DID I FINALLY "GET IT" ??????

carissawhitworth

I am 23 years (FEMALE) old 5'7" and 185 pounds
My TDEE is 2,000 set at sedentary APPROX.
I subtract 500 (20%) APPROX.
so My daily goal is 1500 calories a day and I eat back my excersise calories?

I workout 3-5 times a week but didn't include that in my calculations so I could eat back cals and make it easier to keep track on MFP

so this morning I burned 840 calories at the gym (spin class) (circuit traingin) (yoga/stretching)
today I will eat about 2200 calories

BTW my BMR is around 1622

tomorrow will be a rest day
So I will eat 1500
I know I know dont eat under your BMR but I am using my TDEE to determine my fitness goals
So 1500 is the key for me ???
SO I will only eat 1500- unless I workout- ps when I eat back my excersise cals its not an excuse to eat a cheeseburger- it just means I can have the whole p28 bagel post workout rather than half for snack , it means I can enjoy my almond butter, and eggs, and chicken, mabe add some beans to a salad

Ive been toying with my calculations ALOT the past couple weeks and have been extremely confused (and stressed) PLEASE SOMEONE tell me I have it right??????
I dont want to sabotage all of my hard work! I am a mom of four and my fitness goals are extrememly important to me. Also my diary is public. If you want to look around and tell me to avoid anything or what I could improve on that would be GREAT (i do have cheat days once a week to keep me sane) ( I also follow the 80/20 rule)

sgmomma

I would set your TDEE with your calorie burn already accounted for. I eat at about 1900...working out 3-5 days a week. My BMR is about 1450. You need to eat above your BMR. I like having exercise calories already accounted for.

carissawhitworth

I would set your TDEE with your calorie burn already accounted for. I eat at about 1900...working out 3-5 days a week. My BMR is about 1450. You need to eat above your BMR. I like having exercise calories already accounted for.

The reason I dont is because I burn diff and do diff excersises all the time. Today I burned almost 900 calories tomorrow will prob be non and then friday may be 300 . I may got 4 days without working out... you know? so I feel like this way it all evens it self out. I know exactly what I am getting and why and I know as long as I dont go over my TDEE at 20% I wont gain... but if I am not excersising and I do eat over my TDEE I will gain, and I will basically ruin all the calories I burned.

I dunno I feel like 1500 is obtainable, and with the TDEE calculation thats where I should be.
Is it abnormal for it to not match up with my BMR.
Plus if I eat 800 extra calories today then just 1500 tomrrow doesnt it kinda even itself out?

DoxieLove10612

I am 5'5 160 lbs and my TDEE is 2600-I find this to be accurate as I have a BodyMedia and on my weekdays its dead on. Weekends I tend to roam around my city via foot and its much higher.

I am eating 1600 calories so a 1,000 calorie deficit. My BMR is 1462.

Sometimes I know it helps to see other peoples numbers :-)

Timshel_

I would set your TDEE with your calorie burn already accounted for. I eat at about 1900...working out 3-5 days a week. My BMR is about 1450. You need to eat above your BMR. I like having exercise calories already accounted for.

The reason I dont is because I burn diff and do diff excersises all the time. Today I burned almost 900 calories tomorrow will prob be non and then friday may be 300 . I may got 4 days without working out... you know?

Same for me, plus I jsut like being able to see and track my exercise to help me understand how doing more or less might effect my weight loss.

carissawhitworth

I would set your TDEE with your calorie burn already accounted for. I eat at about 1900...working out 3-5 days a week. My BMR is about 1450. You need to eat above your BMR. I like having exercise calories already accounted for.

The reason I dont is because I burn diff and do diff excersises all the time. Today I burned almost 900 calories tomorrow will prob be non and then friday may be 300 . I may got 4 days without working out... you know?

Same for me, plus I jsut like being able to see and track my exercise to help me understand how doing more or less might effect my weight loss.

