TDEE question

nooshi713

How do we really determine our activity level?

If one is doing light workouts 3 times a week but is otherwise sedentary, would activity level be lightly active or sedentary?

What about doing 4 intense workouts per week but otherwise being sedentary?

If the number of workouts is already being accounted for in our activity level by allowing a higher TDEE, then how can eating exercise calories on top of that make sense?

Is a more accurate reflection of activity, the total number of steps per day, and if so, how many steps corresponds to what activity level?

I just want to be more accurate. I'm not sure if I should just put sedentary even though I am working out several times per week. Also, my workouts are primarily weight lifting so I'm not sure how many calories to eat back in that case. Sedentary is so discouraging because MFP only allows me 1300 calories per day to lose only 1/2 lb a week in that case. Since 2 lbs a month is so little and my weight fluctuates several lbs day to day, it is hard to know if I am really losing and I dont want to waste 2-3 months doing the wrong thing. I'm 35, female, 5'0", and 140 lbs btw.

Any insight is appreciated.

cmriverside

The "activity level" as described by the Goal wizard in MFP is for your daily activity.

Not exercise.

So, go by the descriptors the site gives for your daily stuff excluding exercise. Like are you a waitress or a mailman? Do you go to school or sit at a desk?

Here's how the site decides:

From "Help"

https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

cmriverside

With that said, just pick one you think is closest. Log all food and exercise for 4-6 weeks and then adjust if you need to adjust. It's just a starting point and is based on a wide swath of people, but not necessarily YOU.

It's an experiment that we all had to run.

malibu927

MFP doesn't operate on TDEE. It uses NEAT, which doesn't include exercise calories and is why you would eat them back on here.

Pick either TDEE or MFP to follow and do so for 4-6 weeks (once you're past a full menstrual cycle) to gauge your progress. If you weigh often, you may want to look into a weight trending app (Happy Scale for iOS, Libra for Android, or web-based Trendweight) to help you look past the fluctuations.

RoxieDawn

MFP uses NEAT method and not TDEE method. Therefore your activity level in MFP does not include exercise. So if you are sedentary but workout during the week, you put sedentary and add your exercise calorie burns to that each day. So you would eat for example 1300 + exercise cals.

Weight training is not a high calorie burner. Enter in your weight training each time under cardio exercise and it will give you an estimated burn. You can choose to eat back a portion or all of them. Exercise cals no matter source of where you get calculated burns are estimations, what you will want to do is trend your weight loss against calorie intake and what weight is doing over a period of time to determine if you are eating too many back or not enough.

nooshi713

cmriverside wrote: »

The "activity level" as described by the Goal wizard in MFP is for your daily activity.

Not exercise.

So, go by the descriptors the site gives for your daily stuff excluding exercise. Like are you a waitress or a mailman? Do you go to school or sit at a desk?

Here's how the site decides:

From "Help"

https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

Ok but the descriptors for the different activity levels are vague and also mentions exercise or sports. So my main goal is to know my true activity level and I'm having trouble with that. Some days I sit around all day except for my workout. Some days I am getting lots of steps (8000-10000) at work but still not doing anything intense. It varies so much day by day.

RoxieDawn

nooshi713 wrote: »

cmriverside wrote: »

The "activity level" as described by the Goal wizard in MFP is for your daily activity.

Not exercise.

So, go by the descriptors the site gives for your daily stuff excluding exercise. Like are you a waitress or a mailman? Do you go to school or sit at a desk?

Here's how the site decides:

From "Help"

https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

Ok but the descriptors for the different activity levels are vague and also mentions exercise or sports. So my main goal is to know my true activity level and I'm having trouble with that. Some days I sit around all day except for my workout. Some days I am getting lots of steps (8000-10000) at work but still not doing anything intense. It varies so much day by day.

You will have a to pick an activity level in MFP that best suits and adjust it. You could for example start with light active and adjust to sedentary if your weight loss is not in line with your goals.

eta: Everything is basically a base to start with, your real world results trended over 4+ weeks will tell you if you need to adjust upward or down.

sijomial

nooshi713 wrote: »

cmriverside wrote: »

The "activity level" as described by the Goal wizard in MFP is for your daily activity.

Not exercise.

So, go by the descriptors the site gives for your daily stuff excluding exercise. Like are you a waitress or a mailman? Do you go to school or sit at a desk?

Here's how the site decides:

From "Help"

https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

Ok but the descriptors for the different activity levels are vague and also mentions exercise or sports. So my main goal is to know my true activity level and I'm having trouble with that. Some days I sit around all day except for my workout. Some days I am getting lots of steps (8000-10000) at work but still not doing anything intense. It varies so much day by day.

