Modified TDEE?

sunshine5512

I know this topic is like beating a dead horse sometimes around here but for some reason its one of those things that is hard to grasp but once you do, its like...an ah hah moment and the light bulb goes off.

I think the MFP has a lot to do with the confusion. I am 5'10" 156lbs and my BMR is 1497 and my TDEE is 2321 so a TDEE - 20% is 1857. I like to think Im doing a modified TDEE based off of the allowances that the my fitness pal app allows. I dont know if this is an accurate way of thinking so I will take criticism and advice if Im way off...
So what I do is I have my calorie limit in MFP set at my BMR. Then if I exercise I am adding my exercise calories into MFP (per my Heart Rate Monitor) so that I show the calorie deficit and the net calories in the app. My daily goal is to make the NET number match up with my calorie limit and be done with it... So at the end of the day, if I burn 300 calories, Im really eating 1897 calories but my net is only 1497. Still getting in the required calories and still getting a net of at least my BMR just tracking it in MFP differently? Does this sound right?

To me this is the same thing as eating at TDEE which for me would be 1857. I do this because I have a hectic schedule and I dont always get to workout when I want to. For example, last week I only got in one really good workout and a few small walks here and there. Vs. this week and week before last where I was burning like 300-500 calories 4 days a week from exercise.

Or am I not even doing TDEE am I just eating my BMR and eating my exercise calories back?

Is this ok? Anything I could do better?

krowanvil

I ran your stats on the Fat 2 Fit Radio website
Your BMR is 1498
Sedentary TDEE: 1798
Lightly Active TDEE: 2060
Moderately Active TDEE: 2322

The catch to using TDEE on MFP is that you have to accurately figure out what activity level you are at and if you want to eat back exercise calories as an average or the day you burn them.

Option 1: Eat exercise calories on the day you burn them.
-If you sit at a desk all day you are Sedentary.
-If your job/daily activities require a little physical involvement you are lightly active
-If you are on your feet all day you are probably moderately active

Your net calories (Intake - burn) needs to equal your goal calorie level (BMR in your case)

Option 2: Eat exercise calories on average.
-If you sit at a desk all day and do not exercise, you are Sedentary.
-If your job/daily activities require a little physical involvement you are lightly active
-If you sit at a desk all day, but go for daily walks/light workouts, you are lightly active
-If your job/daily activities require a little physical involvement and you go for daily walks or multiple weekly workouts, you are moderately active
-If you are on your feet all day you are probably moderately active

You need to eat you goal calorie level (TDEE-xx%) and not eat back your exercise calories (they are already included in your activity level).

sunshine5512

I ran your stats on the Fat 2 Fit Radio website
Your BMR is 1498
Sedentary TDEE: 1798
Lightly Active TDEE: 2060
Moderately Active TDEE: 2322

The catch to using TDEE on MFP is that you have to accurately figure out what activity level you are at and if you want to eat back exercise calories as an average or the day you burn them.

Option 1: Eat exercise calories on the day you burn them.
-If you sit at a desk all day you are Sedentary.
-If your job/daily activities require a little physical involvement you are lightly active
-If you are on your feet all day you are probably moderately active

Your net calories (Intake - burn) needs to equal your goal calorie level (BMR in your case)

Option 2: Eat exercise calories on average.
-If you sit at a desk all day and do not exercise, you are Sedentary.
-If your job/daily activities require a little physical involvement you are lightly active
-If you sit at a desk all day, but go for daily walks/light workouts, you are lightly active
-If your job/daily activities require a little physical involvement and you go for daily walks or multiple weekly workouts, you are moderately active
-If you are on your feet all day you are probably moderately active

You need to eat you goal calorie level (TDEE-xx%) and not eat back your exercise calories (they are already included in your activity level).

Ok...

I get this! haha...I swear Im getting there...slow learner over here...

So basically I think what I am doing is Option 1. I have my goal set at my BMR and if I exercise and enter my calorie burn then I eat back the calories until I get my net to eaqual my goal.

I sit at a desk 5 days a week and Im pretty active (walks/ bike rides with kids) on the weekends. I work out at least 3-4 days per week like I said with an average burn of 300-500 calories a workout. So if I calculate my TDEE at lightly active I would say I have a TDEE -20% of 1648? So based on this number. If I DONT eat my exercise calories back, then I work out like normal, then I DONT enter the exercise calories burned in MFP and I eat 1648 every day weather I exercise or not?????

THis is the part that scares me because what if I dont exercise one week, I feel like I have to know how much Im burning so that I dont over eat or I burn what I need to. Maybe Im complicating it to much.

krowanvil

Sounds like you've got it. If you want to check and see if your TDEE estimate is accurate, use a spreadsheet to add the total calories consumed for the month plus (3500 multiplied times the amount of weight lost in a month) and take the average for the number of days in the month.