-20% TDEE = less than 1200 net??

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jenihullett
jenihullett Posts: 241 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I eat at my TDEE -20%. I've realized that if I continue to follow my Turbo Fire workouts, I will consistently fall under 1200 net calories per day (sometimes well under 1200). My BMR is 1400, and my TDEE is 1911, so my TDEE-20% is ~1530. I know that TDEE is supposed to count for everything you do during the day, so you're not supposed to eat back any exercise calories... but is is ok to be under 1200 net all the time? I'm a bit skeptical, so any advice would be appreciated =)

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  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    You don't have to do TDEE - 20%. When you're close to goal you don't want that big of a cut. Drop back to 15% or 10%.
  • morticiamom
    morticiamom Posts: 221 Member
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    Also, what level of activity did you set for calculating your TDEE? You might need to increase it (or take a smaller deficit, either way.)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Your TDEE should include the calories from TurboFire .... so you ARE eating back your exercise calories less 20% overall

    Example .... your BMR (calories for sitting around doing nothing) = 1400. Add sedentary (or whatever) lifestyle, add exercise = TDEE 1911

    Subract 20% from 1911 = 1530. You should be eating 1530 and NOT logging additional exercise calories. If you want to log exercise in MFP .... over ride the count to "1" or something.
  • skydiveD30571
    skydiveD30571 Posts: 281 Member
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    my TDEE-20% is ~1530. I know that TDEE is supposed to count for everything you do during the day, so you're not supposed to eat back any exercise calories... but is is ok to be under 1200 net all the time? I'm a bit skeptical, so any advice would be appreciated =)

    Yes your workouts are included in the TDEE number. So if you eat TDEE-20% (1530 in your case) you are netting 1530. Not below 1200. You're doing it right, keep on keepin' on.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I eat at my TDEE -20%. I've realized that if I continue to follow my Turbo Fire workouts, I will consistently fall under 1200 net calories per day (sometimes well under 1200). My BMR is 1400, and my TDEE is 1911, so my TDEE-20% is ~1530. I know that TDEE is supposed to count for everything you do during the day, so you're not supposed to eat back any exercise calories... but is is ok to be under 1200 net all the time? I'm a bit skeptical, so any advice would be appreciated =)

    1.) How close to goal are you? If you're within 10Lbs, you should be doing TDEE - 10% or something.

    2.) Your TDEE should include the calories fromTruboFire so, in reality, you do not have your activity level set correctly for using the TDEE method.

    In answer, no...you shouldn't be below 1,200 net calories. You need to up your activity level or reduce your deficit...or probably both.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    my TDEE-20% is ~1530. I know that TDEE is supposed to count for everything you do during the day, so you're not supposed to eat back any exercise calories... but is is ok to be under 1200 net all the time? I'm a bit skeptical, so any advice would be appreciated =)

    Yes your workouts are included in the TDEE number. So if you eat TDEE-20% (1530 in your case) you are netting 1530. Not below 1200. You're doing it right, keep on keepin' on.

    No...she is grossing 1,530, not netting. She needs to up the activity level because her current activity level is obviously not including that activity.
  • jenihullett
    jenihullett Posts: 241 Member
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    I'm still 20-25 lbs away from my goal, so I was hoping to keep myself at TDEE -20%, changing to -15% when I had 15 lbs to go, and then to -10% when I had 10 lbs to go; but I think I will try increasing my activity level. If I still seem to net below 1200, I'll decrease my deficit to -10 or 15% and see what happens.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    I looked at your diary and I don't see where your problem is except some days you don't eat enough and you're logging your exercise calories. If you use TDEE properly then you don't eat your exercise back which means if you log it on MFP you have to ignore those calories. The days you don't eat enough to meet your 1500 goal are only your fault for not actually eating to budget.
  • junip1977
    junip1977 Posts: 111 Member
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    I can't remember which fitness site I read this from but if you do the -%20 TDEE method, then you only eat back calories if you burn over 455 a day. Then you would eat back the over 455 that you burn.
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
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    This is the problem I ran into. So I set my numbers up a little differently.

    I calculated my TDEE with a sedentary lifestyle, NOT including exercise, -20%.

    Then when I workout, I wear my heart rate monitor, and I just make sure to eat back all the exercise calories I earn.

    It's working great for me.
  • seanezekiel
    seanezekiel Posts: 228 Member
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    Are you eating your burned calories? I cant see it being under 1200 while burning 300-500 from exercise.
  • SmileyFaceGuy
    SmileyFaceGuy Posts: 201
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    Your problem is that you're double-logging calories burned from exercise. Calories burned from exercise are already figured into your TDEE (unless you use method 2 below), and then you're manually logging your exercise calories. You need to either (1) account for weekly exercise when choosing your TDEE activity multiplier, and do NOT manually log your exercise, or (2) do not include weekly exercise when choosing your TDEE activity multiplier, manually log your exercise, and eat your calories burned from exercise back.
  • skydiveD30571
    skydiveD30571 Posts: 281 Member
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    my TDEE-20% is ~1530. I know that TDEE is supposed to count for everything you do during the day, so you're not supposed to eat back any exercise calories... but is is ok to be under 1200 net all the time? I'm a bit skeptical, so any advice would be appreciated =)

    Yes your workouts are included in the TDEE number. So if you eat TDEE-20% (1530 in your case) you are netting 1530. Not below 1200. You're doing it right, keep on keepin' on.

    No...she is grossing 1,530, not netting. She needs to up the activity level because her current activity level is obviously not including that activity.

    Right...It was assumed her TDEE is correct to start with. How do we know if it was? How doe we know what activity level she set it to? If she set it at sedentary, then yes 1530 is gross and she needs to log exercise calories. If she set it to lightly or moderately active, she is double logging exercise calories and isn't really netting below 1200.
  • priscilag79
    priscilag79 Posts: 9 Member
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    Which site are you guys using to calculate TDEE?
  • skydiveD30571
    skydiveD30571 Posts: 281 Member
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    Which site are you guys using to calculate TDEE?

    I like this one:

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

    Plus if you have a couple measurements it can try to estimate bf% and give a little more accurate answer.
  • priscilag79
    priscilag79 Posts: 9 Member
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    :) Thank you!

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