Tdee vs eating back calories, etc

Brocksterdanza

So I am interested in the difference in these two? I've genrally used my estimated calories and used exercise multiplier. Thus, I eat at a deficit and exercise accordingly. I do not eat back calories etc as I don't really understand the reasoning. The tdee method has me intrigued. Can you guys give me some input? I certainly appreciate it.

Patttience

The way it works is TDEE is an estimated amount of calories you burn based on your estimation of your activity level - there is an written guideline for this. Even though its an estimation, i tend to think this is the more accurate and reliable method to take. It uses your height weight age and gender Plus your activity level as an average. There is a formula you can find to see how its done. And there are many calculators around the net.

"Eating back calories", the method used on MFP is that you calculate your basic calories using heigh weight age and gender. Then you have to count the calories you've burned in activity and add that to the basic number. that' the number of calories you'd burn that day. Your TDEE for the day only.

So now you have two different ways of getting a TDEE but one is an average over every day and one is "true" only for one day.

Then you might decide how many calories you are going to cut from either of these. On mpf its calculated at the base rate so if you say you want to lose a pound a week, it gives you your basic calories to achieve that. Then you add to that the calories you've burnt and eat the appropriate amount of food to cover the total of those two numbers ( mfp + exercise calories). I hope that's clear enough.

For the TDEE, it similar depending on the calculator but in either case you are free to decide how many calories to reduce by.

I would suggesting eating at a point that is just comfortable and i suggest not reducing your calories any more than necessary in order to avoid hunger.

personally i use TDEE because i don't want to stuff around with calculating my exercise calories. I think they are highly suspect.

Somewhere around there is a guide as to how much you should try to lose per week based on your weight/height etc. If you are very overweight, then you can go for 2 pounds a week.

Brocksterdanza

Great answer... Thanks

glasshalffull713

You can also find out your actual TDEE average by using the data from your tracking. Basically, you total up the calories you consumed in a set period of time (2 weeks or so), and add to that lbs lostx3500 (3500 kcals = 1lb of fat). This basically gives you the amount of calories your body used in those two weeks. Then divide by the number of days (14 in this example.) This will give you your actual average TDEE. If you use the TDEE method, then you will want to eat TDEE-20% (or 15%, or whatever makes the most sense for your weight loss goals and current weight).

This is essentially the same as the MFP method, but instead of eating the same every day, MFP has you eat more on days you exercise and less on days you don't. If you average it out, it would come out the same, if that makes sense.

Great instructions on calculating your personal TDEE here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets