TDEE- Net Calories question!

spikelike
spikelike Posts: 65
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!

When on the tdee-20 method, the days we exercise do we focus on the food calories to be at tdee-20% or we make sure our net calories are at tdee-20%?

Because the days I do cardio Im netting way below but the total food calories I consume are on par (almost) with my alotted tree-20%
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Replies

  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    if you calculated your TDEE at sedentary, eat the exercise cals back

    if you calculated your TDEE with your activity level included, do not eat them back
  • spikelike
    spikelike Posts: 65
    if you calculated your TDEE at sedentary, eat the exercise cals back

    if you calculated your TDEE with your activity level included, do not eat them back

    but when I look at the net calories on the exercise days, its very low as I burn around 800 calories on average. I guess what youre saying makes sense.

    thanks
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I only eat back calories under this method if I net below my BMR for the day
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    if you calculated your TDEE at sedentary, eat the exercise cals back

    if you calculated your TDEE with your activity level included, do not eat them back

    but when I look at the net calories on the exercise days, its very low as I burn around 800 calories on average. I guess what youre saying makes sense.

    thanks

    It depends on how you have your TDEE set. If you figured in your activity level (moderate, active, whatever) you would eat the same calories every day regardless of if you exercised that day or not. If you figured your TDEE as sedentary then you eat the exercise calories back only on the days you exercise.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    if you calculated your TDEE at sedentary, eat the exercise cals back

    if you calculated your TDEE with your activity level included, do not eat them back

    but when I look at the net calories on the exercise days, its very low as I burn around 800 calories on average. I guess what youre saying makes sense.

    thanks

    Then you aren't using the appropriate activity level.

    Can you break down your math for us so we can understand exactly what you selected?
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    I only eat back calories under this method if I net below my BMR for the day

    This!

    If you have your activity in your TDEE amount do not eat back your exercise calories unless you do more than you planned or your net would be lower than your BMR.
  • spikelike
    spikelike Posts: 65
    if you calculated your TDEE at sedentary, eat the exercise cals back

    if you calculated your TDEE with your activity level included, do not eat them back

    but when I look at the net calories on the exercise days, its very low as I burn around 800 calories on average. I guess what youre saying makes sense.

    thanks

    Then you aren't using the appropriate activity level.

    Can you break down your math for us so we can understand exactly what you selected?

    BMR=1768
    tdee= 2741
    tdee-20%= 2195.

    I chose my activity level as moderate because I run/jog/walk atleast an average of 4 hours/week.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    then you should be eating 2195 daily and not eating exercise calories back. This number already accounts for your exercise calories.

    eta: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • spikelike
    spikelike Posts: 65
    OK thanks. My only ceoncern was that on MFP it tells me that my net calories are lower than my actual bar, but the food calories is almost on par with my tdee.

    I was just worried since the net was really low and didnt know if we were suppose to bring the NET to match the TDEE or not.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    then you should be eating 2195 daily and not eating exercise calories back. This number already accounts for your exercise calories.

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

    Yes, this.
    If you have a larger deficit on the odd day, its ok. If you consistently have a low net, then you need to up your activity level in the equation.
    It is also possible that if you are using MFP's exercise table you may be over estimating and don't really have that large of a calorie burn.

    What are you doing on days you are netting 800?
  • spikelike
    spikelike Posts: 65
    then you should be eating 2195 daily and not eating exercise calories back. This number already accounts for your exercise calories.

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

    Yes, this.
    If you have a larger deficit on the odd day, its ok. If you consistently have a low net, then you need to up your activity level in the equation.
    It is also possible that if you are using MFP's exercise table you may be over estimating and don't really have that large of a calorie burn.

    What are you doing on days you are netting 800?

    running..basically. I am wondering if we were suppose to bring the NET to match the TDEE or not, and its just about the total calories consumed before and after the workout.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    OK thanks. My only ceoncern was that on MFP it tells me that my net calories are lower than my actual bar, but the food calories is almost on par with my tdee.

