I'm a bit confused...

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thin4life67
thin4life67 Posts: 51 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My TDEE is 2017. My BMR is 1298. This is based on my weight, height, sex, age and moderate activity level. MFP says my daily calorie intake should be 1549. I'm trying to maintain my current weight and am confused as to how many calories I should really be eating...and do I eat the calories earned from exercise.

I should also add that as far as exercise I walk on average 4 or 5 days a week for 45 minutes. I also do a small amount of weights in attempt to tone my arms, thighs and abdomen.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
TIA

Replies

  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    My TDEE is 2017. My BMR is 1298. This is based on my weight, height, sex, age and moderate activity level. MFP says my daily calorie intake should be 1549. I'm trying to maintain my current weight and am confused as to how many calories I should really be eating...and do I eat the calories earned from exercise.

    In theory you would eat exactly at your TDEE to maintain weight (by definition). It gets tricky with MFP's settings and you could be better off using a few external TDEE calculation tools to figure out a TDEE that includes an exercise estimate, and then eat at that TDEE regardless of whether or not it's a rest day or a workout day. So in this particular model, you'd not worry about exercise calories but your overall intake would be higher than MFP's recommendations.

    (Once you have that TDEE you would customize MFP so that every day it shows you to eat at that TDEE)
    Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
    TIA

    If you're using MFP's model, you should eat back all/most exercise calories especially given that you do not wish to lose weight. Monitor progress over a few weeks and adjust intake based on change in weight. Or, see above suggestion.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12


    good post to read and it has links to online calculators to check you TDEE and calorie needs.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Does the TDEE that you gave include exercise? Where did you get that number from? What did you set your activity level at?
  • thin4life67
    thin4life67 Posts: 51 Member
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    Thanks for the responses. I read the link and my head was spinning...LOL!! Walked away and then read it again. Followed along and it makes more sense now. I'm thinking I should eat 2027 calories a day...period. This number seems a bit high but I'll try it and see what happens. It really is hard to switch gears from losing weight to maintaining weight. I have learned to eat healthy and exercise. I won't allow myself to stop doing either and I have to strike a balance.

    Thanks again!!
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
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    It can be a bit confusing the first time you read Dan's post. If you come back to it a few times until the logic sinks in and use the tools and follow up and recalculate with each 5lbs lost it does work!

    The thread is many pages long and if you skip through it you will see the people who have been successful using that method. in fact there are several other threads that repeat/rehash the same info.

    Be patient it will happen when you get it right. Go with the higher intake for now give it a chance to work for a few weeks before you start to play with your numbers again.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
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    By definition TDEE total daily energy expenditure includes everything you do in a day - that is your Basal Metabolic Rate + you daily life activities + your exercise burn.

    Read the link to see how to find your BMR as well as you TDEE and how to set up your MFP account to use that info.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Thanks for the responses. I read the link and my head was spinning...LOL!! Walked away and then read it again. Followed along and it makes more sense now. I'm thinking I should eat 2027 calories a day...period. This number seems a bit high but I'll try it and see what happens. It really is hard to switch gears from losing weight to maintaining weight. I have learned to eat healthy and exercise. I won't allow myself to stop doing either and I have to strike a balance.

    Thanks again!!

    Assuming your exercise is included in that number, that is exactly what you should be eating to. If you find that you are gaining after a few weeks (give it at least 4 weeks to take into account water weight fluctuations), drop it a little, and conversely, if you are losing, up it a little. All these calculators are estimates and are a great starting point, but they are not exact at all and some tweaking is usually necessary to take into account things specific to the individual.
  • thin4life67
    thin4life67 Posts: 51 Member
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    Thanks for the responses. I read the link and my head was spinning...LOL!! Walked away and then read it again. Followed along and it makes more sense now. I'm thinking I should eat 2027 calories a day...period. This number seems a bit high but I'll try it and see what happens. It really is hard to switch gears from losing weight to maintaining weight. I have learned to eat healthy and exercise. I won't allow myself to stop doing either and I have to strike a balance.

    Thanks again!!

    Assuming your exercise is included in that number, that is exactly what you should be eating to. If you find that you are gaining after a few weeks (give it at least 4 weeks to take into account water weight fluctuations), drop it a little, and conversely, if you are losing, up it a little. All these calculators are estimates and are a great starting point, but they are not exact at all and some tweaking is usually necessary to take into account things specific to the individual.
  • thin4life67
    thin4life67 Posts: 51 Member
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    Yes that number includes exercise.

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