TDEE method vs MFP

leahcollett1
leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
edited November 22 in Health and Weight Loss
hi everyone

i just wondered what the ratio of people on the above methods and the success theyve had? do people find the TDEE method easier/more straight forward? more successful?
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Replies

  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    i found that mfp way, i struggled on non exercised days, i found that i was exercising more, just to get a few extra calories to eat thta day - the TDEE method gives me a suistainable amount each day it limits me going over, which i find is so much more eaiser to maintain
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    edited August 2015
    I prefer MFP. Exercise and doing it has been integral. I can see the benefits of TDEE for maintenance. I started with MFP because it was the default. My exercise also varies. Horses for courses thopugh as they are 2 sides of the same coin.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    I do the TDEE as it allows me to preplan my days to ensure I am going to be on target and I won't have to chase calories post workout. And MFP is notorious for over estimate calories burned. The TDEE method eliminates that. Also, its a lot easier to manage macros with the TDEE method (at least IMO) and understand your true maintenance number.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    I do the TDEE as it allows me to preplan my days to ensure I am going to be on target and I won't have to chase calories post workout. And MFP is notorious for over estimate calories burned. The TDEE method eliminates that. Also, its a lot easier to manage macros with the TDEE method (at least IMO) and understand your true maintenance number.

    have you had sucessful weightloss?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    I do the TDEE as it allows me to preplan my days to ensure I am going to be on target and I won't have to chase calories post workout. And MFP is notorious for over estimate calories burned. The TDEE method eliminates that. Also, its a lot easier to manage macros with the TDEE method (at least IMO) and understand your true maintenance number.

    have you had sucessful weightloss?

    Absolutely. And I know I maintain at 3000 calories, so when I bulk, I will already know where my starting point will be.

  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    thats really good. have you noticed that the calories in the calculator reduce as you lose weight - how often do you amend on here?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    thats really good. have you noticed that the calories in the calculator reduce as you lose weight - how often do you amend on here?

    While you will technically see a reduction in metabolic (BMR/RMR) functions and you burn less calories as you weight loss (so a reduction in NEAT), I found that I become more active as I lost weight (grant it, I have only lose 25 or 30 lbs) which maintained my TDEE.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    so i shouldnt adjust yet? my calories based on a 25% fat loss was 1750 now is 1699.... i didnt know whether i should change it, nothing else has changed i still train 3-4 days a week
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I have followed TDEE method for the past year, I have found it suits me better especially in maintenance - its about finding what works for us personally :smile:
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    so i shouldnt adjust yet? my calories based on a 25% fat loss was 1750 now is 1699.... i didnt know whether i should change it, nothing else has changed i still train 3-4 days a week

    Do you follow the TDEE or MFP method? What is your average calories over the past 4 weeks, and what is your average weight loss over that period?
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    I follow the TDEE method, entered my stats and exercise at a moderate level 3-4 times a week, the first week i did it, i lost 2lbs, second week i went on holiday gained 4, last week i lost the 4 i gained, so i havent really got an consistant accurate data yet
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Before you can modify it, track it for a good solid weeks starting now. Make sure you have a food scale and log daily.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    i do, yea will do, thank you for your help. ill add you
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited August 2015
    I switched to TDEE after a couple months, it was just easier for me not to have to track every single walk I took. I've lost 80 pounds.

    But it only works if you're consistent with exercise as a whole. MFP motivates you to get a workout in so you can eat more at least. With TDEE, if you don't exercise, you won't lose anything.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    yes this is what i found out, however as a whole im really consistant and i love les mill combat i think its awesome so i get my motivation from that, 80lbs is a massive achievement!!! :)
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    I'm pretty consistent, so TDEE is working well for me. I don't really trust exercise burn estimates, so being able to go by my spreadsheet, which takes into my weight changes and calories into account, allows me to get a fairly accurate handle on how much I burn per day. It's also showing me that doing C25K is adding substantially to my overall burn for the week. I'll probably end up having to add another 300 calories a day.

    In the meantime, I've lost 116 pounds, so it's going OK this way.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    I prefer TDEE because I'm very consistent with my exercise. I also was finding that by using the MFP method, I was eating a ton on my long run days (more than I wanted to) and was eating very little on my rest days. TDEE helps balance that out for me.