    I was just worried since the net was really low and didnt know if we were suppose to bring the NET to match the TDEE or not.

    Pay attention to the net calories only if you are follow MFP
    MFP does not account for exercise so it encourages you to eat back the exercise calories. That is where Net comes into play.
    If you have used a different method where you already account for exercise, which you have, then net doesn't apply.
    Although if done correctly they both usually work out to be pretty close.
  • spikelike
    spikelike Posts: 65
    OK thanks. My only ceoncern was that on MFP it tells me that my net calories are lower than my actual bar, but the food calories is almost on par with my tdee.

    I was just worried since the net was really low and didnt know if we were suppose to bring the NET to match the TDEE or not.

    Pay attention to the net calories only if you are follow MFP
    MFP does not account for exercise so it encourages you to eat back the exercise calories. That is where Net comes into play.
    If you have used a different method where you already account for exercise, which you have, then net doesn't apply.
    Although if done correctly they both usually work out to be pretty close.

    ah-ha! ok. I use the scooby TDEE calculator. So I shouldnt worry about the net then..right?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    OK thanks. My only ceoncern was that on MFP it tells me that my net calories are lower than my actual bar, but the food calories is almost on par with my tdee.

    I was just worried since the net was really low and didnt know if we were suppose to bring the NET to match the TDEE or not.

    Pay attention to the net calories only if you are follow MFP
    MFP does not account for exercise so it encourages you to eat back the exercise calories. That is where Net comes into play.
    If you have used a different method where you already account for exercise, which you have, then net doesn't apply.
    Although if done correctly they both usually work out to be pretty close.

    ah-ha! ok. I use the scooby TDEE calculator. So I shouldnt worry about the net then..right?

    Yes,
    and the amount that should be about the same is the weekly total caloric intake, day to day the TDEE can vary widely from what MFP tells you to eat.
  • spikelike
    spikelike Posts: 65
    OK thanks. My only ceoncern was that on MFP it tells me that my net calories are lower than my actual bar, but the food calories is almost on par with my tdee.

    I was just worried since the net was really low and didnt know if we were suppose to bring the NET to match the TDEE or not.

    Pay attention to the net calories only if you are follow MFP
    MFP does not account for exercise so it encourages you to eat back the exercise calories. That is where Net comes into play.
    If you have used a different method where you already account for exercise, which you have, then net doesn't apply.
    Although if done correctly they both usually work out to be pretty close.

    ah-ha! ok. I use the scooby TDEE calculator. So I shouldnt worry about the net then..right?

    Yes,
    and the amount that should be about the same is the weekly total caloric intake, day to day the TDEE can vary widely from what MFP tells you to eat.

    I think Im going to keep the tdee to be the same, as per scoobys calculator.
  • SkinnyForMinnie
    SkinnyForMinnie Posts: 68 Member
    bump. good questions.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    Just follow the method I posted in your other thread. Eat 2100 calories daily or whatever it was. Don't stress net calories as it will work it's way out over the week.
  • spikelike
    spikelike Posts: 65
    got it. thanks a lot guys! Forget the net...Ill focus on getting my 2100 daily..and over the week it will balance itself out.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    TDEE by it's definition does and MUST include exercise. So if you're using TDEE calculators, your exercise is already accounted for and the calories will balance out over the course of the week.

    There's no such thing as calculating TDEE as sedentary.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Pay attention to the net calories only if you are follow MFP
    MFP does not account for exercise so it encourages you to eat back the exercise calories. That is where Net comes into play.
    If you have used a different method where you already account for exercise, which you have, then net doesn't apply.
    Although if done correctly they both usually work out to be pretty close.

