TDEE - weird question

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selina884
selina884 Posts: 826 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I try to account for all calories.

This includes calories consumed and calories burned with exercise.

Now I understand that I don't need to eat calories back as it's included in the TDEE calculation.

However if our calories burned during exercise result in our calorie consumption falling below BMR. Do those extra calories need to be consumed?

For example;

TDEE stated to eat 12000 calories per week. (moderate exercise 3 days a week)
Calories burnt 3000
= 9000 calories.

For argument sake BMR is 10000 (for the week)

Should one consume 1000 extra calories?

Have I confused anyone yet? lol

Replies

  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
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    if your TDEE is set at the correct activity level, you shouldn't need to eat back calories, and don't need to log them on mfp. most people avoid the message saying you have earned more cals by saying they burned 5 cals or something from the workout, or if it's logged at strength training the calories aren't counted.

    i you have already done that, your cals are not enough, change your cals to TDEE - 15, or 10, or 5%.
  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
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    You may have confused me.
    If your calorie goal is based of off your TDEE, which you have figured out to eat 12,000 a week then that is what you eat, not 9000, that 3000 burned during exercise is in your TDEE.
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
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    You may have confused me.
    If your calorie goal is based of off your TDEE, which you have figured out to eat 12,000 a week then that is what you eat, not 9000, that 3000 burned during exercise is in your TDEE.

    hmm. ok
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
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    if your TDEE is set at the correct activity level, you shouldn't need to eat back calories, and don't need to log them on mfp. most people avoid the message saying you have earned more cals by saying they burned 5 cals or something from the workout, or if it's logged at strength training the calories aren't counted.

    i you have already done that, your cals are not enough, change your cals to TDEE - 15, or 10, or 5%.

    when one creates a deficit of 10-20% - it's no more than 1000-2000 calories anyway. Which is why im a little concerned.
  • woodml1
    woodml1 Posts: 199 Member
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    Hi Selina!

    You do NOT need to eat back exercise calories to reach BMR. Your BMR is the energy required for the normal bodily functions of living. This energy will come from the food you eat because that energy is the most readily available. As long as you are eating enough calories to (at the very very least) meet your BMR, you're good.

    Hopefully when exercising you'll be using a significant amount of stored energy (aka: stored fat and carbohydrate).

    Let me know if that doesn't make sense and I can try another explaination!
  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
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    You may have confused me.
    If your calorie goal is based of off your TDEE, which you have figured out to eat 12,000 a week then that is what you eat, not 9000, that 3000 burned during exercise is in your TDEE.

    hmm. ok

    Where are you getting your calorie goal from? Is it your TDEE minus 15-20% for fat loss?
  • msudaisy28
    msudaisy28 Posts: 267 Member
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    I try to account for all calories.

    This includes calories consumed and calories burned with exercise.

    Now I understand that I don't need to eat calories back as it's included in the TDEE calculation.

    However if our calories burned during exercise result in our calorie consumption falling below BMR. Do those extra calories need to be consumed?

    For example;

    TDEE stated to eat 12000 calories per week. (moderate exercise 3 days a week)
    Calories burnt 3000
    = 9000 calories.

    For argument sake BMR is 10000 (for the week)

    Should one consume 1000 extra calories?

    Have I confused anyone yet? lol

    I don't have the answer since I don't do it that way (I set my own net calorie goal on MFP and eat back my exercise cals), but I follow your line of thought (I think). I wonder if anyone might be able to give more insight if I state it another way.

    Assumptions:
    TDEE 12,000/ week (1,714/day)
    BMR 10,000/week (1,429/day)

    TDEE - 20% = 9,600/week (1,371/day)

    I believe that your concern is that if you set your cals at 1,371/day to make the 20% deficit then you will be eating under your BMR - is that correct?
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I do no believe it is unsafe to eat below your BMR occassionally, so long as you weekly average is above it. I also use TDEE and three workout days each week I net lower than my BMR, but the other days average it out so I am over BMR for the week.
  • Energizer06
    Energizer06 Posts: 311 Member
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    You set your activity level to low if your burning that many calories per week. This is why your eating below BMR on average for the week.

    Each day you should be eating around 1700 cal/day. 12000/7=1700 Yet you averaged 1285 cal/day. Thus you burned more than you set yourself up to burn 369 cal/day from exercise and you actually burned 415 cal/day.

    Either up your activity level or eat any extra calories over your 369 burn
  • woodml1
    woodml1 Posts: 199 Member
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    I do no believe it is unsafe to eat below your BMR occassionally, so long as you weekly average is above it. I also use TDEE and three workout days each week I net lower than my BMR, but the other days average it out so I am over BMR for the week.

    Agreed! Your body doesn't go into 'starvation mode' (terrible terminology... I know) in a single day. You have to consume below your BMR consistently for the negative metabolic effects to start to happen.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    OP...I think I know what you're saying...I'll use myself as an example:

    TDEE - 20% = 2,020 calories

    MFP method: 1750 + 300exercise = 2,050 calories

    So..basically my TDEE calculation includes my average 300 calories per day in exercise...but what if I were to randomly burn 500...or even more with some isolated activity that is not routine...let's say a long hike or something where I'd burn 800 calories?

    My TDEE includes 300 of those calories, but the remaining 500 calories burned would put me at a net (2020 - 300 - 500) = 1,220...well below my BMR.

    Is this what you're asking OP?

    If so, it does happen to me on occasion, particularly in the summer months when I like to randomly take off on a hike in the mountains. I treat it like an isolated event...and an excuse to have a couple more beers when I get home from my hike. I think where you run into problems is when you are consistently and routinely eating below your BMR...isolated events don't mean much in the grand scheme of things.
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
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    OP...I think I know what you're saying...I'll use myself as an example:

    TDEE - 20% = 2,020 calories

    MFP method: 1750 + 300exercise = 2,050 calories

    So..basically my TDEE calculation includes my average 300 calories per day in exercise...but what if I were to randomly burn 500...or even more with some isolated activity that is not routine...let's say a long hike or something where I'd burn 800 calories?

    My TDEE includes 300 of those calories, but the remaining 500 calories burned would put me at a net (2020 - 300 - 500) = 1,220...well below my BMR.

    Is this what you're asking OP?

    If so, it does happen to me on occasion, particularly in the summer months when I like to randomly take off on a hike in the mountains. I treat it like an isolated event...and an excuse to have a couple more beers when I get home from my hike. I think where you run into problems is when you are consistently and routinely eating below your BMR...isolated events don't mean much in the grand scheme of things.

    YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!! This is what I meant.

    Thankyou, yeah I wouldnt mind eating an extra 100 calories or so if Ive been going a little too "hard" in that week but was wondering if anyone else has thought about this and what they would do.

    Thankyou for understanding, and your advice, I feel more at ease now.
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
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    I do no believe it is unsafe to eat below your BMR occassionally, so long as you weekly average is above it. I also use TDEE and three workout days each week I net lower than my BMR, but the other days average it out so I am over BMR for the week.

    Agreed! Your body doesn't go into 'starvation mode' (terrible terminology... I know) in a single day. You have to consume below your BMR consistently for the negative metabolic effects to start to happen.

    Agreed and understood but I think the way I presented my question was confusing.
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
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    You set your activity level to low if your burning that many calories per week. This is why your eating below BMR on average for the week.

    Each day you should be eating around 1700 cal/day. 12000/7=1700 Yet you averaged 1285 cal/day. Thus you burned more than you set yourself up to burn 369 cal/day from exercise and you actually burned 415 cal/day.

    Either up your activity level or eat any extra calories over your 369 burn

    You misunderstood.

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