TDEE and exercise

HRM's are 8-16% inaccurate when everything is set up perfectly. Depending on how you've got it set up, how much data it has on you, how accurate the data is, and how intense the workout is, the more inaccurate it will be. Generally, the higher the intensity, the less accurate it is too.

However, it's still infinitely better than the MFP estimates, or any estimate a calculator could give you, because it's measuring in real-time.

Just remember that everything is just an estimate. Just try to be close to what the numbers give you, and do what feels right. If you're not losing weight like you want to, cut out a few calories every week (by up to 100/day/week). Just don't go too low.

Ok this is what I actually do for a living (I'm an exercise physiologist). Do not use TDEE, it is sooo inaccurate!! Review what you have eaten for a week, if you haven't lost any weight then reduce your net calories by up to 500kcal. Remember that you don't have to starve yourself to reduce your net, you can exercise it off too. Also remember that it takes 9kcal at moderate intensity >65%HR to burn just 1g of fat!!! Dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass!!!

For the past week or so I've been eating at TDEE -20% which for me is 1700 calories. However, I've found that I haven't been exercising as much as I originally thought (1-3 times a week). Therefore I was wondering whether it would be okay to set my daily goal as what my TDEE - 20% would be if I was sedentary (which I am when I don't exercise) which would be 1547 and then eat back my exercise calories (worked out from my HRM).
Thanks in advance

I would not, just in the off chance you do workout your deficit may be too large. I would suggest setting as Sedentary TDEE - 10%, that way if you workout your deficit would not be too large.

Yes. That will work. Or, eat at 1500 when you don't work out, and eat at the other amount when you do. Monitor yourself closely for a while to make sure it's working the way you want it to.

I'm a little surprised that Alfred doesn't just have a pill for you to take.

Ok this is what I actually do for a living (I'm an exercise physiologist). Do not use TDEE, it is sooo inaccurate!! Review what you have eaten for a week, if you haven't lost any weight then reduce your net calories by up to 500kcal. Remember that you don't have to starve yourself to reduce your net, you can exercise it off too. Also remember that it takes 9kcal at moderate intensity >65%HR to burn just 1g of fat!!! Dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass!!!

All of this is a guess - as far as the numbers go. Some people like to use TDEE minus 10-15% and NOT add in their exercise calories. Some people like to use their deficit as given here and then add in their exercise calories (which is the way this website is set up to work.). They are essentially doing the same thing, albeit in a different way.

Use the numbers here, they work for most people. Adjust in small increments if you don't see results in a month. I don't know if a blanket statement of "Reduce your Net calories by up to 500kcal" is the best advice. That totally depends on where they started and a lot of other factors. Be careful throwing out this type of advice under the guise of some professional title.

I disagree with your statement that "dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass". That is not true. You can lose fat en masse with a calorie deficit only. Is it ideal? Will you likely lose some muscle? No, it's not idea, yes you will lose some muscle. But lots of people lose lots of weight without significant exercise.

Ok this is what I actually do for a living (I'm an exercise physiologist). Do not use TDEE, it is sooo inaccurate!! Review what you have eaten for a week, if you haven't lost any weight then reduce your net calories by up to 500kcal. Remember that you don't have to starve yourself to reduce your net, you can exercise it off too. Also remember that it takes 9kcal at moderate intensity >65%HR to burn just 1g of fat!!! Dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass!!!

That is BS, dieting alone will reduce fat mass.

But with diet alone you will also lose lean body mass, which is why you should strength training while in a deficit. Exercise (cardio) only leads to a larger deficit, it is the deficit that causes the weight loss, strength training will help ensure that most of the loss is fat, instead of fat and muscle.

Don't you dare accuse me of BS!! Come back to me when you have an honours degree, a current PhD project on this exact topic and are employed as an exercise physiologist!! It's people like you that make my job so much harder!

I have heard that HRM, MFP, and Calorie Counts on exercise machines can be off by that amount as well. I always reduce my time by 10-15% when logging in exercise to make sure I am not giving myself too much credit on calorie burns.