Where are you seeing the descriptors as I'm not seeing any mention of exercise or sports?

cmriverside

nooshi713 wrote: »

cmriverside wrote: »

The "activity level" as described by the Goal wizard in MFP is for your daily activity.

Not exercise.

So, go by the descriptors the site gives for your daily stuff excluding exercise. Like are you a waitress or a mailman? Do you go to school or sit at a desk?

Here's how the site decides:

From "Help"

https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

Ok but the descriptors for the different activity levels are vague and also mentions exercise or sports. So my main goal is to know my true activity level and I'm having trouble with that. Some days I sit around all day except for my workout. Some days I am getting lots of steps (8000-10000) at work but still not doing anything intense. It varies so much day by day.

Pick something close.

I chose Sedentary because I don't work. I do exercise 3-5 times per week and I eat a bit more on those days.

BUT. The Sedentary level is too low for my needs by about 500 calories.

Guess how I know? I logged food and exercise for a few months and found out by my results.

It's not a perfect calculation. YOU have to do the work.

Pick one and use it. Your own data will be your guide.

cmriverside

Also, if you're using a fitbit, that changes everything, and I would imagine you would want to trust your device. That you paid money for.

There are "groups" for device users to help you set up your goals.

Here's the fitbit one: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

nooshi713

I have been using TDEE based on calculators in one of the pinned boards in here. Based on Katch-Mcardle formula it says I can lose 1 lb a week at 1400 calories a day. MFP has me at 1500 cal a day to lose 1/2 lb a week. Very different numbers both based on lightly active activity level. Which is more accurate?


I dont even know if I am really losing due to weight fluctuations. I always weigh at the same time of day....morning without clothes. My weight varies by up to 5 lbs some days. So, it is hard to know if what I am doing is accurate. With such a slow rate of weight loss, I don't want to waste 3-4 months only to find out i have been doing things wrong.

nooshi713

sijomial wrote: »

nooshi713 wrote: »

cmriverside wrote: »

The "activity level" as described by the Goal wizard in MFP is for your daily activity.

Not exercise.

So, go by the descriptors the site gives for your daily stuff excluding exercise. Like are you a waitress or a mailman? Do you go to school or sit at a desk?

Here's how the site decides:

From "Help"

https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

Ok but the descriptors for the different activity levels are vague and also mentions exercise or sports. So my main goal is to know my true activity level and I'm having trouble with that. Some days I sit around all day except for my workout. Some days I am getting lots of steps (8000-10000) at work but still not doing anything intense. It varies so much day by day.

Where are you seeing the descriptors as I'm not seeing any mention of exercise or sports?

I didn't see this in the original link.
I have used descriptors of TDEE based on links on one of the pinned boards.....the one with the BMR, BMI, and TDEE calculators.

sijomial

TDEE and MyFitnessPal activity settings are different and use different BMR multipliers.

Pick one method, use it consistently, adjust based on results.

You are making this far too complicated. Analysis paralysis when you don't understand the tools isn't getting you anywhere.

Poisonedpawn78

In the end you can lose weight by picking any one of them. You need to log your food accurately, pay attention to weight changes over a month or so and make the appropriate adjustments, if you gain, lower calories or be more active, if you lose too fast, eat a bit more based on the rate of loss you need to cover.

You are stressing out too much about the beginning, its all just basic starting points that you are going to need to personalize for YOU.

RoxieDawn

nooshi713 wrote: »

I have been using TDEE based on calculators in one of the pinned boards in here. Based on Katch-Mcardle formula it says I can lose 1 lb a week at 1400 calories a day. MFP has me at 1500 cal a day to lose 1/2 lb a week. Very different numbers both based on lightly active activity level. Which is more accurate?


I dont even know if I am really losing due to weight fluctuations. I always weigh at the same time of day....morning without clothes. My weight varies by up to 5 lbs some days. So, it is hard to know if what I am doing is accurate. With such a slow rate of weight loss, I don't want to waste 3-4 months only to find out i have been doing things wrong.

You will need to choose which method you want to use, TDEE (with exercise included) or MFP NEAT method exercise not included (you add that separately).

The calculators on line, even MFP's calorie goals are all just base numbers in which your real world results after 4+ weeks will tell you if you need to adjust calorie goals, etc..

I understand about the slow rate of loss, I am shorter/older and sedentary outside of exercise. It takes patience and a little diligence to work through your first month or so. You won't waste 3-4 month, keep up with what your weight is doing (trending down means you are in line with goals) and weigh and log food as accurate as possible.