Yes, another question about TDEE

OptimisticlyOptimistic

So, I figured out my TDEE and chose sedentary because of my desk job. I don't want to figure exercise into the TDEE, because it has been inconsistent (something I'm working at trying to do consistently). So since I chose sedentary, and am eating my TDEE - 20%; do I eat back my exercise calories (like those burned on my 3.7 mile walk today), or no?

TIA for your input.

mollyW2012

No. By choosing to base your calories at TDEE-20%, you do not eat back your exercise calories.

ladynocturne

Yes, if TDEE is set to sedentary when you do the -20%, you would eat your exercise calories back.

Basically, you found out how many calories you maintain your current weight on, then you made a deficit by subtracting 20%. This is pretty much what MFP does for you when you set up your profile.

jwdieter

If you're doing TDEE, you don't eat back your exercise calories. If you were inaccurate with your original inputs (e.g. exercising more frequently), you can adjust your TDEE calculations.

micheleb15

With TDEE you don't eat back your calories. That's why most people go with TDEE; it helps to eat the same amount of calories everyday. You must make sure that your activity level reflects your lifestyle though. If you workout, you are not sedentary.

da_bears10089

Some people eat back exercise calories, but that kinda defeats the whole TDEE idea. I would change your settings to lightly active and go with that number across the board.

palmerar

Just a helpful hint- I found that using the TDEE method made me more accountable with exercise. I put myself as lightly active, so I made sure I got my 1-3 hours in a week. If I end up exercising harder or more often during the week I don't adjust my calories on MFP but I do up them a little bit.

CallMeCupcakeDammit

Go here

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

supremelady

Yes, if TDEE is set to sedentary when you do the -20%, you would eat your exercise calories back.

Basically, you found out how many calories you maintain your current weight on, then you made a deficit by subtracting 20%. This is pretty much what MFP does for you when you set up your profile.

This^^^

If you set it to sedentary it doesn't add you exercise into the equation.

The only time you don't eat back your calories is if you select light, moderate, etc activities

Vailara

Yes, you could eat back your exercise calories (as you haven't counted them in your TDEE calculation). If you used an online calculator to work out your sedentary TDEE, it might be that it really is what your TDEE would be if totally sedentary (e.g. without walking to work, round the shops, etc.), so your actual figure might be a little higher. On the other hand, if it's accurate, you might find that you have quite a small deficit. What you could do in that case is eat 80% of your exercise calories (so you're actually eating your total TDEE - 20%).

Personally, I've found the only way to get it right is just to track your weight loss and see if it corresponds with your deficit. (e.g. if you had a deficit of 250 calories, you'd expect to lose about 1/2 lb a week. If you find over a couple of months that you're losing more or less than that, then your TDEE might be more or less than you think it is!).

jwdieter

There are a lot of things people can do. Like, you can put in 2 lbs/week into MFP, then eat 500 calories/day over the target plus 70% of your exercise calories. And you'd lose weight.

But it would be *kitten*-backward and confusing. Like doing TDEE-20%, putting in the wrong activity level, and partially logging exercise. Hey, it technically should work, but it's "doing it wrong".

What you want to do is choose a method, choose accurate inputs, and then log appropriately.