TDEE....im confused!

skinniebee43

okay so ive been using no exercise/ desk job as my activity level
...it tells me i can eat 1,650 but mfp tells me 1,700 i know thats only a 50 calorie difference but i really need to maintain my weight and not lose anymore. so if i burn 300 in a day
..should i eat those back? like today im only at 1,583 but i burned 300 during my day...so if 1,650 or 1,700 is my TDEE with no exercise, will i lose weight if i dont eat them back? because if i can eat them back im going too. I'm just worried about losing i used to be anorexic and im now in recovery but all this is still slighty confusing and i want to be able to maintain one weight while still enjoying the foods i like. I keep reading different things and different calorie counters tell me different number...about 100 calories up or down. im just confused....lol help!

ryah1269

Hi there, here is what I have learned so far. Yes you are supposed to eat back your calories.
Also if you want to narrow down your caloric requirements to "maintain" your current weight I would google Mayo clinic calorie calculator and use that to calculate your needs. I also used a free app just called Calorie Calculator to figure it out and I just use the number that seemed to come up more regularly. So then you have used all your resources and if most of them say 1650 and only one says 1700 then go with the most common...hope that helps!

Sunitagt

Everything is just an estimate. I'm not to maintaining yet, but from what I've read it takes time to find the best calorie goal for yourself. So start with 1700, if you're gaining after a few months, move it down a little, if you're losing, move it up.

determinedbutlazy

If you are using TDEE, you are not supposed to eat your calories back. Calculate your number and be honest, are you really sedentary? Do you drive to work, get out your car, take the elevator to your floor, sit at your desk, work, get back in your car, come home, sit on your butt watching TV and then go to bed? If you do ANY walking or stair climbing etc as part of your day you are probably lightly active.

When trying to find the "sweet spot" for calories, you have to experiment. Eat what the TDEE calculator recommends for a month. If you see any significant gains/losses outside your normal monthly water retention (mine is up to 6lbs, eep!) then adjust a couple hundred calories in the required direction.

Don't freak out. You've definitely got this, well done for getting to the point where you are looking to maintain your weight.

heybales

So why are you trying to use the TDEE method, which is TOTAL calories, when you admit you aren't including exercise in the choice of levels?

Just keep using MFP the way it's designed, except change your diet goal to no weight loss.
Log your exercise.
Eat those calories back.

There - for that day and what you actually did, you literally ate your TDEE, or at least a close estimate to it.

If you keep losing, then you are NOT sedentary outside of exercise, so bump MFP up to Lightly Active activity level.

And don't freak out by a couple lbs gain either, I get the idea you will. That's just your body finally adding back on the water weight you lost fast at the start. That's water storing with glucose stores that were never topped off while in a diet.

Time to forget the scale if it freaks you out and look at whatever everyone else actually sees.

You.

AyeHarper

I'm also curious, at the end of the day, is my Net supposed to be at 1200? a lot of days it's in the negatives...

heybales

I'm also curious, at the end of the day, is my Net supposed to be at 1200? a lot of days it's in the negatives...

Using MFP as designed yes.

MFP has taken a 500 or 1000 calorie cut, if you selected 2 lb goal loss, from a maintenance figure that includes NO exercise accounted for - normal daily life.

If you exercise, you just increased that maintenance figure, and so when you take the same 1000 off, you'll be eating more.

Same deficit on rest and workout days.

That's why when your log your exercise, you have hopefully noticed the daily goal goes up by the same amount.

Your net is 1200 if a short woman and you feel like eating minimum for safety reasons and probably getting the least out of your workouts that you can. Because your body isn't going to be able to improve much with just what's left over for a sedentary woman to eat.

You made it 1200 BTW, by your selection of activity level, honest or not, and selection of weight loss goal, taking recommended or not.

AyeHarper

I work out 4-6 days a week, burning at least 1000 calories when I go. So, not sedentary . Thank you for your information

trogalicious

I work out 4-6 days a week, burning at least 1000 calories when I go. So, not sedentary . Thank you for your information

right. the point is, MFP gave you 1200 as a goal because of what you told MFP.

MFP is just a calculator. It's inherently broken because it allows people to put incorrect/wrong information in, then wonder why they're so hungry or not losing weight...

heybales

I work out 4-6 days a week, burning at least 1000 calories when I go. So, not sedentary . Thank you for your information

in addition to above reminder, MFP Activity levels don't have anything to do with exercise, but totally NON-exercise daily activity.

Yes, you could work out that much and actually be considered Sedentary according to MFP.

Using the TDEE deficit method that does include everything, obviously not, Very Active on that scale.

Be aware though, if all that exercise is merely to burn calories, you got the wrong idea.

Diet is for weight loss, if done right just fat loss.
Exercise is for heart health and body improvements, and done right it can assist fat loss, or make it muscle mass too.

