eat on a food scale, or just estimating visually? Are you building your own recipes with actual ingredients and quantities, or are you using "generic" entries in the database that are questionably accurate?

Tighten up on your logging and you'll probably find that you can lose weight at the higher calorie number. You may need to adjust a bit -- no calculator is ever going to be perfectly accurate for your body -- but it should give you a good starting point.

allison1983weber

Definitely going to tighten up on my logging for sure! Thanks everyone

StaciMarie1974

No loss in 2 weeks? You're not going to lose every week. Some weeks you will even gain. Could be due to increased sodium, increased stress, decreased sleep, change in fitness routine, change in carb intake, or TOM. Keep going as you are and eat additional for the exercise routine if you feel you need it. Judge by energy levels and such.

Compare weight today to weight 30 days ago. If you go 4-8 weeks without a decrease, then reevaluate. But you really need to give it 4-8 weeks due to all the things that can cause water weight and temporarily mask weight loss efforts.