How did you change from MFP way to TDEE method?

Makoce

I need to switch to maintenance, but I'm finding it awfully hard with my MFP settings set to "sedentary" to run myself ragged and burn myself out trying to exercise like crazy to eat more day-to-day.

SO, I decided I want to swap my way of doing things from adding calories back, to having them accounted for - so the TDEE method.

I go to the gym 1 - 2 times a week and do the Arc Trainer for an hour, with a random walk here or there for 30 - 40 minutes that would consider me about lightly active right?
Most calculators give me anywhere from 1600 - 1800 calories, so I might try to reach in the middle around 1700??
Does that sound like too much? ( Female, 5'2, 106LBS, 21yrs old )

Anyway, I'm at 1400 calories now - adding back exercise calories still at this point.
I plan to add another 100 to make it 1500 Monday for next week.

So...when should I stop logging exercises?
Should I cut them in half and then completely wean them out, or just stop logging them until I reach the 1700 in like two - three weeks as I add 100 cals a week?

Just want to do this right without gaining or anything, Im very nervous about maintenance to begin with and swapping methods is kinda nerve wracking to add onto it.

lebbyloses

I'm doing the same thing. I just stopped logging exercise, and I'm adding 50 calories per week till I get to about where I guess I should be. Then I'll tweak up and down till it stabilizes. It's going to take a while, but I like having a project.

Makoce

Why 50? Just personal preference?
It seems like most people pick 100 calories a week so that's what I was going to go with, but I dont want to add too much at once?

And okay, I'll probably stop logging exercise tomorrow then.

SezxyStef

You can use an online calculator such as scooby to calculate your TDEE and input it into your settings under custom.

or you can use your own data...

Total calories consumed+(weight lost x 3500)/# days

# of days it is suggested to use 2-4 weeks. Then you have your own TDEE...no guesstimates.

You can still log your exercise if you want just change the calorie burns to 1 calorie.

Makoce

You can use an online calculator such as scooby to calculate your TDEE and input it into your settings under custom.

or you can use your own data...

Total calories consumed+(weight lost x 3500)/# days

# of days it is suggested to use 2-4 weeks. Then you have your own TDEE...no guesstimates.

You can still log your exercise if you want just change the calorie burns to 1 calorie.

This doesn't answer anything I asked really though.
I already used scooby and it gave me around 1680

almc170

You can use an online calculator such as scooby to calculate your TDEE and input it into your settings under custom.

or you can use your own data...

Total calories consumed+(weight lost x 3500)/# days

# of days it is suggested to use 2-4 weeks. Then you have your own TDEE...no guesstimates.

You can still log your exercise if you want just change the calorie burns to 1 calorie.

This doesn't answer anything I asked really though.
I already used scooby and it gave me around 1680

Her suggestion made perfect sense, and is likely more accurate than any online calculator. Figure out your average calorie burn (including exercise) and then eat at that level for maintenance. You can increase calories slowly if you wish.

PaytraB

You can still log your exercise if you want just change the calorie burns to 1 calorie.

This doesn't answer anything I asked really though.
I already used scooby and it gave me around 1680

Trust TDEE calculations as a good starting point. Aim for 1680 calories/day and continue to log your exercise but, as mentioned, change the calories burned to 1. This keeps you aware of your exercise and you'll know whether your TDEE setting is accurate (what you set into it to get the 1680).
If you're still losing after a month, add some calories.

chezjuan

I switched to TDEE after working on maintenance using the MFP method for a while. I simply started eating my TDEE calories rather than slowly increase, since I was basically eating that number when you figure in eating back exercise. When I started eating TDEE, I stopped logging my exercise. I tried the "enter one calorie" thing, but didn't stick to that.

I had been working on maintenance with MFP for a couple of months or so, though. When I initially went to maintenance, I did slowly increase calories by about 100 a week net.

I started out using online calculators to get a base maintenance number, then tweaked it from there by about 50 calories one way or the other depending on what my body was doing. I used a few calculators and then

arl1286

I don't trust calculators, haha. I just made this switch. Took what I've been eating (on net) to lose weight, added a little bit back (to reach maintenance calories), and then took the amount of calories I expect to burn exercising, divided that by 7, and added that to what I already have.

SezxyStef

You can use an online calculator such as scooby to calculate your TDEE and input it into your settings under custom.

or you can use your own data...

