BMR, TDEE and Cals Burned. How much should I eat?

lapocienta

Hi, all!

From what I have learned, BMR is included in my TDEE, and I should never eat below my BMR. So far, so good. But...

The TDEE is calculated considering my activity level


So which one is the correct equation to lose weight in a healthy way??? :

Calories my body needs to eat = TDEE - 20% of my TDEE
or
Calories my body needs to eat = TDEE - 20% of my TDEE + calories from exercise


My instinct would tell me not to eat back the calories I have burned with exercise, but after reading so much about how the body works, now I'm confused. Not eating it back would be like subtracting it twice somehow. Right? Wrong? :huh: I'm a bit lost.

I train hard and eat healthy. Considering my lifestyle for the past 15 years, that was a big change and a huge effort. I don't want to ruin that by eating too much or too little.

Mokey41

TDEE includes your exercise if you chose the right level.

caseythirteen

It depends on how you figured out your TDEE. If you did it with no activity level/exercise than yes, you would eat back exercise calories. If you figured it using your average exercise in a given week than no, you wouldn't eat them back. It just depends on what's included in your TDEE.

lapocienta

Thanks, guys! I get it now.

It's funny how everything works. I'm eating more now (and healthier) and I find it difficult, but I'm thinner. Although if I think as the body as a machine that needs fuel to run (good fuel), it all makes sense.