Going in to a diet is the wrong time to try to pump up the volume, your body's ability to recover is hampered, more so the bigger the deficit.

That's what I meant by getting much if any improvement from the exercise. Sure at the start when you can do all kinds of foolish things, but that will quickly end the worse it is the faster it will.

TheFitnessTutor

I work out 4-6 days a week, burning at least 1000 calories when I go. So, not sedentary . Thank you for your information

right. the point is, MFP gave you 1200 as a goal because of what you told MFP.

MFP is just a calculator. It's inherently broken because it allows people to put incorrect/wrong information in, then wonder why they're so hungry or not losing weight...

^This,^ this,^ this^....

And if you want to burn 1000 calories while only eating less than 2000 welcome to future metabolic trouble-Ville, population you.

skinniebee43

i workout on some days for about 30 mins at a 3.5 pace but some days i dont get to it and only burn around 300 and thats just with my daily activity and i already have my setting at no exercise just because i wanna be sure im only eating back what i burned and not over...so my question is if i can eat 1,700 and do nothing all day and not gain...when i do get exercise can i eat back what i burned to make it 1,700?

skinniebee43

when i add my daily activity it tells me i can eat 1,915 im just making sure this is correct! i love food now days lol

skinniebee43

thank you

BonnieCaley

Sorry to jump in your post!! So I'm using TDEE, just to check - I don't log any exercise into MFP, the TDEE calculator set me 1501 calories per day (I'm 5ft 1 and 160lbs). Also how important are macros? I struggle most days to get 40% protein and that's using protein shakes. Any help appreciated

heybales

Sorry to jump in your post!! So I'm using TDEE, just to check - I don't log any exercise into MFP, the TDEE calculator set me 1501 calories per day (I'm 5ft 1 and 160lbs). Also how important are macros? I struggle most days to get 40% protein and that's using protein shakes. Any help appreciated

Protein not as important during maintenance, not at that level anyway, because there's not the same risk to muscle mass as in a diet.

But if doing any lifting and want to see results, the same 0.82 gram per lb bodyweight or 1 gr per lb of LBM is still good to follow. And that many times ends up being below that 40%.

At that point, just what works for getting in more if desired and able.

heybales

i workout on some days for about 30 mins at a 3.5 pace but some days i dont get to it and only burn around 300 and thats just with my daily activity and i already have my setting at no exercise just because i wanna be sure im only eating back what i burned and not over...so my question is if i can eat 1,700 and do nothing all day and not gain...when i do get exercise can i eat back what i burned to make it 1,700?

when i add my daily activity it tells me i can eat 1,915 im just making sure this is correct! i love food now days lol

Your goal is to maintain weight.

If you burned 1915 one day, that's what you eat.
If you burned 1700 the next day, that's what you eat.

If you averaged the whole week together of your average exercise routine and came up with 1800, that's what you eat daily, exercise or not.

Now, you can NOT use the TDEE 5 level table to try to do that on a daily basis, notice it's talking the weekly level.

Or use your actual results as a guide, never freaking out over couple lb gain of water weight if you weighed on non-valid day or started new intense workout.

Goal weight now should be a range of 5lbs at maintenance, and how your clothes fit more importantly.
Have a "truth" outfit you put on that will point out quickly if it fits tight or not.

ottermotorcycle

I'm also curious, at the end of the day, is my Net supposed to be at 1200? a lot of days it's in the negatives...

I know this has been addressed but it's really bothering me. The negatives?! As in, NEGATIVE net calories?! For one, you're 22 years old according to your profile and pretty thin according to your picture and you should absolutely NOT be eating a net of 1200 calories. MFP is a calculator designed for people who are overweight and over 35. You need to set yourself at a higher multiplier, "Moderately Active" at least. But if you are eating NEGATIVE net calories, you really need to consult a professional. I hope you meant negative as in under your goal...

BonnieCaley

Hi thanks for replying, I've got 30lbs to go until I reach maintenance, I do kickboxing twice a week and walk 1-2 hours per day.

heybales

Hi thanks for replying, I've got 30lbs to go until I reach maintenance, I do kickboxing twice a week and walk 1-2 hours per day.

Not sure how you estimated TDEE level with walking, but as you've probably observed, 1 hrs of kick-boxing isn't the same burn as 1 hr of walking.
So just looking at that time flat out, with most tables say 6 hrs of exercise weekly is Very Active, isn't true for walking.

Might try this.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1018768-better-rough-estimate-of-tdee-than-5-level-chart

Same formula the charts use for getting the calorie levels, but some thoughts on how you tweak your hrs to apply to the charts.

BonnieCaley

Didn't count my walking when using TDEE - just trying to give you a rough idea of what I do, thanks for replying