TDEE/activity level question?

sg992
sg992 Posts: 60 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys, quick question on differences in calorie intake based on your activity level. So I have mine set to sedentary, and according to the scooby calculator I burn ~1770 at this level in a day with no exercise. Therefore I make sure to net 1200 every day (4 days a week I just eat 1200 in the day, on the 3 days I do cardio I eat back my exercise calories and get up to around 1450, still balancing out that 1200 net). In a typical week based on this I'll eat about 9150.

My question is, if I switch my activity level to exercising 1-3 times a week, it says my TDEE is ~2000, so to keep that 500 calorie deficit I would be eating 1500 each day, adding up to 10500 calories a week. This seems like a pretty big difference! I like to log all my exercise so I know I'm eating the right amount of calories back equal to the amount I burn, but am I doing something wrong here?

I'm also planning on adding 3 days of pilates/strength training in a couple weeks time, so I know that'll change the whole matter again. My weight loss has slowed down quite a bit lately so I'm hoping that will give it a kick-start again.

Replies

  • fatfudgery
    fatfudgery Posts: 449 Member
    If you account for your exercise in your TDEE, then you wouldn't subtract your exercise calories from your total because then you'd be counting them twice. Also, if I'm reading your post correctly, you're only burning 750 calories a week doing cardio, which is really not a lot and probably on the low end of what Scooby considers for his "1-3 times a week" exercise calculation.

    Hope that helps!
  • sg992
    sg992 Posts: 60 Member
    If you account for your exercise in your TDEE, then you wouldn't subtract your exercise calories from your total because then you'd be counting them twice. Also, if I'm reading your post correctly, you're only burning 750 calories a week doing cardio, which is really not a lot and probably on the low end of what Scooby considers for his "1-3 times a week" exercise calculation.

    Hope that helps!

    Yeah, I know that, it'd be the 1500 every day - but that adds up to a lot more than just logging what I'm doing and eating back exercise calories. And yes the cardio I do is quite light so it only adds on a bit more to my weekly intake, which is why I think the 'lightly active' activity level might be pushing up my calories too high?
  • ness12346
    ness12346 Posts: 65
    I would agree with alk - keep your level at sedentary and just add in your exercise calories when you do exercise. That's what works best for me!
  • fatfudgery
    fatfudgery Posts: 449 Member
    that adds up to a lot more than just logging what I'm doing and eating back exercise calories.

    Not really: there's only a 230 calorie difference between 1770 and 2000. If you're burning ~120 cal/day on average (750 cal/week), that brings the difference between the two plans to ~110 cal/day, which is not a lot and still leaves you at a good deficit.

    Remember these calculators are just meant to give you a rough estimate; you should adjust your calories up or down as you see how your body reacts over a few weeks.

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