Calorie intake and exercise question.

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sunshine5512
sunshine5512 Posts: 39 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't want to sound like a broken record because I see it on here a lot. I just want to make sure I'm doing this right.

So my BMR is 1497 and my TDEE is 2300 or so. So my TDEE -20% is a little over 1850.

So...my goal is to eat a total of 1850 for the day. If I exercise and burn say 300 calories then I need to eat so that I at least net the 1500 or is my goal to net the 1850? This is where I'm confused.

Last week I was doing it all wrong and not eating enough and netting somewhere between 600-800 total for the day after I exercised. Then I found some posts on here and realized that I needed to eat more but I'm just trying to figure out how to figure out what my goal is as far as what I am entering and looking at in MFP.

Just really starting this weightless journey. I'm in the middle of week three and loving how my body has already changed just from exercising. Not necessarily on the scale but I'm not trying to lose that much. Only about 10 lbs.

Thanks for any help!

Replies

  • bluebear_74
    bluebear_74 Posts: 179
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    The theory is that you net your TDEE -20%. So it you eat 1850, then burn 300, you eat the 300 back to bring it back to 1850.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
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    No, your TDEE already takes into account your activity level so you do NOT eat back exercise calories when you are -20% TDEE.


    ETA - if you figured your TDEE based on 1 hour of exercise per day and for some reason you decide to do 4 hours, then yes I'd say eat more on those days....but I would guess that would be a rare exception.
  • mikejholmes
    mikejholmes Posts: 291 Member
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    Ya, it depends on how you figured your TDEE. If it is accurate, it already includes your exercise, so you don't need to eat them back. But netting 600-800 is way too low.
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
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    like the others day. if you are using the TDEE method and you've calculated it correctly to reflect your daily activity, then no - don't eat them back.
  • stephaniethomas80
    stephaniethomas80 Posts: 190 Member
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    The most important thing is not to net below your bmr
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    Ya, it depends on how you figured your TDEE. If it is accurate, it already includes your exercise, so you don't need to eat them back. But netting 600-800 is way too low.

    This.
    When you calculate your TDEE, it asks you what your activity level is.
    If you set your activity level to sedentary, then you should eat back your exercise calories.

    If you set it to active for example, then those calories are already included in your TDEE calculation.

    The thing is that is just an estimate and you need to be consistent in the activity level.
    I prefer to base the calculation on sedentary - eat at that number, and then eat back exercise calories. In my head, that is more accurate.
  • sunshine5512
    sunshine5512 Posts: 39 Member
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    Ok I think I a starting to understand this calculation a little more. I swear I need someone to pound it in my head for me to understand it I think. For whatever reason it just isnt sinking in. I sucked at math in school maybe thats why.

    So...I got my TDEE from having a moderate activity level. Right now I am averaging working out at a minimum of 4 times a week and sometimes a little in the mornings. My workouts are usually a two mile run and then either a zumba video or a jillian michaels video after the run. If I do anything in the mornings its usually a 20 minute zumba or zumba toning. So thats probably moderate RIGHT?

    So...

    I know that I am to at a minimum NET my BMR so what I am understanding is that I should shoot for total calories to be at TDEE. If however I workout more than normal one night and burn more, then I should eat more calories so that I eat at least my BMR or more?
    Then on non workout days, I should be somewhere between my BMR and my TDEE calorie amount?

    I realize 600-800 is way to low, I noticed that my attitude and mood was being affected by lack of food. I was being snappy and moody....cause my body was saying FEED ME!!!!
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    No, your TDEE already takes into account your activity level so you do NOT eat back exercise calories when you are -20% TDEE.


    ETA - if you figured your TDEE based on 1 hour of exercise per day and for some reason you decide to do 4 hours, then yes I'd say eat more on those days....but I would guess that would be a rare exception.

    This. TDEE is GROSS calories consumed, not NET. MFP method is net calories.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    Ok I think I a starting to understand this calculation a little more. I swear I need someone to pound it in my head for me to understand it I think. For whatever reason it just isnt sinking in. I sucked at math in school maybe thats why.

    So...I got my TDEE from having a moderate activity level. Right now I am averaging working out at a minimum of 4 times a week and sometimes a little in the mornings. My workouts are usually a two mile run and then either a zumba video or a jillian michaels video after the run. If I do anything in the mornings its usually a 20 minute zumba or zumba toning. So thats probably moderate RIGHT?

