Using TDEE instead of MFP Goals

Raynne413
Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For those that use TDEE for tracking, I'm trying to decide if I should use my TDEE at highly active, since I work out 6 days a week (4 of those around an hour and 2 of those 2-3 hours), or if I should use Sedentary TDEE and THEN add in my workout calories. Any ideas?

Replies

  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    You can do either. If you calculate them into your TDEE, you shouldn't log your exercises on MFP.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    It's all personal preference. I did TDEE with my activity because I like the steady calorie level instead of being lower on a non-exercise day. I also still log my exercise but only as a 1 calorie burn.
  • mom2kpr
    mom2kpr Posts: 348 Member
    I set mine at sedentary & then eat back the exercise calories. My workouts are different everyday. Some days I go for a short walk & only burn about 200, on other days I workout hard & burn 700. It just makes it much easier for me to track. It's been successful for me - 20lbs in 3 months. Good luck!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    I set mine at sedentary & then eat back the exercise calories. My workouts are different everyday. Some days I go for a short walk & only burn about 200, on other days I workout hard & burn 700. It just makes it much easier for me to track. It's been successful for me - 20lbs in 3 months. Good luck!

    I think if your exercise really differs from week to week, it is better to eat your exercise calories back. If it is the same from week to week, it should even out throughout the week (from what I understand).
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I started the TDEE route because I hated seeing red numbers on my rest day (recovering ED issues), so I was thinking that it might help to do it this way. I just don't want to OVERESTIMATE things. Not that I would consistently eat that much anyway.
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.

    If you want to take it there, then in practice, the days where you don't exercise, your TDEE is lower than the days where you do exercise. It is not a constant anyways, so why worry about it? ;)
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.

    If you want to take it there, then in practice, the days where you don't exercise, your TDEE is lower than the days where you do exercise. It is not a constant anyways, so why worry about it? ;)

    I don't understand... what's your point?
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.

    If you want to take it there, then in practice, the days where you don't exercise, your TDEE is lower than the days where you do exercise. It is not a constant anyways, so why worry about it? ;)

    I don't understand... what's your point?

    That you are nitpicking. It was just a question from someone who wanted to know how to log her calories and exercise into MFP, that is all. We all know what TDEE is, so what is the big deal? We all understand what she means, so why take it apart?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.

    If you want to take it there, then in practice, the days where you don't exercise, your TDEE is lower than the days where you do exercise. It is not a constant anyways, so why worry about it? ;)

    I don't understand... what's your point?

    That you are nitpicking. It was just a question from someone who wanted to know how to log her calories and exercise into MFP, that is all. We all know what TDEE is, so what is the big deal? We all understand what she means, so why take it apart?

    Ah, ok... I didn't understand what she meant. The "sedentary TDEE" threw me. I wasn't trying to nitpick simply for the sake of nitpicking.

    Then with that being said, the first few responses in this threadwere right. Use TDEE if you don't want to log individual workouts, eat back exercise cals, etc. Use sedentary or lightly active if you want to log workouts, or if your workouts vary greatly day to day to day. Or if you're just a numbers geek like me.

    Sorry for overcomplicating things.
    .
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.

    If you want to take it there, then in practice, the days where you don't exercise, your TDEE is lower than the days where you do exercise. It is not a constant anyways, so why worry about it? ;)

    I don't understand... what's your point?

    That you are nitpicking. It was just a question from someone who wanted to know how to log her calories and exercise into MFP, that is all. We all know what TDEE is, so what is the big deal? We all understand what she means, so why take it apart?

    Ah, ok... I didn't understand what she meant. The "tdee as sedentary" is what confused me.

    I think that's a whole discussion in itself, putting your tdee as sedentary. It is confusing at first when you enter your TDEE into MFP as a daily caloric goal, you can't log your exercise also because it will add on to your goal calories, which defeats the purpose of TDEE, so I get what you mean there, don't worry ;)
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.

    If you want to take it there, then in practice, the days where you don't exercise, your TDEE is lower than the days where you do exercise. It is not a constant anyways, so why worry about it? ;)

    I don't understand... what's your point?

    That you are nitpicking. It was just a question from someone who wanted to know how to log her calories and exercise into MFP, that is all. We all know what TDEE is, so what is the big deal? We all understand what she means, so why take it apart?

    Ah, ok... I didn't understand what she meant. The "sedentary TDEE" threw me. I wasn't trying to nitpick simply for the sake of nitpicking.

    Then with that being said, the first few responses in this threadwere right. Use TDEE if you don't want to log individual workouts, eat back exercise cals, etc. Use sedentary or lightly active if you want to log workouts, or if your workouts vary greatly day to day to day. Or if you're just a numbers geek like me.

