Calorie Deficit

Your deficit should be based on TDEE. Which is your BMR+ all the calories you burn moving around during the day, digesting food, and exercising (MFP adds the exercise in later).

If you want, check out this link by MFPer Heliotsdan - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

It'll give you a detailed walkthrough (with pictures even) on finding your TDEE and calculating what you should be eating.

Or for a different version to figure out your TDEE, as well as some great advice...check out:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes



Also, if you are worried about the calorie intake, I also suggest you read this thread that has numerous people who met their goals and are maintaining. Some for years and they also provide their calorie intake and how often they work out.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/816542-let-s-hear-it-for-maintainenance



For more information about fitness and nutrition, I highly suggest checking out and joining this group:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

Read all the stickies. It's great information to know.


For info about your macros (proteins/fats/carbs) - check out this link. It will give you the formula to figure out your #s and also how to custom change them in MFP:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

I am new to the site and was just getting ready to eat those extra calories from my workout. I am confused. I also don't understand the abreviation TDEE

TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure

TDEE is the common abbreviation for Total Daily Energy Expenditure which is a metric to calculate the amount of calories your body needs to function in a day. This is quite similar to BMR; in fact, you need your BMR to calculate your TDEE; but your TDEE accounts for your average daily activity as well to give a figure truer to your specific situation.

Basically, the TDEE calculation relies on categorizing your daily activity into one of the metrics' predetermined groupings:

Sedentary - desk job and little to no exercise
Lightly Active - light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk
Moderately Active - moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk
Very Active - hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk
Extremely Active - hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or training

Once you have determined where you fit in on the TDEE activity rate scale, this activity rate is used to weight your BMR giving you a more accurate assessment of how many calories you really need throughout the course of the day. Since BMR only accounts for your bodies basic functioning needs and not your daily activity, TDEE provides standard multipliers for accurately determining a TDEE.

((quoted from http://www.quickbmr.com/what-is-tdee.html ))

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

If you want, check out this link by MFPer Heliotsdan - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

It'll give you a detailed walkthrough (with pictures even) on finding your TDEE and calculating what you should be eating.

Or for a different version to figure out your TDEE, as well as some great advice...check out:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes



Also, if you are worried about the calorie intake, I also suggest you read this thread that has numerous people who met their goals and are maintaining. Some for years and they also provide their calorie intake and how often they work out.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/816542-let-s-hear-it-for-maintainenance



For more information about fitness and nutrition, I highly suggest checking out and joining this group:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

Read all the stickies. It's great information to know.


For info about your macros (proteins/fats/carbs) - check out this link. It will give you the formula to figure out your #s and also how to custom change them in MFP:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

This is excellent information!

If you want, check out this link by MFPer Heliotsdan - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

It'll give you a detailed walkthrough (with pictures even) on finding your TDEE and calculating what you should be eating.

Or for a different version to figure out your TDEE, as well as some great advice...check out:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes



Also, if you are worried about the calorie intake, I also suggest you read this thread that has numerous people who met their goals and are maintaining. Some for years and they also provide their calorie intake and how often they work out.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/816542-let-s-hear-it-for-maintainenance



For more information about fitness and nutrition, I highly suggest checking out and joining this group:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

Read all the stickies. It's great information to know.


For info about your macros (proteins/fats/carbs) - check out this link. It will give you the formula to figure out your #s and also how to custom change them in MFP:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

I am familiar with dan's method. I made one before his that went in to more detail about macros. Never seen yoovie's cliff notes, I just saw it, I also seen Sara's before.

They all tell you how to calculate, your TDEE and do all these steps. It's overwhelming and impractical for a beginner.
Your TDEE is already calculated click on "goals" and go up to where it says "calories burned through normal activity" that's your TDEE.

That's why they are more than welcome to ask questions on the post. One of the things that I have found that has been one of the best methods for me to get fit is to understand fitness. To understand where all these figures, etc come from.

The good thing is once they get the hang of it - it is something they'll be aware of constantly and they'll understand better about their eating habits.

So I HIGHLY suggest making the effort to take every chance to educate yourself. Even if you don't end up going with any of these methods, calculations, etc - at least you understand what they are, where others are coming from, and maybe they will still be able to help you figure out what is best for you.