    So...

    I know that I am to at a minimum NET my BMR so what I am understanding is that I should shoot for total calories to be at TDEE. If however I workout more than normal one night and burn more, then I should eat more calories so that I eat at least my BMR or more?
    Then on non workout days, I should be somewhere between my BMR and my TDEE calorie amount?

    I realize 600-800 is way to low, I noticed that my attitude and mood was being affected by lack of food. I was being snappy and moody....cause my body was saying FEED ME!!!!
    Eat at your TDEE (at moderate) minus 20%.
    If that number is lower than your BMR, then eat at your BMR.

    Unless there is a day that you exercise WAY more than usual, that number should be fine.
  • beelanc
    beelanc Posts: 71 Member
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    If you have it set at sedentary but you work out, then you should eat your calories back from your workouts.

    If you have it set at moderate or anything else other than sedentary to include your workouts then you do not eat your calories back.

    Hope it makes sense. :)
  • xiamjackie
    xiamjackie Posts: 611 Member
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    Usually people who calculate TDEE-20% don't even log their exercise calories, they instead log exercise as 1 calorie, just to keep track that they did it that day. Since TDEE already takes into account your exercise then counting the amount of calories and adding them to MFP just to give you MORE to eat for the day can be confusing.

    So if you're eating at 1850 and you burn 300 calories, still aim for just eating 1850. I wouldn't even look at net unless, like everyone else said, you have a random day where you workout for like 5 hours.

    Similar thing for days you don't workout, though. Since TDEE takes into account your exercise level, if you go 4 or 5 days without exercising for whatever reason then you will want to decrease your cals for those days since your activity for those days is no longer moderate and is actually sedentary. Just make sure if you marked your activity as moderate then you stay at a moderate activity level. If you change activity levels, adjust your TDEE and calculate it again.
  • sunshine5512
    sunshine5512 Posts: 39 Member
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    Usually people who calculate TDEE-20% don't even log their exercise calories, they instead log exercise as 1 calorie, just to keep track that they did it that day. Since TDEE already takes into account your exercise then counting the amount of calories and adding them to MFP just to give you MORE to eat for the day can be confusing.

    So if you're eating at 1850 and you burn 300 calories, still aim for just eating 1850. I wouldn't even look at net unless, like everyone else said, you have a random day where you workout for like 5 hours.

    Similar thing for days you don't workout, though. Since TDEE takes into account your exercise level, if you go 4 or 5 days without exercising for whatever reason then you will want to decrease your cals for those days since your activity for those days is no longer moderate and is actually sedentary. Just make sure if you marked your activity as moderate then you stay at a moderate activity level. If you change activity levels, adjust your TDEE and calculate it again.

    Uggg...ok only slightly more confused and I think its MFP's fault and the app itself...lol

    So Im pretty sure Im doing what your saying. In MFP i have my goal calories set at 1500. I eat until I reach around 1850 but Im also adding in my exercise calories burned so at the end of the day, I have a total calories eaten of 1850 or so but a net of 1500. I think that MFP is just confusing me with the calculations and I dont know how to input my goal and track my exercise at the same time. But are you saying that I shouldnt track my exercise calories burned in MFP and have the app deduct calories and still eat 1850? Am I not still doing the same thing at that point, just not logging it? I would still be netting 1500? (if I burn 350 for example)

    Thanks for helping my stuborn brain guys!
  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 924 Member
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    well, you are probably more confused now! I am no expert but to my understanding you must accurately reflect your activity level when calculating the TDEE. Then you just eat whatever number you get everyday regardless of how many calories you burned. So for you, eat 1850 per day.

    You may need to do some searching through the forums/net on which activity level you really are in. Also, if you start skipping workouts then could be a problem for you. But if you have a regular workout schedule than TDEE is good.
  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 924 Member
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    Log only 1 calorie burn for your exercise while doing TDEE method.
  • sunshine5512
    sunshine5512 Posts: 39 Member
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    ok...I get that, but can you tell me the difference between doing this ( marking 1 calorie for exercise) and having a total calorie consumption of 1850 or so and adding the calories into MFP and STILL having the toal calories eaten be 1850 but it will show the net being 1500?

    Am I picking at staws here??? lol

    Isnt that the same thing? Just looking at the numbers differently?
  • sunshine5512
    sunshine5512 Posts: 39 Member
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