TDEE, Macros & Deficits... Oh, My!
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shutupandlift13
Posts: 727 Member
By now, I would assume that most of you have heard of TDEE and macros and how they both play into choosing appropriate calorie goals and macronutrient goals. But sometimes it doesn't hurt to have a refresher.
TDEE - total daily energy expenditure, BMR + all calories burned from normal daily activity + all calories burned from exercise aka what you need to eat to maintain your weight. Technically this number varies daily, at least varies with your workouts day to day and also with rest days. The common theme on MFP, mostly in the In Place Of A Road Map crew, is TDEE-20%. I think this is a pretty solid place for people to start.
My only caution is to be conservative with estimating your TDEE. Unfortunately, lifting hard and heavy for an hour with a little cardio afterwards 4 or 5 days a week does not entitle you to the status of "moderately active" when you have a desk job that involves you sitting on your rear most of the day. I like to err on the conservative side, try it out for a few weeks and then adjust according to how much I am losing as well as my energy levels. The TDEE-20% is a more appropriate approach than the TDEE-500cal or whichever calorie deficit provides Xlbs lost per week. 1) It gets you away from that I have to lose Xlbs per week and if it doesn't happen then CLEARLY I HAVE BEEN LIED TO AND SABOTAGED mentality
2) 500 calorie per day deficits can be a big chunk of cals for the shorter and thinner gals around here which can lead to lack of energy and sometimes binges to compensate.
Helpful Sites for Calculating TDEE:
• http://www.fitnessfrog.com
• http://http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
• http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
• http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/how-to-estimate-maintenance-caloric-intake.html
I personally love the last link and it comes out pretty close with the estimates from the other sites. Its quick and dirty, plus pretty much anything Lyle McDonald writes is goooooood sh[url]it.
The other magical part about TDEE-20% when paired up with proper macronutrition and resistance training *cough* heavy lifting *cough* it leads to minimal loss of lean body mass. Which leads me to macros...
Macronutrients are comprised of protein, fat, carbohydrates and also alcohol. Alcohol just happens to be a fairly worthless one in the grand scheme of things but it's fun and tasty, so enjoy in moderation after you've hit your other macro goals.
Rough Guidelines for Macronutrient Goals:
• Protein (minimum goal) - protein consumption helps minimize loss of lean body mass aka those muscles that make us look fit and hot after the fat is gone as well as allow us to continue to progress with our lifting PRs and overall endurance. Preferably these are coming from whole food sources like meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, fish, and nuts but sometimes we need to supplement to hit these goals. A basic whey (isolate is my weapon of choice) can do the trick without tasting horirble.
o 1-1.5g per lb of Lean Body Mass OR
o 0.8-1g per lb of Bodyweight
o 100g is a BARE MINIMUM for most women. If you are just starting out trying to increase your protein intake this is a good benchmark to start out at. After you get used to consuming 100g, you can try to increase your intake up closer to the first two suggestions based on personal stats.
• Fat (minimum goal) - fat is essential for absorption of Vitamins A, D, E and K. We all know Vitamin D is the feel good one so without proper fat consumption, you can be soaking up the sun or popping supps all day long with little to no benefit. Also, Vitamin D increases absorption of calcium in the small intestine, that's a big deal for women and the prevention of osteoporosis. Vitamin A is pretty vital within your immune system as well as proper eye function, bone growth, reproduction and all functions requiring mucus production. Vitamin E is important for the protection of red blood cells and essential fatty acids. Vitamin K aids in normal blood clotting, promotes bone health and assists in producing proteins for blood, bones and kidneys. So A, D and K all help with bone health and are fat soluble, so DON'T FEAR THE FAT! Not only does it have health benefits, paired with protein it can leave you feeling more satiated after consumption and sometimes helps to curb a person's appetite or frequent hunger pangs.
o 0.3g per lb of Body Weight
o This will probably be at least 40g for most women
• Carbs (purely preferential) - carbs and alcohol are the two macronutrients that tend to be completely up to the individual to decide how much they will consume after hitting the other macronutrient minimums. I personally do better in more of a low carb/ketosis diet mostly because carb as well as cal dense foods tend to be binge triggering for me so I've chosen to eat them in moderation, usually during special occasions. But it's up to each of you to decide how much of these tasty bad boys you would like to eat... as long as you are staying within your calorie goal.
Deficit Doesn't Have To Be A Four Letter Word
I guess this brings this full circle back to TDEE-20%. TDEE-20% allows people to eat enough food to not get hangry. Also, it allows you to eat enough to have solid work outs. Happy stomach, happy macros, happy gym time and that equals a happy person who has a much better chance of staying consistent and therefore a much better chance of reaching their goals. At 1700 calories a day I am able to meet my macro goals in an enjoyable way, which, as a foodie, is a big deal. I also have tweaked my eating schedule to allow for a larger evening meal which some might know as Intermittent Fasting. While I understand the science of IF, I am still a little skeptical of the success people see being because of the "science" behind it or the personalization of their eating schedule to allow for better adherence to a calorie deficit. I'm going to try to con Casey into writing about IF, we'll see how that goes.[/url]
TDEE - total daily energy expenditure, BMR + all calories burned from normal daily activity + all calories burned from exercise aka what you need to eat to maintain your weight. Technically this number varies daily, at least varies with your workouts day to day and also with rest days. The common theme on MFP, mostly in the In Place Of A Road Map crew, is TDEE-20%. I think this is a pretty solid place for people to start.
My only caution is to be conservative with estimating your TDEE. Unfortunately, lifting hard and heavy for an hour with a little cardio afterwards 4 or 5 days a week does not entitle you to the status of "moderately active" when you have a desk job that involves you sitting on your rear most of the day. I like to err on the conservative side, try it out for a few weeks and then adjust according to how much I am losing as well as my energy levels. The TDEE-20% is a more appropriate approach than the TDEE-500cal or whichever calorie deficit provides Xlbs lost per week. 1) It gets you away from that I have to lose Xlbs per week and if it doesn't happen then CLEARLY I HAVE BEEN LIED TO AND SABOTAGED mentality
2) 500 calorie per day deficits can be a big chunk of cals for the shorter and thinner gals around here which can lead to lack of energy and sometimes binges to compensate.Helpful Sites for Calculating TDEE:
• http://www.fitnessfrog.com
• http://http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
• http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
• http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/how-to-estimate-maintenance-caloric-intake.html
I personally love the last link and it comes out pretty close with the estimates from the other sites. Its quick and dirty, plus pretty much anything Lyle McDonald writes is goooooood sh[url]it.
The other magical part about TDEE-20% when paired up with proper macronutrition and resistance training *cough* heavy lifting *cough* it leads to minimal loss of lean body mass. Which leads me to macros...
Macronutrients are comprised of protein, fat, carbohydrates and also alcohol. Alcohol just happens to be a fairly worthless one in the grand scheme of things but it's fun and tasty, so enjoy in moderation after you've hit your other macro goals.
Rough Guidelines for Macronutrient Goals:
• Protein (minimum goal) - protein consumption helps minimize loss of lean body mass aka those muscles that make us look fit and hot after the fat is gone as well as allow us to continue to progress with our lifting PRs and overall endurance. Preferably these are coming from whole food sources like meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, fish, and nuts but sometimes we need to supplement to hit these goals. A basic whey (isolate is my weapon of choice) can do the trick without tasting horirble.
o 1-1.5g per lb of Lean Body Mass OR
o 0.8-1g per lb of Bodyweight
o 100g is a BARE MINIMUM for most women. If you are just starting out trying to increase your protein intake this is a good benchmark to start out at. After you get used to consuming 100g, you can try to increase your intake up closer to the first two suggestions based on personal stats.
• Fat (minimum goal) - fat is essential for absorption of Vitamins A, D, E and K. We all know Vitamin D is the feel good one so without proper fat consumption, you can be soaking up the sun or popping supps all day long with little to no benefit. Also, Vitamin D increases absorption of calcium in the small intestine, that's a big deal for women and the prevention of osteoporosis. Vitamin A is pretty vital within your immune system as well as proper eye function, bone growth, reproduction and all functions requiring mucus production. Vitamin E is important for the protection of red blood cells and essential fatty acids. Vitamin K aids in normal blood clotting, promotes bone health and assists in producing proteins for blood, bones and kidneys. So A, D and K all help with bone health and are fat soluble, so DON'T FEAR THE FAT! Not only does it have health benefits, paired with protein it can leave you feeling more satiated after consumption and sometimes helps to curb a person's appetite or frequent hunger pangs.
o 0.3g per lb of Body Weight
o This will probably be at least 40g for most women
• Carbs (purely preferential) - carbs and alcohol are the two macronutrients that tend to be completely up to the individual to decide how much they will consume after hitting the other macronutrient minimums. I personally do better in more of a low carb/ketosis diet mostly because carb as well as cal dense foods tend to be binge triggering for me so I've chosen to eat them in moderation, usually during special occasions. But it's up to each of you to decide how much of these tasty bad boys you would like to eat... as long as you are staying within your calorie goal.
Deficit Doesn't Have To Be A Four Letter Word
I guess this brings this full circle back to TDEE-20%. TDEE-20% allows people to eat enough food to not get hangry. Also, it allows you to eat enough to have solid work outs. Happy stomach, happy macros, happy gym time and that equals a happy person who has a much better chance of staying consistent and therefore a much better chance of reaching their goals. At 1700 calories a day I am able to meet my macro goals in an enjoyable way, which, as a foodie, is a big deal. I also have tweaked my eating schedule to allow for a larger evening meal which some might know as Intermittent Fasting. While I understand the science of IF, I am still a little skeptical of the success people see being because of the "science" behind it or the personalization of their eating schedule to allow for better adherence to a calorie deficit. I'm going to try to con Casey into writing about IF, we'll see how that goes.
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