TDEE method versus logging & eating back exercise calories?

rankinsect

What are people's thoughts on diet approach. To date, I've been just tracking average TDEE via an Excel spreadsheet that grabs my MFP logs for diet and weight and calculates my effective average TDEE. Then I use that as a starting point for determining my calorie goal. I would keep the goal the same every day, regardless of what exercise I did or didn't do on a given day, because all I was considering was average energy expended over time.

That works really well for meal planning, because as long as I come up with various options that are around the same calorie count, I can mix and match pretty simply.

I do worry, though, that this effectively means I eat at a much bigger deficit on days I do training, and I worry that could impair the effects of training - the point of the strength training to be preservation of lean mass. Am I going to see noticeably better results if I switch it up and try to set a lower goal for non-exercise days, and eat back some portion of my exercise calories on the training days?

dhimaan

On heavy lifting days I keep protein high and calories high (near or above maintenance as I am slowly cutting). On non workout days protein is not as high so are the calories.

There is method to this madness especially if you are cutting. Learn about high calorie anabolic days and moderate calorie catabolic days.

Kalikel

It really doesn't matter how you end up eating less than you burn, as long as you end up doing it. Do whatever math floats your boat.

I like the way MFP does it, giving people extra calories for extra exercise, but any way you go about it will work.

arditarose

Blah I need cliffs. You are over thinking things. The strength training is part of your TDEE, you're not eating at a bigger deficit on strength training days, per se. If you're hungry and you prefer to eat more on the days you lift, you could try that. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with eating the same amount of calories every day when it comes to lifting/saving lbm.

DeguelloTex

I do weekly TDEE but have a higher calorie goal on lifting days.

middlehaitch

In the summer when I don't have a strict exercise regime I use MFP's NEAT method, and add extra calories when I do exercise.

In the winter I up my calories by a steady 200, then log and calculate my TDEE against my exercise energy expenditure and loss/ gain over a 2-3 week time period ( in maintenance so can see changes fast). That is then my calorie goal for the winter.

I find a steady calorie intake more satisfying than eating to an exercise routine as some days I will have a split day and don't have time to get in extra calories. ( get sick and bloated feelings).

I don't think it make a difference to me, except for the stomach comfort factor, how I split the calories, just as long as I eat to my requirements.

Cheers, h.

Sued0nim

I eat at MFP sedentary plus exercise plus a couple of hundred (cos I kept losing weight sticking to it)

But I work it over rolling weeks so I'm over by 1000 in the last 7 days I'll cut back a little next week

I find this method encourages me to focus on my activity level, and try to maintain my exercise programme

middlehaitch

Rabbitjb, that is funny, I used to do it like you, but was playing a never ending battle of catch up on calories, so I just worked out my TDEE.
My TDEE keeps my weight steady, so long as I don't miss more than one day a week. Keeps me honest.

Cheers, h.

cityruss

Weekly TDEE for me.

Protranser

I do it the same way rabbitjb does. This was especially helpful for me over the last week; I've been sitting home doing no strength or cardio training because of an injury, and wanted to be sure my CI was lower than my CO for the week. If I were doing TDEE I'd probably have a higher CI than CO this week, and while that's not the end of the world, I'd prefer not to give myself the excuse to gain (unnecessary) fat because of an injury.