TDEE-20% and eating back exercise calories

pineygirl
pineygirl Posts: 322 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My estimated TDEE considering myself moderately active is 1953, so my 20% cut is 1562. I prefer to work in round numbers so lets say 1560.

If I aim to eat 1560 calories per day do I weat back excercise calories or not. I've been hearing that you aren't supposed to, but I might burn over 400 calories in a workout and I workout 5-6 times a week. (2-3 weight lifting/circut training type and 2-3 HIIT cardio workouts). I also have job that requires some phycical activity (running around, climing stairs, lifting heavy boxes).

So if I didn't eat them back I'd be only netting 1160 calories a day....5 calories shy of my calculated BMR of 1165. I was trying to avoid netting that little, since I diddn't lose on 1200 calores a day at all.

I am 5' tall (roughly) and weight 118lbs. I would like to lose at least 10lbs and lose about 8% body fat.

Do I eat back the 400-ish calories I burn or not?

I'm a little confused.

Replies

  • eliblish
    eliblish Posts: 124 Member
    I think it depends on what activity level you chose...I do lightly active even though I work out 6 days a week because I like to log my exercise. So I eat back most or all of my exercise calories. If you chose moderately active and that's whst you work out, you don't have to log your exercise. Editing because I missed the part where you already chose moderately active...if you have a really active job on top of moderate exercise maybe eat half of your exercise calories back?
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    If you're doing all of that then you are not moderately active.

    ETA: Choose a higher activity level. When using the TDEE method, you do not eat back exercise calories. You only eat back exercise calories with MFP because it doesn't take exercise into account when giving you your calorie goal.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    When you calculated TDEE, it should have asked how often and at what intensity you work out. Even if you only work out 3 times a week, TDEE averages those calories burnt over the week. This means that TDEE-20% already accounts for your workouts! You should be averaging 1560 calories eaten every single day.

    If you prefer to "earn" your workout calories, just use MFP as designed. Set it to lose .5 lbs a week, since you are already within your healthy range you will not be able to lose 2 lbs. a week and maintain your health.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    With TDEE you are NOT to eat back exercise calories as its factored in your goal. However if you have a burn that puts you below your BMR it is wise to eat some back. TDEE is not the same as MFP and their calculations.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    No, you're not supposed to eat the calories back with this method. It should even out over the week (unless you're working out daily, in which case, you may be more than moderately active).

    Were you eating at 1200 and eating calories back? That should have been about right for you, based on how small you are.
  • nfgchick79
    nfgchick79 Posts: 89 Member
    With TDEE you are NOT to eat back exercise calories as its factored in your goal. However if you have a burn that puts you below your BMR it is wise to eat some back. TDEE is not the same as MFP and their calculations.

    Agreed. This is the method I use.
  • pineygirl
    pineygirl Posts: 322 Member
    No, you're not supposed to eat the calories back with this method. It should even out over the week (unless you're working out daily, in which case, you may be more than moderately active).

    Were you eating at 1200 and eating calories back? That should have been about right for you, based on how small you are.

    Yes, I was eating them back when I was at 1200. I wasn't able to lose weight at netting 1200 calories/day. I have been them same weight for 5 weeks, and just this past week have increased it to 1400/day.

    I'm going to just keep it at an even 1500 and not eat back excercise calories. My issue is that my exercise calories will put me below my BMR at least a few times a week. But I don't see how that would be that different from netting 1200 calories a day. And I wasn't losing on that at all.

    I am working out pretty much daily (6/7 days a week usually)...I still wouldn't consider myself more than moderately active, since a couple days a week I have a lot of meetings and paperwork to do at work and am not as active as I can be on days that I'm working on the lab bench.

    Maybe my BMR is way less than I think it is.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    No, you're not supposed to eat the calories back with this method. It should even out over the week (unless you're working out daily, in which case, you may be more than moderately active).

    Were you eating at 1200 and eating calories back? That should have been about right for you, based on how small you are.

    Yes, I was eating them back when I was at 1200. I wasn't able to lose weight at netting 1200 calories/day. I have been them same weight for 5 weeks, and just this past week have increased it to 1400/day.

    I'm going to just keep it at an even 1500 and not eat back excercise calories. My issue is that my exercise calories will put me below my BMR at least a few times a week. But I don't see how that would be that different from netting 1200 calories a day. And I wasn't losing on that at all.

    I am working out pretty much daily (6/7 days a week usually)...I still wouldn't consider myself more than moderately active, since a couple days a week I have a lot of meetings and paperwork to do at work and am not as active as I can be on days that I'm working on the lab bench.

    Maybe my BMR is way less than I think it is.

    Given your size, it could be. I don't think you were eating too low at 1200 (or not low enough to stall your weight loss). Then again, I'm eating at net 1200 (I'm taller and bigger than you, but it works out pretty close to TDEE - 20% for me anyway since I eat back all my exercise calories).

    If you really want to know, you could have your RMR tested. It's not cheap though. I think I spent $150 at the local university hospital system.

    Given that you're already at a healthy weight, I think you should focus solely on lowering your BF rather than weight loss. Do some strength training to build muscle and that will in turn reduce your BF.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    My estimated TDEE considering myself moderately active is 1953, so my 20% cut is 1562. I prefer to work in round numbers so lets say 1560.

    If I aim to eat 1560 calories per day do I weat back excercise calories or not. I've been hearing that you aren't supposed to, but I might burn over 400 calories in a workout and I workout 5-6 times a week. (2-3 weight lifting/circut training type and 2-3 HIIT cardio workouts). I also have job that requires some phycical activity (running around, climing stairs, lifting heavy boxes).

    Underestimating your activity level, your active not moderate.. so you need to calculate those numbers again.. and you have 10 lbs to lose so you need to really reduce your cut number, 10% at the most... you want to drop BF more than weight
  • Reza151
    Reza151 Posts: 517 Member
    I understand that exercise is calculated into your TDEE but don't you need to eat something to help your muscles recuperate after a workout? I normally get a protein smoothie with whey (about 200 calories), but when i log it, I log it as part of my dinner and just have a small side salad when i get home (since i have a little over an hour commute from my gym near my work to my house). That is, I log the calories I eat after a workout as part of my daily quota, rather than eating my normal 1900 AND the calories from exercise on top of that. Is that correct?
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    I understand that exercise is calculated into your TDEE but don't you need to eat something to help your muscles recuperate after a workout? I normally get a protein smoothie with whey (about 200 calories), but when i log it, I log it as part of my dinner and just have a small side salad when i get home (since i have a little over an hour commute from my gym near my work to my house). That is, I log the calories I eat after a workout as part of my daily quota, rather than eating my normal 1900 AND the calories from exercise on top of that. Is that correct?

    It doesn't matter when you log calories or when you workout. TDEE is your daily expenditure including all activity. It includes your calories for everything that day. My TDEE is 2000. If I workout that day, it's still 2000 no matter what time I eat, lift or have my post workout shake. All calories fall in that 2000. You are over thinking this.

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