Explain TDEE to me please

peachezncreme

And explain it to me as though I'm an idiot, because I have. A hard time understanding this kind of stuff. I just want to make sure that I am going about losing weight in the best, most educated way possible

taunto

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

ETA: Actually this thread might be more accurately about TDEE
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

Mokey41

I could explain TDEE but an easier way to go about things is to figure out what your BMR is. Unless you are extremely overweight that should be a pretty accurate number of the calories you would need to survive in a coma. Multiply that number by 1.45 if you work a desk job. Now choose a setting of weigh loss per week on MFP that gives you a number near the number you got or manually set it yourself (which you'd still need to do if you figure out TDEE). Add your intentional exercise as you do it and eat it back if you wish.

I find TDEE a bit hard because it assumes you do the same thing all the time which most people don't. It also only takes into account that you have a basic living number and your exercise is based on how many times a week you do it not the intensity of what you do.