Need to lose 110, TDEE questions

Phrick

So I figured my TDEE and am eating at -25% (1922 calories/day). I figured TDEE based on being "lightly active" but counting zero exercise for the day because a lot of days I get zero above and beyond my TDEE (which doesn't include any extra exercise anyway since when I calculated it I didn't DO any extra - but I went with "lightly active" because I'm on my feet a lot, pacing, up and down the stairs a dozen times all day, etc).

My question is, based on that, when I DO do extra exercise (such as walking around my neighborhood, which I'm now trying to do at least 3 days a week, if not every day), do I put that into MFP under exercise and more importantly, DO I EAT THOSE CALORIES BACK. I know with TDEE formula a lot of people say don't eat them back because they're already figured into your TDEE, but mine are not. I think. Help!

Phrick

bump - anyone?

adk88

From my experiece, I would continue to eat back those calories. If you find in a couple weeks that you are not losing or seeing any progress, then I would try not eating them back. My thoughts are that because you calculated your calories with the current level of activity, then anything extra should be tracked and eaten back so you are maintaining the same deficit.

It's all about learning your body and how it functions best. My best advice is to try both ways for a few weeks and see where you have the best success.

Best of luck to you.

Mokey41

Pacing and going up and down the stairs doesn't really make you lightly active in the way TDEE is set up. Set it at sedentary, log intentional exercise and decide if you want to eat them back. With a lot of weight to lose the calculators tend to get a bit wonky so you may find eating them back isn't necessary/

WBB55

Because you have about 90# lose and you figured your TDEE including some activity, I would start for now by trying not eating them back, giving it 3-4 weeks, and see how you feel. Did you have any cravings or binges during that period? Did you get light headed when you walked? Do you "feel" good? Do you feel deprived or like you're missing out on things/foods/events that make you happy? Doing this will teach you what 1900 calories is. It'll be a good way to learn what a steady, reasonable amount of calories feels and looks like. You'll learn how to live your life, and go out to eat, and stuff, while still fitting in a reasonable calorie intake. It's also closer to what your eventual maintenance calorie intake will be. After a while, you will have to reassess everything. But for now, I say keep it simple.

Just my opinion. Good luck!

Phrick

Pacing and going up and down the stairs doesn't really make you lightly active in the way TDEE is set up. Set it at sedentary, log intentional exercise and decide if you want to eat them back. With a lot of weight to lose the calculators tend to get a bit wonky so you may find eating them back isn't necessary/

I was initially going by the TDEE calculator in the "In Place Of A Roadmap" post by helloitsdan - I think in there he says that unless LITERALLY all you do is sit on the couch watching TV all day, you shouldn't pick Sedentary but should pick Lightly Active. So that's the reason behind that. Using a different TDEE calculator with sections for entering how many hours you spend doing activity that counts as "resting, very light, light, moderate, and heavy," I put in only one hour of light activity per day and the rest divided between very light and resting, and got 1928 (after subtracting the 25% deficit I'm aiming for) so pretty darn close to the same number. I mean I realize that even tiny bits add up and every single calorie counts, believe me I'm not knocking that - I just also realize that the difference between the "lightly active" TDEE calculator and the "one hour of light activity" TDEE calculator is only 6 calories a day so really I could go with either one and be losing at more or less the same rate - and STILL neither of those counts the exercises I'm starting to incorporate! LOL

I will not eat them back for now, and then that gives me something I can try for if/when the plateau times hit and I'm frustrated and angry

Phrick

Plus I've read that up to a 30% deficit from TDEE is acceptable **IF** you have 75+ to lose - which I do - so I thought that if I go with only a 25% deficit, then on days when I don't make it all the way up to my calorie goal it's OK because I'm most likely still within that 5% buffer. Now this may be total horsecrap but it makes sense in my mind.

Melo1966

What I have stated doing is change my calories every four weeks. So this last Saturday I upped my calories based on that I was burning more. Computation is Pounds lost times 3,500 plus calories consumed equals TDEE for that time period average to daily then less % to get new daily calorie goal. So stick with what you figured wait four weeks do the math for more accuracy. If you have over 100 to lose you can do less 30%. The few days I have really high calorie burns I add 250. Make sure you log everything in order to get correct number. Good Luck You can add me for further assistance.:flowerforyou:

savithny

Pacing and going up and down the stairs doesn't really make you lightly active in the way TDEE is set up. Set it at sedentary, log intentional exercise and decide if you want to eat them back. With a lot of weight to lose the calculators tend to get a bit wonky so you may find eating them back isn't necessary/

I was initially going by the TDEE calculator in the "In Place Of A Roadmap" post by helloitsdan - I think in there he says that unless LITERALLY all you do is sit on the couch watching TV all day, you shouldn't pick Sedentary but should pick Lightly Active. So that's the reason behind that. Using a different TDEE calculator with sections for entering how many hours you spend doing activity that counts as "resting, very light, light, moderate, and heavy," I put in only one hour of light activity per day and the rest divided between very light and resting, and got 1928 (after subtracting the 25% deficit I'm aiming for) so pretty darn close to the same number. I mean I realize that even tiny bits add up and every single calorie counts, believe me I'm not knocking that - I just also realize that the difference between the "lightly active" TDEE calculator and the "one hour of light activity" TDEE calculator is only 6 calories a day so really I could go with either one and be losing at more or less the same rate - and STILL neither of those counts the exercises I'm starting to incorporate! LOL

I will not eat them back for now, and then that gives me something I can try for if/when the plateau times hit and I'm frustrated and angry

Everything I have read on other TDEE calculators says that just walking around your house and going up and down stairs a few time a day doesn't count enough to make you lightly active. If you're only putting 3000 or so steps on a pedometer then you're sedentary, and just walking around the house isn't going to get you more than that.