    That being said, I have used the MFP method successfully as well. When I first started, I think it was important to see how exercise impacted my calorie goals. I also switched back a month or two ago for a few weeks when I wasn't being diligent about exercise to get me back into the swing of things. Once I got back to my normal motivated self and a regular exercise schedule, I switched back to TDEE.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    I do TDEE and have been for 3 years. It's simpler for me to have a flat calorie goal every day instead of a fluctuating one.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    yes this is what i found out, however as a whole im really consistant and i love les mill combat i think its awesome so i get my motivation from that, 80lbs is a massive achievement!!! :)

    I love Les Mills Combat too. Done it twice so far, waiting for school to start again and I'll do it a third time. Just no idea how many calories it burns, I'm guessing not that many though.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    I think TDEE works great if you are very consistent with your activity level. I'm not, so I use MFP's method.

    MFP's NEAT + Exercise = TDEE. However, exercise is estimated, so probably not as accurate as calculating out TDEE periodically (assuming you aren't consistent with your exercise).

    I use MFP's system for now and I eat more based on the weekly net calories. Basically, a flexible TDEE setup but I rarely succeed in eating 100% of my exercise calories. I intend to switch to TDEE once I hit my goal weight and we'll see how that goes.
  • cld111
    cld111 Posts: 300 Member
    I like earning more food to eat through exercise, so I use MFP's way, and I like it!
  • Richardkempke
    Richardkempke Posts: 3 Member
    How do you go about switching to the tdee method on this app?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    cld111 wrote: »
    I like earning more food to eat through exercise, so I use MFP's way, and I like it!
    TDEE does the same. Not that you have to use it, but it does include the food you've earned through exercise.

  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    yes this is what i found out, however as a whole im really consistant and i love les mill combat i think its awesome so i get my motivation from that, 80lbs is a massive achievement!!! :)

    I love Les Mills Combat too. Done it twice so far, waiting for school to start again and I'll do it a third time. Just no idea how many calories it burns, I'm guessing not that many though.

    Yep it burns between 400-800 calories depending on fitness and individual effort

  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited August 2015
    TDEE, for all the reasons stated - also don't trust the burn estimates on the DB or any devices, which all involve proxy measurements. Plus you hear about syncing problems all the time, where exercise is double counted. I would not want to be relying on those numbers.

    As long as you're working out consistently, putting in a solid effort when you do, watching your intake, and seeing the numbers on the scale (and/or inches around your waist) go down, you're moving in the right direction. (Yes, I have been successful with TDEE.)

    I currently have the NEAT method set up and am logging cardio, but only as a way of kind of tracking goals, because the cardio I can do right now is mind-numbing, and I need to be able to at least tick it off or something. (In effect, I'm still doing TDEE, because I eat the same amount every day whether I do cardio or not, I just go "over" on some days and live with the red numbers.)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2015
    Richardkempke wrote: »
    How do you go about switching to the tdee method on this app?

    Set your calories based on your TDEE goal (not the guided option, but custom) and log exercise as 1 calorie. Oh, and ignore what it says you will lose/gain or just tell it you are active. It won't affect your calorie goal, since you set that yourself, but you won't have it constantly telling you you will gain since it doesn't have the exercise calories.
  • 215in2015
    215in2015 Posts: 5 Member
    The two LBs/week calorie deficit through MFP has worked precisely for me
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    TDEE for me (80+ pounds and heading for first Ironman).
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    yes this is what i found out, however as a whole im really consistant and i love les mill combat i think its awesome so i get my motivation from that, 80lbs is a massive achievement!!! :)

    I love Les Mills Combat too. Done it twice so far, waiting for school to start again and I'll do it a third time. Just no idea how many calories it burns, I'm guessing not that many though.

    Yep it burns between 400-800 calories depending on fitness and individual effort

    I love Les Mills too and use it for my cardio on my non lifting days, but even as a guy, I doubt think burns would be that high.
  • cld111
    cld111 Posts: 300 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    cld111 wrote: »
    I like earning more food to eat through exercise, so I use MFP's way, and I like it!
    TDEE does the same. Not that you have to use it, but it does include the food you've earned through exercise.

    It includes it upfront though, right? I like earning through my fitbit and seeing the count go up throughout the day.
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