    This.
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    Log your exercise on MFP as 1 calorie burned and then your net will look right.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    if you calculated your TDEE at sedentary, eat the exercise cals back

    if you calculated your TDEE with your activity level included, do not eat them back

    No. There's no such thing as TDEE at sedentary. TDEE by definition includes exercise. If you aren't factoring in your exercise then you aren't calculating TDEE.
  • plynn54
    plynn54 Posts: 912 Member
    I have been making sure my net calories is 1200 for the day, and I has been working for me, lost 3 lbs this week
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    TDEE by it's definition does and MUST include exercise. So if you're using TDEE calculators, your exercise is already accounted for and the calories will balance out over the course of the week.

    There's no such thing as calculating TDEE as sedentary.

    This!

    Log your burns as 1 cal and realize that MFP does NOT equate to TDEE so net does not apply.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    if you calculated your TDEE at sedentary, eat the exercise cals back

    if you calculated your TDEE with your activity level included, do not eat them back

    but when I look at the net calories on the exercise days, its very low as I burn around 800 calories on average. I guess what youre saying makes sense.

    thanks

    If your TDEE is set to "active" don't even log your exercise unless you go above and beyond the "5 days a week" that it says "active" Is. (At least that's my take on it. If your calories are set for exercise included,,then logging them doesn't make sense to me )
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    if you calculated your TDEE at sedentary, eat the exercise cals back

    if you calculated your TDEE with your activity level included, do not eat them back

    No. There's no such thing as TDEE at sedentary. TDEE by definition includes exercise. If you aren't factoring in your exercise then you aren't calculating TDEE.

    Incorrect.

    TDEE by definition includes daily activity, which may or may not include official exercise. If someone calculates TDEE at sedentary, that multiplies RMR by 1.2 (depending on the calculator). I do it this way so that I can eat back my exercise calories because I prefer to log total number of calories burned on a daily basis.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    if you calculated your TDEE at sedentary, eat the exercise cals back

    if you calculated your TDEE with your activity level included, do not eat them back

    but when I look at the net calories on the exercise days, its very low as I burn around 800 calories on average. I guess what youre saying makes sense.

    thanks

    If your TDEE is set to "active" don't even log your exercise unless you go above and beyond the "5 days a week" that it says "active" Is. (At least that's my take on it. If your calories are set for exercise included,,then logging them doesn't make sense to me )

    I see what your saying but I'm a numbers geek, I still like to track even if I do the TDEE method (I've done both). Plus, I'd never get a "good job" if I didn't log my exercise. I think someone already suggested to change the calorie burned to 1 in order to be able to log, get atta boys/girls, and not mess with the net. I just log it normally and ignore the net.
  • spikelike
    spikelike Posts: 65
    some very good points. All relevant.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    . There's no such thing as TDEE at sedentary. TDEE by definition includes exercise. If you aren't factoring in your exercise then you aren't calculating TDEE.

    I thought the sedentary setting was a sedentary JOB, like sitting a desk all day. Even people who sit at a desk all day still vacuum, cook, wash laundry, dust, walk up and down stairs to the bedroom or office, spend too long walking the grocery store aisles... So even a sedentary job still has some small amount of using calories above BMR.. Right?
  • spikelike
    spikelike Posts: 65
    if you calculated your TDEE at sedentary, eat the exercise cals back

    if you calculated your TDEE with your activity level included, do not eat them back

    but when I look at the net calories on the exercise days, its very low as I burn around 800 calories on average. I guess what youre saying makes sense.

    thanks

    If your TDEE is set to "active" don't even log your exercise unless you go above and beyond the "5 days a week" that it says "active" Is. (At least that's my take on it. If your calories are set for exercise included,,then logging them doesn't make sense to me )

    I see what your saying but I'm a numbers geek, I still like to track even if I do the TDEE method (I've done both). Plus, I'd never get a "good job" if I didn't log my exercise. I think someone already suggested to change the calorie burned to 1 in order to be able to log, get atta boys/girls, and not mess with the net. I just log it normally and ignore the net.

    I am kinda in the same boat...even thou I log in my exercise I never go above and beyond my tdee-20

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