TDEE minus 500 or MFP 1400 Plus "eat back"

meechi53

Which is better? I checked a few TDEE calculators one says my TDEE is 2037 with sedentary work and quote " 3x a week vigorous workout and 3x a week walking" I do 4-6x a week Zumba/Kickbox. Another says my tdee is 2340 sedentary work and 3-5x a week vigorous workouts and another one says 2207. There are so many different TDEE things but if I averaged them it would be 2100 give or take a few. I set my Zumba always to figure I burn 500 calories now. So..should I be eating 1900 calories on Zumba days and 1400 otherwise or should I just do the TDEE and take 2100-500 which is 1600 daily?. 1600 daily might be easier for me as some days I have to really stretch to get all my calories in, especially if it's a Zumba day.

suziecue66

Which is better? I checked a few TDEE calculators one says my TDEE is 2037 with sedentary work and quote " 3x a week vigorous workout and 3x a week walking" I do 4-6x a week Zumba/Kickbox. Another says my tdee is 2340 sedentary work and 3-5x a week vigorous workouts and another one says 2207. There are so many different TDEE things but if I averaged them it would be 2100 give or take a few. I set my Zumba always to figure I burn 500 calories now. So..should I be eating 1900 calories on Zumba days and 1400 otherwise or should I just do the TDEE and take 2100-500 which is 1600 daily?. 1600 daily might be easier for me as some days I have to really stretch to get all my calories in, especially if it's a Zumba day.

Its up to you. Doing 1600 everyday would be good but if you like to eat more on weekends you could go lower on some days so weekends when most usually socialise and are around food you can eat more and still be within your weekly calorie goal of 1600 x 7 = 11,200. Also on the 3 x week vigorous workout you could perhaps have more calories and/or carbs, less on just the walking days. Whatever suits YOU.

taziarj

Your TDEE really shouldn't include any exercise calories. You would base your TDEE on the MFP calculation based on sedentary activity. The exercises you put in there really don't count in to the calculation. MFP would then subtract 500 calories from the sedentary TDEE for a 1lb per week weight lost. Then you should use the exercise tool to add in calories burned during exercise. You would then eat back those calories.

meechi53

Your TDEE really shouldn't include any exercise calories. You would base your TDEE on the MFP calculation based on sedentary activity. The exercises you put in there really don't count in to the calculation. MFP would then subtract 500 calories from the sedentary TDEE for a 1lb per week weight lost. Then you should use the exercise tool to add in calories burned during exercise. You would then eat back those calories.

I've been doing the MFP sedentary plus eating back the calories since January but have been going on a 3 month plateau now..so looking for ways to bust it. On many posts people are always talking about the TDEE and figure using that INCLUDING your workouts if they are pretty consistent, which they are. Many here say MFP figures your "starting spot" too low. So..wondering which is the correct way to go, if any.

wild_wild_life

If you have MFP set for a 1lb per week loss (500 cal daily deficit), they should be the same. Meaning TDEE-500 or MFP set at 500 cal daily deficit plus eating exercise calories is about the same.

You're right, TDEE includes your workouts. MFP gives you a value it calls TDEE but is actually your pre-exercise TDEE or calories burned from daily activity, which is a little confusing.

susannamarie

It really shouldn't matter.

I went with the 'eating back' because a) it's more motivating to exercise more -- it reminds me to walk to work instead of driving, and b) that way things are accounted for if I have a couple of weeks when I can't get much in.