Going by TDEE rather than NEAT?

Lillymoo01

I decided to change from NEAT to add my daily exercise calories and go by TDEE and then add any additional calories on top of that. I thought it would be easier to manage.

However, I don't know if I can cope seeing how much weight I would gain in 5 weeks eating at that amount all the time when I am trying to maintain. Psychological I know but off-putting none the less.

Decisions, decisions. Do I continue as I am, not bother completing my diary every day, or go back to putting all exercise in manually?

amusedmonkey

You could do one of two things:
1. Use the activity level drop down menu and pick an entry that most closely resembles your current TDEE, or
2. Don't press the button that completes your diary

jenilla1

Well, you could try it and see. Lots of people like TDEE.

It wouldn't work for me, because my activity levels vary greatly from day to day. I could go for a few days doing absolutely nothing and then run 12 miles one day, nothing the next, weights and a long hike the day after that... It's never consistent. TDEE would be all over the place. That's why I'm set to sedentary and then add any exercise. I've been at maintenance doing it this way for over 5 years now.

Good luck!

Francl27

If you use TDEE, exercise calories are already included, so you shouldn't eat exercise calories back.

Lillymoo01

Francl27 wrote: »

If you use TDEE, exercise calories are already included, so you shouldn't eat exercise calories back.

At maintenance I worked that out long ago. The issue is that the where you will be in 5 weeks time bit is based on what the app thinks your NEAT should be rather than what you input as your calorie goal for the day. Well this is what I assume if it has me at gaining rather than maintaining.

TimothyFish

If you are going to go the TDEE route then you should set your activity level higher so that it includes your exercise. That way, when you complete your diary the app uses your TDEE rather than NEAT + Exercise.

Francl27

I wouldn't know, I can't remember the last time I actually completed my diary, lol.

jdog022

I manually set mine to TDEE minus 250-500 and adjusted every 10 ibs. didn't log my exercises in this app

Lillymoo01

TimothyFish wrote: »

If you are going to go the TDEE route then you should set your activity level higher so that it includes your exercise. That way, when you complete your diary the app uses your TDEE rather than NEAT + Exercise.

I tried that but one level has me at too few calories and the next too many. Think I'll go back to sedentary and add all my exercise and if I get sick of that I'll just never complete my diary.

lemurcat12

Lillymoo01 wrote: »

I decided to change from NEAT to add my daily exercise calories and go by TDEE and then add any additional calories on top of that. I thought it would be easier to manage.

However, I don't know if I can cope seeing how much weight I would gain in 5 weeks eating at that amount all the time when I am trying to maintain. Psychological I know but off-putting none the less.

Decisions, decisions. Do I continue as I am, not bother completing my diary every day, or go back to putting all exercise in manually?

I like TDEE, but I know what you mean (even though I know it's silly to care). I think I changed activity level to active but then manually put in my calorie goal, since it was similar enough that it stopped telling me I'd gain 5 lbs in 6 weeks. But I also never close my diary any more, so it stopped being an issue.