Calculating TDEE/ eating exercise calories might be wrong?

she_said

Hey everybody,

I am new here and have a question about eating exercise calories.

What I was wondering: When I am calculating my TDEE and already takes my exercise level into account and then I also eat my exercise calories, don't I then eat my exercise calories twice?

So for example: Let's say I am 1.67cm, female, and weigh 64 kilos (my goal weight ;-). I have a desk job, but i do light exercise 3 times a week (e.g. riding a bike). My TDEE is then 1915 taking the exercise into account. It would be 1671 if I would describe myself as 'sedentary'.

So that already gives me an extra 244 kcal per day (1708 kcal per week extra) compared to sedentary level. Which makes a lot of sense because if i calculate my actual exercise calories (e.g. 90min of leisurely bike riding 428kcal burned per session. Per week that's 1284 + possible extra calories for a more active life style, e.g. taking the stairs, walking, etc.).

But if I now ALSO log and eat those exercise calories I would essentially it those calories TWICE, wouldn't I? Once because of the increased TDEE on a daily level and once at the day I actually log them?

So the logic of 'ear your exercise calories' only makes sense if I have calculated my TDEE on a 'sedentary' level, doesn't it?


Any help would be greatly appreciated :-)


P.s.: I used this calculator for the TDEE: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/

Also, I am aware that having an active job would change things. But, I am more questioning the logic of eating the exercise calories if you have a sedentary job.

uconnwinsnc

edit

rileysowner

TDEE includes exercise. If you are using it to set your calorie goal you DO NOT EAT BACK EXERCISE CALORIES.

uconnwinsnc

TDEE includes exercise. If you are using it to set your calorie goal you DO NOT EAT BACK EXERCISE CALORIES.

I don't think so. More active people need more food even when they aren't working out that day. TDEE is about caloric requirements per day, not only on workout days.

rileysowner

TDEE includes exercise. If you are using it to set your calorie goal you DO NOT EAT BACK EXERCISE CALORIES.

I don't think so. More active people need more food even when they aren't working out that day. TDEE is about caloric requirements per day, not only on workout days.

I think you are misunderstanding what TDEE means. It averages the calories over a whole week including intended exercise. That means if you eat those calories you already said you intended to burn back after burning them, you are eating them twice. The only way eating them back would work is using a sedentary TDEE with no exercise included, then add them back, but then you are not actually using your TDEE since the T is Total. The OP included her intended exercise in her TDEE calculation, she stated that in her post, thus, eating them back after exercising would be eating them twice.

uconnwinsnc

TDEE includes exercise. If you are using it to set your calorie goal you DO NOT EAT BACK EXERCISE CALORIES.

I don't think so. More active people need more food even when they aren't working out that day. TDEE is about caloric requirements per day, not only on workout days.

I think you are misunderstanding what TDEE means. It averages the calories over a whole week including intended exercise. That means if you eat those calories you already said you intended to burn back after burning them, you are eating them twice. The only way eating them back would work is using a sedentary TDEE with no exercise included, then add them back, but then you are not actually using your TDEE since the T is Total. The OP included her intended exercise in her TDEE calculation, she stated that in her post, thus, eating them back after exercising would be eating them twice.

Idk I'll take your word for it. All I do is eat and workout. :laugh:

rileysowner

TDEE includes exercise. If you are using it to set your calorie goal you DO NOT EAT BACK EXERCISE CALORIES.

I don't think so. More active people need more food even when they aren't working out that day. TDEE is about caloric requirements per day, not only on workout days.

I think you are misunderstanding what TDEE means. It averages the calories over a whole week including intended exercise. That means if you eat those calories you already said you intended to burn back after burning them, you are eating them twice. The only way eating them back would work is using a sedentary TDEE with no exercise included, then add them back, but then you are not actually using your TDEE since the T is Total. The OP included her intended exercise in her TDEE calculation, she stated that in her post, thus, eating them back after exercising would be eating them twice.

Idk I'll take your word for it. All I do is eat and workout. :laugh:

TDEE is made up of BMR, NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenisis), and Exercise Activity. Thus it would be included. If the deficit is taken off that number, that number is what is eaten. If your exercise activity changes, either increasing or decreasing, TDEE needs to be re-calculated.

MFP uses BMR and NEAT, excluding the Exercise. The deficit in taken from this number, so exercise activity calories need to eaten back of the deficit becomes way too big.

FindingAmy77

it is my understanding that if you include your activity level into your tdee then you don't have to eat those exercise calories back. you need to eat at a deficit to lose weight.. of course this is taking into account your average for the week of calories out and in. I would either set my daily goal to sedentary and then count and eat what you burn each day or keep it as is and go ahead and log the exercise but say it was only one calories burnt. I do that a lot. like one responder stated: it takes a lot of trial and error to see what works for the individual person. if what your are set at is working for you without eating them back then keep on doing it. if not, wait a few weeks and try something else. every person is different. I do find that I am more hungry on my workout days and require more food, I eat more and I still lose so don't worry too much about that. your metabolism needs to be fed.

geekyjock76

If your TDEE is 1915, that's how much you theoretically can eat to maintain your present body composition relative to activity. So if you wanted to lose - say - 7 kg - you would assume a deficit of about 250 to 300 calories. Thus, you would eat a total of 1615 to 1665 calories.

You can go back to your Goal page and select Custom. Where you can put net calorie goal, enter in 1615 or 1655 calories. That's what you'll eat each day, total. If you log exercise, give it a value of 1 so it does not change anything. You're basically just logging exercise to keep track of how many days you exercise without it altering the goals.