Okay good so I am not crazy ? I just feel like I can be more accurate and rally understand my body and its needs better if I am customizing my days based on when ever I feel like excersising LOL .

kgavins25

i think i like your method, and it seems to be working if you have 15lbs lost posted. Did anyone answer your question yet about how to handle your numbers daily? Im in the same boat and wondering. MY CALCS( Little to no exercise- 1600x1.2= 1920-20%=1536 cal...... With 3-5 days exercise 1600x1.55=2480-20%=1984cal. So Are we suppose to eat that value everyday of the week, or only the higher amount on workout days?

michelle7673

I think so. I am a little taller, and a little heavier, than you, and I'm actually letting MFP do it for me (sedentary assumption, lose 1 lb a week) -- BUT it ends up at the same place. 1530 calories. So I eat my exercise calories back....sort of. I always eat some, I sometimes (not that often) eat all, I sort of try to leave 250 on the table, so to speak. That way I hope that my rate of loss is really more like 1.5 lbs a week, which seems to be happening so far. But if I'm starving (as opposed to bored), I will eat them all.
I do agree with you that figuring out on a day-to-day basis seems more precise (using an average won't work if you don't exercise for a few days, for example). SO -- If you use the MFP calculator, it does make it easier to know what to do on a day-to-day basis.

carissawhitworth

i think i like your method, and it seems to be working if you have 15lbs lost posted. Did anyone answer your question yet about how to handle your numbers daily? Im in the same boat and wondering. MY CALCS( Little to no exercise- 1600x1.2= 1920-20%=1536 cal...... With 3-5 days exercise 1600x1.55=2480-20%=1984cal. So Are we suppose to eat that value everyday of the week, or only the higher amount on workout days?

Heres what I did
I used a tdee calculator and set it at no activity so that it isnt accounting for any excersise or activity.
I took that number and subtracted 20%
Which gave me 1500 so this is my daily goal UNLESS I excersise
then I just do my best to eat back as many calories as I burned ( I like to stay 100 under tho when I eat back)
Since I am set at no activty I account for all forms of excersise- heavy cleaning, lots of walking even walking around the grocery store?
I dunno it ajust made sense to me??
I am deff no expert.

carissawhitworth

Thank you Michelle your feedback and personal situation were so helpful Good luck on your weightloss journey

sarah12277

This made sense to me as well to do the same but will keep an eye on the thread in case anyone corrects it.
I had done all the calculations and when I let MFP do my exercise I just did enough to match the TDEE that corresponded to the activity level. It seemed I got it and then read another thread or saw my numbers after exercise to be confused again. This was the way I got it.

CJ_Holmes

i think i like your method, and it seems to be working if you have 15lbs lost posted. Did anyone answer your question yet about how to handle your numbers daily? Im in the same boat and wondering. MY CALCS( Little to no exercise- 1600x1.2= 1920-20%=1536 cal...... With 3-5 days exercise 1600x1.55=2480-20%=1984cal. So Are we suppose to eat that value everyday of the week, or only the higher amount on workout days?

Heres what I did
I used a tdee calculator and set it at no activity so that it isnt accounting for any excersise or activity.
I took that number and subtracted 20%
Which gave me 1500 so this is my daily goal UNLESS I excersise
then I just do my best to eat back as many calories as I burned ( I like to stay 100 under tho when I eat back)
Since I am set at no activty I account for all forms of excersise- heavy cleaning, lots of walking even walking around the grocery store?
I dunno it ajust made sense to me??
I am deff no expert.

It seems like you are on the right track.

I'm 5'7" and I basically did the same thing- used a million different calculators, basically they average about what MFP tells me for 1/2 pound per week- 1490. I put my goal at 1500. I set my activity at sedentary because my days vary wildly, and if I get up early to exercise, I need a whole extra meal! I try to look at the weekly average on my phone rather than micromanage every day. It's working, even though I actually end up averaging 1600 most weeks.

The only thing I would be careful about is if you are using MFP's calculations for exercises like cleaning the house, you are most likely way over estimating your burn.

Try it for a few weeks and see what happens! Slow and steady is best!