help please.. keep getting confused

kmkgurl

I'm trying to do the whole tdee-20%to see if it will help me better but i keep getting it confused or wrong. In 21 female height 5'1 weight 132 desk job.

jamiek917

TDEE for your height, weight and age with a desk job -20% works out to 1355 on days u dont work out. although i wouldnt eat that little on days when u do work out!

TavistockToad

you should include your exercise when you calculate TDEE.

otherwise, just use MFP and eat exercise cals back.

jamiek917

i agree- but if shes putting in sedentary/desk job it doesnt account for workouts, right?

some of the TDEE calulators have optiopns for adding how many days a week u work out...i think those calulators are more accurate

kellehbeans

If you don't have a set routine or are not comfortable with adding your activity level to the calculation - choose sedentary. I am on TDEE -10% on sedentary as I sit around on my butt all day in an office and I will worry if I can or cannot exercise. So I feel I am safer with sedentary.

Sedentary you eat exercise calories. Any other calculations for TDEE, DON'T eat them back. :-) I have lost a lot of weight using TDEE sedentary and eating back exercise calories. OR, just not below your BMR.

EDIT: Just looked at your stats, you shouldn't be eating TDEE -20% anyway.TDEE -15% at sedentary would give you 1434 with a BMR of 1406. TDEE -10% would be 1519.

Nicolee_2014

oooh aaahh. I'm always confused when I read this stuff! My brain hurts :laugh:

kmkgurl

Thank you all this wad helpful but in just wondering.g why i should do -15% instead of 20%?

jamiek917

b/c its more sustainable. because of your height, your TDEE and BMR are already low. the goal is to adapt to a healthier lifestyle where u can lose weight but not be hungry... so this option would be better for that goal

katevarner

b/c its more sustainable. because of your height, your TDEE and BMR are already low. the goal is to adapt to a healthier lifestyle where u can lose weight but not be hungry... so this option would be better for that goal

This, and because you shouldn't have that much to lose. 20% is for people who workout hard and/or have a lot to lose. You should lose fine around 1500 calories (it won't be fast, but it will be more lasting), and you shouldn't be hungry. If you want to work out, I'd refigure TDEE instead of eating back workout calories. That's not really how the numbers work. Based on the calculators, my TDEE is between 1400 and 1500 at sedentary but 1800-1900 with 3-5 days of exercise. I don't burn 2800 calories (about 400 per day difference in my TDEE) from 3-5 workouts per week.