Total calories consumed+(weight lost x 3500)/# days

# of days it is suggested to use 2-4 weeks. Then you have your own TDEE...no guesstimates.

You can still log your exercise if you want just change the calorie burns to 1 calorie.

This doesn't answer anything I asked really though.
I already used scooby and it gave me around 1680

So...when should I stop logging exercises? Still log change calories to 1 (answered)

Should I cut them in half and then completely wean them out, or just stop logging them until I reach the 1700 in like two - three weeks as I add 100 cals a week?see above

And when your stats are entered into Scooby with 1-3hours of light exercise your TDEE per that site is 1809 actually. Moderate exercise gives you 2000

Scooby gives me a TDEE of 2250...based on my 3-5 hours of moderate exercise a week, age etc.

I know that's not true...my TDEE is 1995 based on the calculation above and that number hasn't changed at all since I started using it. Those wedsites give estimates but if you feel my original response is of no use good luck on your journey...and have fun with the headache that is TDEE Estimates.

obsidianwings

1700 calories sounds a reasonable place to start

Makoce

You can use an online calculator such as scooby to calculate your TDEE and input it into your settings under custom.

or you can use your own data...

Total calories consumed+(weight lost x 3500)/# days

# of days it is suggested to use 2-4 weeks. Then you have your own TDEE...no guesstimates.

You can still log your exercise if you want just change the calorie burns to 1 calorie.

This doesn't answer anything I asked really though.
I already used scooby and it gave me around 1680

So...when should I stop logging exercises? Still log change calories to 1 (answered)

Should I cut them in half and then completely wean them out, or just stop logging them until I reach the 1700 in like two - three weeks as I add 100 cals a week?see above

And when your stats are entered into Scooby with 1-3hours of light exercise your TDEE per that site is 1809 actually. Moderate exercise gives you 2000

Scooby gives me a TDEE of 2250...based on my 3-5 hours of moderate exercise a week, age etc.

I know that's not true...my TDEE is 1995 based on the calculation above and that number hasn't changed at all since I started using it. Those wedsites give estimates but if you feel my original response is of no use good luck on your journey...and have fun with the headache that is TDEE Estimates.

I misread your post actually...ah..sorry
I didnt realize that was a formula when reading it on my phone.
Now that Im online I understand what you were saying.

Im a little confused by it, though.
Total calories consumed, where do I get that number? Since I consume a different amount of calories daily.
Weight loss would be 61lbs x 3500 and it took me about 375 days of logging to get there.

How would I do this o:? Im math dumb.

lebbyloses

Why 50? Just personal preference?
It seems like most people pick 100 calories a week so that's what I was going to go with, but I dont want to add too much at once?

And okay, I'll probably stop logging exercise tomorrow then.

Personal preference. 100 seemed scary to me. I have lost a bit more as I've moved into maintenance, which I like but you might not.

heybales

I misread your post actually...ah..sorry
I didnt realize that was a formula when reading it on my phone.
Now that Im online I understand what you were saying.

Im a little confused by it, though.
Total calories consumed, where do I get that number? Since I consume a different amount of calories daily.
Weight loss would be 61lbs x 3500 and it took me about 375 days of logging to get there.

How would I do this o:? Im math dumb.

Total calories consumed, from your phone app, and a notepad to write down the info.
Easiest on app for weekly view, tap each day and it will tell you what you ate in total each day.
Go for 4 weeks where you lost some weight from start to finish, valid log in days.

Don't go for the whole time, because your energy burns for daily life would change moving around less mass.

Hence the last 4 weeks where you lost weight in the equation.

As long as you keep the same workout going forward as you did during that 4 weeks on average, you have your average TDEE. And could eat that daily. If you do more come spring, eat more. If you do even more come summer, eat even more.

heybales

Why 50? Just personal preference?
It seems like most people pick 100 calories a week so that's what I was going to go with, but I dont want to add too much at once?

And okay, I'll probably stop logging exercise tomorrow then.

Personal preference. 100 seemed scary to me. I have lost a bit more as I've moved into maintenance, which I like but you might not.

Doing the math is always useful.

If you ate daily 250 more than true maintenance, for 2 whole weeks, you would gain just 1 pound.

And if working out any decent regular amount, that pound isn't even going to be fat as your body uses the extra calories to make improvements.

Does 100 sound scary now, with 250 more for 2 weeks only being 1 lb?