Working out TDEE

kittynat

Can I ask a silly question?
Using one of the calculators my TDEE is 2064 then - 20% is 1651.

I currently do 1-3 hours of exercise a week.

So do I eat to that calorie goal every day (1651), even if I don't exercise on that day?

Also, what happens when I can't exercise as much in a given week?

v confused?!

jemhh

Yes, you eat that every day during weeks when you exercise that much. That's the thing about using your TDEE to set your goal--you have to consistently exercise. Missing now and then is fine but the idea is to do it the vast majority of the time. Otherwise you'll need to recalculate your calorie goal often.

SezxyStef

Yes you eat 1651 everyday regardless of exercise.

If you can't exercise continue as is but if that becomes a trend TDEE isn't for you.

TDEE is good for those with consistent exercise...if you aren't consistent TDEE becomes a very frequently moving target and you chance gaining.

TimothyFish

If you don't exercise as much, you don't lose as much weight and you might even gain weight. That is why MFP has you log exercise separately, so you maintain a constant calorie deficit, even when you aren't able to exercise.

Brolympus

OP you should note that regardless of what the calculator says, you are going to have to calibrate the calories a bit before you hit the calorie level that works for you. TDEE is just going to get you in the ballpark.

Example: I got frustrated on my first cut because my TDEE - 20% was supposed to be 2300 calories. I even had a BodPod scan done to get my exact BF% so I could calculate it correctly, and using the BF% with Catch-McKardle it came back at 2350.

A month later, my weight hadn't budged at all. I had to calibrate down all the way to 2100 before I finally started to lean out. This is because of small logging inaccuracies of calories and exercise over the course of the day; it is easy to goof 100-200 calories per day, and when you are only eating 1650 like you are, 200 calories is a big chunk of your daily caloric intake.

So if your goal is weight loss, err on the side of caution and assume you are going to goof a bit each day, it is impossible to log cals down to more than 10% accuracy (and borderline OCD to try to). Watch the weight over a period of 2-3 weeks, and just keep calibrating in 100 or 200 calorie increments until you see the result you want.