I'm still so confused!

AMANDAJOY1104
AMANDAJOY1104 Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
To lose 1lb per week, all you need to do is create a 500 calorie deficit per day... Correct?
My TDEE is 2117. Not including my workouts.
I should be able to eat roughly 1600 calories per day and still lose...

Why does MFP have me at 1260 calories? I'M STARVING!!! lol...

BTW.. I stuck with 1260 calories for 1 week (minus 1 cheat day) and I lost 3lbs... Woot Woot!


Can anyone help?

Replies

  • wmoomoo
    wmoomoo Posts: 159 Member
    TDEE calculate in your activities level so you don't eat back your exercise calories. With MFP, you need to eat back your exercise calories.
  • rahlpn
    rahlpn Posts: 551 Member
    I got this advice last week from a fellow MFPer, best advice so far and easy to understand!

    "Start with sedentary TDEE, which is BMR * 1.2. Subtract about 25% or 500 from this.

    Set that as your net calorie goal, then eat back exercise calories.

    If you burn 600 calories exercising, your TDEE is 2670 and you should eat 2070. If you burn 200 calories exercising, your TDEE is 2270 so eat 1770. Etc. "
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    it's not as simple as 500 less calories a day and you lose a pound a week....so many factors come into play. What you are eating, sodium, fat, nutrients consumed, amount of water, sleep, exercise, any health issues etc etc. Most people, lose more than the average the first week...your weight loss will level off to .5-1.5 pounds a week on average.

    MFP has your calories set based on the numbers you filled in....your activity level is very important, the amount of exercise you do, and how much weight you want to lose per week (you likely put 2 pounds which is unrealistic unless you 300 pounds or more).
  • marypatmccue
    marypatmccue Posts: 521 Member
    To lose 1lb per week, all you need to do is create a 500 calorie deficit per day... Correct?
    My TDEE is 2117. Not including my workouts.
    I should be able to eat roughly 1600 calories per day and still lose...

    Why does MFP have me at 1260 calories? I'M STARVING!!! lol...

    BTW.. I stuck with 1260 calories for 1 week (minus 1 cheat day) and I lost 3lbs... Woot Woot!


    Can anyone help?

    This should help: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912914-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • NutellaAddict
    NutellaAddict Posts: 1,258 Member
    Input it in manually.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Because MFP tries to factor exercise out of the equation and expects you to add it back. It's rather convoluted.

    If you know your TDEE, shoot for your TDEE-500. Manually override the MFP target.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Because MFP tries to factor exercise out of the equation and expects you to add it back. It's rather convoluted.

    If you know your TDEE, shoot for your TDEE-500. Manually override the MFP target.
    This this this this this
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    I got this advice last week from a fellow MFPer, best advice so far and easy to understand!

    "Start with sedentary TDEE, which is BMR * 1.2. Subtract about 25% or 500 from this.

    Set that as your net calorie goal, then eat back exercise calories.

    If you burn 600 calories exercising, your TDEE is 2670 and you should eat 2070. If you burn 200 calories exercising, your TDEE is 2270 so eat 1770. Etc. "

    With this calculation i should eat 1300 calories a day, which is clearly not enough
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    Because MFP tries to factor exercise out of the equation and expects you to add it back. It's rather convoluted.

    If you know your TDEE, shoot for your TDEE-500. Manually override the MFP target.
    This this this this this

    With TDEE-500 do you eat your exercise calories back or not?
  • AMANDAJOY1104
    AMANDAJOY1104 Posts: 36 Member
    it's not as simple as 500 less calories a day and you lose a pound a week....so many factors come into play. What you are eating, sodium, fat, nutrients consumed, amount of water, sleep, exercise, any health issues etc etc. Most people, lose more than the average the first week...your weight loss will level off to .5-1.5 pounds a week on average.

    MFP has your calories set based on the numbers you filled in....your activity level is very important, the amount of exercise you do, and how much weight you want to lose per week (you likely put 2 pounds which is unrealistic unless you 300 pounds or more).
    [/quote


    I actually put in 1lb per week and sedentary.. I want to add my exercise as i do it...
  • AMANDAJOY1104
    AMANDAJOY1104 Posts: 36 Member
    Because MFP tries to factor exercise out of the equation and expects you to add it back. It's rather convoluted.

    If you know your TDEE, shoot for your TDEE-500. Manually override the MFP target.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Because MFP tries to factor exercise out of the equation and expects you to add it back. It's rather convoluted.

    If you know your TDEE, shoot for your TDEE-500. Manually override the MFP target.
    This this this this this

    With TDEE-500 do you eat your exercise calories back or not?

    Not. TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure. It includes exercise.
  • AMANDAJOY1104
    AMANDAJOY1104 Posts: 36 Member
    Because MFP tries to factor exercise out of the equation and expects you to add it back. It's rather convoluted.

    If you know your TDEE, shoot for your TDEE-500. Manually override the MFP target.



    ** This is what i wanted to hear! Hope it's right!
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    I got this advice last week from a fellow MFPer, best advice so far and easy to understand!

    "Start with sedentary TDEE, which is BMR * 1.2. Subtract about 25% or 500 from this.

    Set that as your net calorie goal, then eat back exercise calories.

    If you burn 600 calories exercising, your TDEE is 2670 and you should eat 2070. If you burn 200 calories exercising, your TDEE is 2270 so eat 1770. Etc. "

    This is basically what MFP already does. You can do the MFP + exercise calories or you can do the TDEE approach that includes exercise. Calculating TDEE for sedentary when you're active is just silly.
    Keep it simple people.
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    Because MFP tries to factor exercise out of the equation and expects you to add it back. It's rather convoluted.

    If you know your TDEE, shoot for your TDEE-500. Manually override the MFP target.
    This this this this this

    With TDEE-500 do you eat your exercise calories back or not?

    Not. TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure. It includes exercise.

    1300 calories per day seems very little
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Because MFP tries to factor exercise out of the equation and expects you to add it back. It's rather convoluted.

    If you know your TDEE, shoot for your TDEE-500. Manually override the MFP target.



    ** This is what i wanted to hear! Hope it's right!
    It is. Make sure your TDEE is your actual TDEE (including exercise calories).
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    I got this advice last week from a fellow MFPer, best advice so far and easy to understand!

    "Start with sedentary TDEE, which is BMR * 1.2. Subtract about 25% or 500 from this.

    Set that as your net calorie goal, then eat back exercise calories.

    If you burn 600 calories exercising, your TDEE is 2670 and you should eat 2070. If you burn 200 calories exercising, your TDEE is 2270 so eat 1770. Etc. "

    This is basically what MFP already does. You can do the MFP + exercise calories or you can do the TDEE approach that includes exercise. Calculating TDEE for sedentary when you're active is just silly.
    Keep it simple people.
    I like using the sedentary TDEE + exercise calories - a bit. I find it simpler since I don't burn the same amount every day and my lifestyle changes dramatically sometimes and I enjoy logging the exercise and it seems silly logging it as 1 cal. I like seeing the differences.
  • rahlpn
    rahlpn Posts: 551 Member
    I agree, 1300 calories a day is very little. I am less active than most on this board (desk job, 30 DS and walk my dog after work, play Just Dance on my Wii for 30-45 minutes, bike and walk/other activities on weekends), that is why I calculate mine as sedentary then eat back my exercise calories. I aim for 1400 a day. More on weekends when I'm more active.

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