    Sorry for overcomplicating things.
    .

    Don't worry about it ;)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    For those that use TDEE for tracking, I'm trying to decide if I should use my TDEE at highly active, since I work out 6 days a week (4 of those around an hour and 2 of those 2-3 hours), or if I should use Sedentary TDEE and THEN add in my workout calories. Any ideas?

    Those are two extreme ends of the spectrum. If you do sedentary TDEE and eat back exercise calories, you're essentially doing the MFP method. In RE to your activity level should you include in TDEE, that's really a judgement call on your part. I'm in between light active and moderately active...when I was just set to light active minus 10%, I was losing way faster than I wanted...when I went to moderately active minus 10% I maintained...I just had to find the sweet spot that actually gave me right around 1/2 Lb per week loss.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    Love it when we can all understand each other! :flowerforyou:

    Anyway - I agree with everyone else, it's personal preference. Using the "TDEE" approach is really more of a "TWEE" (total weekly energy expenditure) approach when you're looking at your workouts over the course of a week and deciding your activity level and then spreading that activity out evenly across all days, even rest days, to determine how much to eat. I prefer to log my exercise separately and eat my calories back because my schedule is so wacky that some weeks I get in a lot more activity than others, and my TDEE/TWEE is not the same from week to week.

    I personally think that if you're on a really good workout schedule/routine and you feel confident that you're pretty much in the same exercise calorie range every week (of course give or take a few hundred, this isn't an exact science) then you're good to just use the traditional TDEE/IPOARM method, but if you're all over the place like me you might be better off logging them day to day.
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    Love it when we can all understand each other! :flowerforyou:

    Anyway - I agree with everyone else, it's personal preference. Using the "TDEE" approach is really more of a "TWEE" (total weekly energy expenditure) approach when you're looking at your workouts over the course of a week and deciding your activity level and then spreading that activity out evenly across all days, even rest days, to determine how much to eat. I prefer to log my exercise separately and eat my calories back because my schedule is so wacky that some weeks I get in a lot more activity than others, and my TDEE/TWEE is not the same from week to week.

    I personally think that if you're on a really good workout schedule/routine and you feel confident that you're pretty much in the same exercise calorie range every week (of course give or take a few hundred, this isn't an exact science) then you're good to just use the traditional TDEE/IPOARM method, but if you're all over the place like me you might be better off logging them day to day.

    This and then some.

    I basically burn the same amount of calories 6 days a week and on my rest day I don't do anything, so I am good logging my TDEE as my daily caloric goal and not logging exercise.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    Part of your TDEE calculation includes an approximation of exercise so why would it not be your TDEE if you simply calculate your exercise on a workout by workout basis (probably on a more accurate basis if you use a HRM?)
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    Thanks for everyone's help, and sorry for the confusing terminology. I wasn't sure how else to word it.

    Generally, on my normal workout days, I burn around 2700-2900 calories. Rest day I burn between 2000-2300. And on my tougher workout days I burn around 3300-3500. So using the highly active TDEE, I get around 2500. So I was thinking I SHOULD be safe using that option. I just wanted others opinions because sedentary was around 1800.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Thanks for everyone's help, and sorry for the confusing terminology. I wasn't sure how else to word it.

    Generally, on my normal workout days, I burn around 2700-2900 calories. Rest day I burn between 2000-2300. And on my tougher workout days I burn around 3300-3500. So using the highly active TDEE, I get around 2500. So I was thinking I SHOULD be safe using that option. I just wanted others opinions because sedentary was around 1800.

    Based on those numbers, I can't imagine 2500 would be too high, especially if you used 80% of that as your daily goal. It might even be a little low...
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member


    Based on those numbers, I can't imagine 2500 would be too high, especially if you used 80% of that as your daily goal. It might even be a little low...

    I'm looking at doing something more like 10-15% below TDEE. I'm moving into maintenance but I don't want to make a jump straight up to eating 500-800 calories more.

    I have a hard time finding a balance with eating more to match my workouts, and I genuinely love my workouts and my hobbies tend to involve some kind of physical activity, too.
  • xgrivera
    xgrivera Posts: 4
    Okay....I have a stupid quetion:smile: I'm new to MFP....what is TDEE? The only reason I haven't completely changed from Calorie Count to MFP is because of my daily allowance on non-workout days. It seems as though my body is more revved up on my off days than on days I actually work out. On CC, I like that I can monitor my weekly "net calories". As long as I maintain a deficit, then I'm still good-to-go. So, if you will please educate the newbie:wink: ....I would greatly appreciate it.
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    Okay....I have a stupid quetion:smile: I'm new to MFP....what is TDEE? The only reason I haven't completely changed from Calorie Count to MFP is because of my daily allowance on non-workout days. It seems as though my body is more revved up on my off days than on days I actually work out. On CC, I like that I can monitor my weekly "net calories". As long as I maintain a deficit, then I'm still good-to-go. So, if you will please educate the newbie:wink: ....I would greatly appreciate it.

    TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Basically how many calories you burn a day. Here is a really great thread to help you figure it out (and explain it), if you are interested:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0?hl=Road+Map
  • chkn_WANG_Train
    chkn_WANG_Train Posts: 143
    not eating back calories and eating a steady TDEE calculations helps maintain hormone levels for optimal weight loss! I recommend this method!
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.

    I call it non-exercise TDEE, and it is tricky, because it means you have to estimate your calorie burn from everyday activities, which can be very variable.

    But for those of us whose exercise is variable also (long run one day, recovery day walk the next, then strength day, etc) knowing non-exercise TDEE would be very helpful so that we dont drastically over or undereat!
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    Okay....I have a stupid quetion:smile: I'm new to MFP....what is TDEE? The only reason I haven't completely changed from Calorie Count to MFP is because of my daily allowance on non-workout days. It seems as though my body is more revved up on my off days than on days I actually work out. On CC, I like that I can monitor my weekly "net calories". As long as I maintain a deficit, then I'm still good-to-go. So, if you will please educate the newbie:wink: ....I would greatly appreciate it.

    That's one of the reasons that many people do the TDEE approach and don't track extra exercise calories every day. That way it balances out over the week no matter if you exercise or not. So for me, I exercise 5 times a week but eat around 2000/cal a day every day. If you use the MFP app on a mobile device/iPad type thing than you can see your weekly goals. It's just the website that doesn't have that same kind of view (unfortunately).
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    Okay....I have a stupid quetion:smile: I'm new to MFP....what is TDEE? The only reason I haven't completely changed from Calorie Count to MFP is because of my daily allowance on non-workout days. It seems as though my body is more revved up on my off days than on days I actually work out. On CC, I like that I can monitor my weekly "net calories". As long as I maintain a deficit, then I'm still good-to-go. So, if you will please educate the newbie:wink: ....I would greatly appreciate it.

    That's one of the reasons that many people do the TDEE approach and don't track extra exercise calories every day. That way it balances out over the week no matter if you exercise or not. So for me, I exercise 5 times a week but eat around 2000/cal a day every day. If you use the MFP app on a mobile device/iPad type thing than you can see your weekly goals. It's just the website that doesn't have that same kind of view (unfortunately).

    You can see SOME information, like net calories, under reports. It's pretty basic though.
  • xgrivera
    xgrivera Posts: 4
    Thanks for the responses to my question :-) Got some good infomation. I think I prefer the TDEE approach and will go with that. Thanks again
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    You are very welcome! Glad to help.
  • Strangegirlz
    Strangegirlz Posts: 92 Member
    I'm confused...

    TDEE, by it's definition, includes exercise. If you're using TDEE as the basis for your calculations, then you have to include exercise. If you don't , then it's not TDEE anymore.

    What am I missing?

    In practice that is true, but on MFP it is a bit difficult, since it will calculate your exercise calories lost on top of your goal calories (if you entered your TDEE), so some people log their TDEE without daily exercise and log exercise separately, so they see how many calories they should be eating.

    Right, but then it's not TDEE. That's my point. If you want to use TDEE, then it HAS to include exercise. If you aren't including exercise (which is mroe than fine), then don't call it TDEE, because it's not.

    If you want to take it there, then in practice, the days where you don't exercise, your TDEE is lower than the days where you do exercise. It is not a constant anyways, so why worry about it? ;)

    I don't understand... what's your point?

    That you are nitpicking. It was just a question from someone who wanted to know how to log her calories and exercise into MFP, that is all. We all know what TDEE is, so what is the big deal? We all understand what she means, so why take it apart?

    Ah, ok... I didn't understand what she meant. The "sedentary TDEE" threw me. I wasn't trying to nitpick simply for the sake of nitpicking.

    Then with that being said, the first few responses in this threadwere right. Use TDEE if you don't want to log individual workouts, eat back exercise cals, etc. Use sedentary or lightly active if you want to log workouts, or if your workouts vary greatly day to day to day. Or if you're just a numbers geek like me.

    Sorry for overcomplicating things.
    .

    Don't worry about it ;)
    Glad you two made up there, although that might have been a fight worth watching;)

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