TDEE and adjusting your calories?

So I've been reading two very helpful and informative threads:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

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

and I've been wondering if the TDEE takes into account the calories I burn from jogging and biking that day.

If I have a TDEE of 3207 then I should theoretically be eating 2565 (3207 x .8) calories a day right? I usually do two quick runs that burn around 80 calories each and I do a 15 minute stationary bike session that burns between 200-250 calories (Around 400 calories burned from cardio everyday). Do I add these calories like MFP does or disregard them?

Replies

  • It depends on how you set up your TDEE. When you calculate TDEE, you use an activity level (sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, very active) that usually includes the amount you exercise. The only way it doesn't incude exercise is if you intentionally left it out so you can eat back exercise calories. So, most likely, your TDEE does include your exercise.

    You can still log your exercise on MFP, just change the calorie burn to 1 so it doesn't affect your food diary goals.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    It depends on how you set up your TDEE. When you calculate TDEE, you use an activity level (sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, very active) that usually includes the amount you exercise. The only way it doesn't incude exercise is if you intentionally left it out so you can eat back exercise calories. So, most likely, your TDEE does include your exercise.

    You can still log your exercise on MFP, just change the calorie burn to 1 so it doesn't affect your food diary goals.

    This. TDEE is SUPPOSED to include EVERYTHING you to (thus the total part of total daily energy expenditure). Seems like more and more people are talking about calculating a TDEE that doesn't include exercise, which isn't actually a TDEE and just confuses people.
  • ceevar
    ceevar Posts: 10
    I'm pretty sure it does include my activity level. I've been consuming around 1600 calories with cardio for around 20 minutes everyday and Muay Thai class 3-4 days a week. According to the TDEE I'd be consuming almost 1000 calories more than what I'm used to. I'm a little scared to try this because I've always tried to keep my caloric intake relatively moderate, but a lot of people say this is the best way to go about weight loss. Should I give it a shot?
  • ceevar
    ceevar Posts: 10
    bump
  • You don't have to jumpt straight up to your TDEE-x%. You can give yourself some time to get used to eating more food. Try adding 100 or 200 calories to your daily goal and hold it there for a week. The next week, you can add in another 100 - 200 per day. You'll probably notice that your appetite will keep up and you'll start to feel like you progressively have more energy. The scale might bounce around for a bit while you're increasing your goals because your body is just trying to figure out what is going on. Don't get discouraged. Just have faith that the math of calories in < calories out will still have you losing weight overall and your body will thank you for feeding it.
  • ellaloveslove
    ellaloveslove Posts: 166 Member
    It depends on how you set up your TDEE. When you calculate TDEE, you use an activity level (sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, very active) that usually includes the amount you exercise. The only way it doesn't incude exercise is if you intentionally left it out so you can eat back exercise calories. So, most likely, your TDEE does include your exercise.

    You can still log your exercise on MFP, just change the calorie burn to 1 so it doesn't affect your food diary goals.

    This. TDEE is SUPPOSED to include EVERYTHING you to (thus the total part of total daily energy expenditure). Seems like more and more people are talking about calculating a TDEE that doesn't include exercise, which isn't actually a TDEE and just confuses people.

    Thank youuuuu! I've been searching threads and you two finally made it clear to me! I'm no longer confused! :flowerforyou: