TDEE vs Fitness Pal intake calculation

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brommerjl
brommerjl Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
So, based on my weight/height/activity level, MFP says I should stay at 1200 calories a day to lose 1 pound per week (not really sure what calc MFP uses to get this number). But, TDEE says that I should be eating nearly 2,000 calories a day to maintain. I see that some people are shoing TDEE - 20% to lose weight ---- so, I should be eating approx 1,800 calories per day to lose weight.

Is there a way to set MFP to calculate my recommended calorie intake based on the TDEE -20% instead of the built-in setting of 1200? I am asking because I'm having difficulty losing any weight and I think it may be because I'm eating too few calories. Bumping my calories up to the TDEE levels might be better.

Help!

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
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    Go to MY HOME> Goals> Change Goals> Custom

    You can do adjustments there.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    I wish you could haev 2 goals.. rest day/workout day. LOL. I have 2 different goals.. I just set it to the lower one and out the higher one in the notes on the days where i exercise.

    But yes do what the person above me said to change your goals.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
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    I wish you could haev 2 goals.. rest day/workout day. LOL. I have 2 different goals.. I just set it to the lower one and out the higher one in the notes on the days where i exercise.

    But yes do what the person above me said to change your goals.

    Well, that is essentially what MFP's system does. I personally like it better for active weight loss. If you are eating 1300 on rest days and 1800 on exercsie days, that is the way MFP is set up to work. So use MFP's system. It is so fine-tunable. Finding your TDEE is important so you don't have too large of a deficit, but they both work - TDEE minus 15% just spreads the exercise calories over the entire week, where MFP has you eat them on the day you use them. Same thing, if you've set it up correctly.
  • LisaBoehnke
    LisaBoehnke Posts: 24 Member
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    TDEE - 20% for you would be 1600 cals/day... 2000 - 20% =1600. Sorry to correct you, but I just wanted to help you out... :)
  • brommerjl
    brommerjl Posts: 3
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    Yep, you're right! I mis-typed. Thanks! :)
  • brommerjl
    brommerjl Posts: 3
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    Well, that is essentially what MFP's system does. I personally like it better for active weight loss. If you are eating 1300 on rest days and 1800 on exercsie days, that is the way MFP is set up to work. So use MFP's system. It is so fine-tunable. Finding your TDEE is important so you don't have too large of a deficit, but they both work - TDEE minus 15% just spreads the exercise calories over the entire week, where MFP has you eat them on the day you use them. Same thing, if you've set it up correctly.


    I've been using MFP for a couple of months now and it just hasn't been working for me. I feel confident that i'm tracking faithfully and not "cheating" so i thought i'd give this alternative way a chance. Maybe in the end, I'll find that you're right and only eating the higher calories on excercise days is the way to go. We'll see. Would you offer another suggestion as to why I'm not losing? What about on excercise days when I end up not eating enough and I actually net under the 1200 --- could that be my problem?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
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    I've been using MFP for a couple of months now and it just hasn't been working for me. I feel confident that i'm tracking faithfully and not "cheating" so i thought i'd give this alternative way a chance. Maybe in the end, I'll find that you're right and only eating the higher calories on excercise days is the way to go. We'll see. Would you offer another suggestion as to why I'm not losing? What about on excercise days when I end up not eating enough and I actually net under the 1200 --- could that be my problem?



    Use the site as it is set up. Don't over-think this. Re-evaluate in a month. In the meantime, educate yourself. There are lots of conflicting ways to figure your calories. This site does a good job if you use it honestly and don't try to be too aggressive when setting your weight-loss Goal here. Keep this in mind when using the tools to set up your goals:

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    You are responsible for choosing an accurate activity level. Don't try to speed up the process by choosing "Sedentary" just because it is an option.

    Almost no one needs to be using this site's setting of Sedentary. If you care for children at home, or go to school or have any type of job, you are not Sedentary. Choose accordingly.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~


    I don't know enough about you to make any kind of a guess....here, read these, they'll help you decide how much you should be eating.. generally 1200 is going to be too low unless you are female and more than 40 to 50 pounds overweight, or extremely tiny (like under 5 feet). When you use the numbers on this site you are expected to be adding exercise into your daily journal and then eating more calories to fuel that exercise. Other weight loss calculators don't work this way, so you'll be given higher daily calories if you use some other site to calculate your needs.


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

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

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