Using TDEE instead of MFP Goals

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  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
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    Based on those numbers, I can't imagine 2500 would be too high, especially if you used 80% of that as your daily goal. It might even be a little low...

    I'm looking at doing something more like 10-15% below TDEE. I'm moving into maintenance but I don't want to make a jump straight up to eating 500-800 calories more.

    I have a hard time finding a balance with eating more to match my workouts, and I genuinely love my workouts and my hobbies tend to involve some kind of physical activity, too.
  • xgrivera
    xgrivera Posts: 4
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    Okay....I have a stupid quetion:smile: I'm new to MFP....what is TDEE? The only reason I haven't completely changed from Calorie Count to MFP is because of my daily allowance on non-workout days. It seems as though my body is more revved up on my off days than on days I actually work out. On CC, I like that I can monitor my weekly "net calories". As long as I maintain a deficit, then I'm still good-to-go. So, if you will please educate the newbie:wink: ....I would greatly appreciate it.
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
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    Okay....I have a stupid quetion:smile: I'm new to MFP....what is TDEE? The only reason I haven't completely changed from Calorie Count to MFP is because of my daily allowance on non-workout days. It seems as though my body is more revved up on my off days than on days I actually work out. On CC, I like that I can monitor my weekly "net calories". As long as I maintain a deficit, then I'm still good-to-go. So, if you will please educate the newbie:wink: ....I would greatly appreciate it.

    TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Basically how many calories you burn a day. Here is a really great thread to help you figure it out (and explain it), if you are interested:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0?hl=Road+Map
  • chkn_WANG_Train
    chkn_WANG_Train Posts: 143
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    not eating back calories and eating a steady TDEE calculations helps maintain hormone levels for optimal weight loss! I recommend this method!
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
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    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.

    I call it non-exercise TDEE, and it is tricky, because it means you have to estimate your calorie burn from everyday activities, which can be very variable.

    But for those of us whose exercise is variable also (long run one day, recovery day walk the next, then strength day, etc) knowing non-exercise TDEE would be very helpful so that we dont drastically over or undereat!
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
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    Okay....I have a stupid quetion:smile: I'm new to MFP....what is TDEE? The only reason I haven't completely changed from Calorie Count to MFP is because of my daily allowance on non-workout days. It seems as though my body is more revved up on my off days than on days I actually work out. On CC, I like that I can monitor my weekly "net calories". As long as I maintain a deficit, then I'm still good-to-go. So, if you will please educate the newbie:wink: ....I would greatly appreciate it.

    That's one of the reasons that many people do the TDEE approach and don't track extra exercise calories every day. That way it balances out over the week no matter if you exercise or not. So for me, I exercise 5 times a week but eat around 2000/cal a day every day. If you use the MFP app on a mobile device/iPad type thing than you can see your weekly goals. It's just the website that doesn't have that same kind of view (unfortunately).
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
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    Okay....I have a stupid quetion:smile: I'm new to MFP....what is TDEE? The only reason I haven't completely changed from Calorie Count to MFP is because of my daily allowance on non-workout days. It seems as though my body is more revved up on my off days than on days I actually work out. On CC, I like that I can monitor my weekly "net calories". As long as I maintain a deficit, then I'm still good-to-go. So, if you will please educate the newbie:wink: ....I would greatly appreciate it.

    That's one of the reasons that many people do the TDEE approach and don't track extra exercise calories every day. That way it balances out over the week no matter if you exercise or not. So for me, I exercise 5 times a week but eat around 2000/cal a day every day. If you use the MFP app on a mobile device/iPad type thing than you can see your weekly goals. It's just the website that doesn't have that same kind of view (unfortunately).

    You can see SOME information, like net calories, under reports. It's pretty basic though.
  • xgrivera
    xgrivera Posts: 4
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    Thanks for the responses to my question :-) Got some good infomation. I think I prefer the TDEE approach and will go with that. Thanks again
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
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    You are very welcome! Glad to help.
  • Strangegirlz
    Strangegirlz Posts: 92 Member
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    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.

    If you want to take it there, then in practice, the days where you don't exercise, your TDEE is lower than the days where you do exercise. It is not a constant anyways, so why worry about it? ;)

    I don't understand... what's your point?

    That you are nitpicking. It was just a question from someone who wanted to know how to log her calories and exercise into MFP, that is all. We all know what TDEE is, so what is the big deal? We all understand what she means, so why take it apart?

    Ah, ok... I didn't understand what she meant. The "sedentary TDEE" threw me. I wasn't trying to nitpick simply for the sake of nitpicking.

    Then with that being said, the first few responses in this threadwere right. Use TDEE if you don't want to log individual workouts, eat back exercise cals, etc. Use sedentary or lightly active if you want to log workouts, or if your workouts vary greatly day to day to day. Or if you're just a numbers geek like me.

    Sorry for overcomplicating things.
    .

    Don't worry about it ;)
    Glad you two made up there, although that might have been a fight worth watching;)

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