Ok this is what I actually do for a living (I'm an exercise physiologist). Do not use TDEE, it is sooo inaccurate!! Review what you have eaten for a week, if you haven't lost any weight then reduce your net calories by up to 500kcal. Remember that you don't have to starve yourself to reduce your net, you can exercise it off too. Also remember that it takes 9kcal at moderate intensity >65%HR to burn just 1g of fat!!! Dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass!!!

That is BS, dieting alone will reduce fat mass.

But with diet alone you will also lose lean body mass, which is why you should strength training while in a deficit. Exercise (cardio) only leads to a larger deficit, it is the deficit that causes the weight loss, strength training will help ensure that most of the loss is fat, instead of fat and muscle.

Don't you dare accuse me of BS!! Come back to me when you have an honours degree, a current PhD project on this exact topic and are employed as an exercise physiologist!! It's people like you that make my job so much harder!

If dieting alone doesn't allow you to lose fat mass, then how come MFP is set up to lose weight on diet alone? Albeit, it won't be only fat as erickib pointed out, but you will lose fat.

Lets see you explain that one.

Ok this is what I actually do for a living (I'm an exercise physiologist). Do not use TDEE, it is sooo inaccurate!! Review what you have eaten for a week, if you haven't lost any weight then reduce your net calories by up to 500kcal. Remember that you don't have to starve yourself to reduce your net, you can exercise it off too. Also remember that it takes 9kcal at moderate intensity >65%HR to burn just 1g of fat!!! Dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass!!!

That is BS, dieting alone will reduce fat mass.

But with diet alone you will also lose lean body mass, which is why you should strength training while in a deficit. Exercise (cardio) only leads to a larger deficit, it is the deficit that causes the weight loss, strength training will help ensure that most of the loss is fat, instead of fat and muscle.

Don't you dare accuse me of BS!! Come back to me when you have an honours degree, a current PhD project on this exact topic and are employed as an exercise physiologist!! It's people like you that make my job so much harder!

Lol. :laugh:

Ok this is what I actually do for a living (I'm an exercise physiologist). Do not use TDEE, it is sooo inaccurate!! Review what you have eaten for a week, if you haven't lost any weight then reduce your net calories by up to 500kcal. Remember that you don't have to starve yourself to reduce your net, you can exercise it off too. Also remember that it takes 9kcal at moderate intensity >65%HR to burn just 1g of fat!!! Dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass!!!

That is BS, dieting alone will reduce fat mass.

But with diet alone you will also lose lean body mass, which is why you should strength training while in a deficit. Exercise (cardio) only leads to a larger deficit, it is the deficit that causes the weight loss, strength training will help ensure that most of the loss is fat, instead of fat and muscle.

Don't you dare accuse me of BS!! Come back to me when you have an honours degree, a current PhD project on this exact topic and are employed as an exercise physiologist!! It's people like you that make my job so much harder!

You need to learn to speak carefully. What you said is not true. Expressing your opinion is one thing, but posting a fly-by-one-size-fits-all statement like the one you posted is irresponsible for a professional.

Ok this is what I actually do for a living (I'm an exercise physiologist). Do not use TDEE, it is sooo inaccurate!! Review what you have eaten for a week, if you haven't lost any weight then reduce your net calories by up to 500kcal. Remember that you don't have to starve yourself to reduce your net, you can exercise it off too. Also remember that it takes 9kcal at moderate intensity >65%HR to burn just 1g of fat!!! Dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass!!!

That is BS, dieting alone will reduce fat mass.

But with diet alone you will also lose lean body mass, which is why you should strength training while in a deficit. Exercise (cardio) only leads to a larger deficit, it is the deficit that causes the weight loss, strength training will help ensure that most of the loss is fat, instead of fat and muscle.

seconded. No PHD though.

Ok this is what I actually do for a living (I'm an exercise physiologist). Do not use TDEE, it is sooo inaccurate!! Review what you have eaten for a week, if you haven't lost any weight then reduce your net calories by up to 500kcal. Remember that you don't have to starve yourself to reduce your net, you can exercise it off too. Also remember that it takes 9kcal at moderate intensity >65%HR to burn just 1g of fat!!! Dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass!!!

That is BS, dieting alone will reduce fat mass.

But with diet alone you will also lose lean body mass, which is why you should strength training while in a deficit. Exercise (cardio) only leads to a larger deficit, it is the deficit that causes the weight loss, strength training will help ensure that most of the loss is fat, instead of fat and muscle.

Don't you dare accuse me of BS!! Come back to me when you have an honours degree, a current PhD project on this exact topic and are employed as an exercise physiologist!! It's people like you that make my job so much harder!

If dieting alone doesn't allow you to lose fat mass, then how come MFP is set up to lose weight on diet alone? Albeit, it won't be only fat as erickib pointed out, but you will lose fat.

Lets see you explain that one.

You will lose fat mass but your body fat % (which is what really matters) as in your fat:fatfree mass ratio will remain the same (give or take approximately 5%). To summarise, you will get smaller and weigh less but you will be "skinny fat"

But you are still losing fat... Which you said can't be done by diet alone.. and apparently it can, as you stated above. It's may not body fat.. but you are losing some type of fat... no?

.

seconded. No PHD though.

PhD PROJECT.....she's hoping to someday have a PhD. I hope she makes it :laugh:

Ok this is what I actually do for a living (I'm an exercise physiologist). Do not use TDEE, it is sooo inaccurate!! Review what you have eaten for a week, if you haven't lost any weight then reduce your net calories by up to 500kcal. Remember that you don't have to starve yourself to reduce your net, you can exercise it off too. Also remember that it takes 9kcal at moderate intensity >65%HR to burn just 1g of fat!!! Dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass!!!

That is BS, dieting alone will reduce fat mass.

But with diet alone you will also lose lean body mass, which is why you should strength training while in a deficit. Exercise (cardio) only leads to a larger deficit, it is the deficit that causes the weight loss, strength training will help ensure that most of the loss is fat, instead of fat and muscle.

Don't you dare accuse me of BS!! Come back to me when you have an honours degree, a current PhD project on this exact topic and are employed as an exercise physiologist!! It's people like you that make my job so much harder!

I am sorry but thousands of people lose fat and weight with no exercise, just on diet alone. Now if you want to be technical than you can say those people are not lying in bed all day, they are moving and that is exercise. If that is your angle I partly believe, as others that are bed ridden lose weight (fat and muscle) in a caloric deficit.

And not everyone with masters degrees and PHD's are always correct

I always distrust authority. Especially those that demand it.

Ok this is what I actually do for a living (I'm an exercise physiologist). Do not use TDEE, it is sooo inaccurate!! Review what you have eaten for a week, if you haven't lost any weight then reduce your net calories by up to 500kcal. Remember that you don't have to starve yourself to reduce your net, you can exercise it off too. Also remember that it takes 9kcal at moderate intensity >65%HR to burn just 1g of fat!!! Dieting alone will not allow you to lose fat mass!!!

That is BS, dieting alone will reduce fat mass.

But with diet alone you will also lose lean body mass, which is why you should strength training while in a deficit. Exercise (cardio) only leads to a larger deficit, it is the deficit that causes the weight loss, strength training will help ensure that most of the loss is fat, instead of fat and muscle.

Don't you dare accuse me of BS!! Come back to me when you have an honours degree, a current PhD project on this exact topic and are employed as an exercise physiologist!! It's people like you that make my job so much harder!

If dieting alone doesn't allow you to lose fat mass, then how come MFP is set up to lose weight on diet alone? Albeit, it won't be only fat as erickib pointed out, but you will lose fat.

Lets see you explain that one.

You will lose fat mass but your body fat % (which is what really matters) as in your fat:fatfree mass ratio will remain the same (give or take approximately 5%). To summarise, you will get smaller and weigh less but you will be "skinny fat"

That might be true for those only losing 20-25 lbs, but for those losing a significant amount of weight their BF% is going to drop too, even if they do no exercise whatsoever.