TDEE vs. MFP Calorie Goals...convince me

I just came across the TDEE method of figuring out your calorie goal (the Scooby calculator, for example). I get the concept yet am still so confused. How do I know which method to follow - the TDEE -20% calculation or the MFP calculation? They are a few hundred calories apart.

I have plateaued at the MFP calorie goal (7 lbs lost in 6 weeks, 15 to go). I am hungry all the time and low on energy. The MFP goal is about 60 cal above what my BMR is according to Scooby. If the TDEE concept is correct, why is MFP and other calorie counting websites suggesting you eat near or below, in some cases, your BMR? That is counter intuitive.

Please help me understand and feel comfortable upping my calories from 1640 (MFP) to 1967 (Scooby TDEE -20%). That is soooo scary to me!!

Also, what does the TDEE calculator consider as exercise 3-5x a week? Does 30 min 4-5x count? Should I really be setting my activity level at Moderate? (I am a mom of little ones, so on my feet a lot.)

Thanks!

MFP sets it to 1200 because many people say they want to lose 2 pounds per week. And 1200 is the recommended minimum, so MFP won't go below that, you are also supposed to eat back your exercise calories, which many don't do.

You already say you are hungry. Try the TDEE method and see if it helps. You can start with moderate for 3 to 4 weeks and then adjust as needed. I think you will be happier with a few more calories.

I just came across the TDEE method of figuring out your calorie goal (the Scooby calculator, for example). I get the concept yet am still so confused. How do I know which method to follow - the TDEE -20% calculation or the MFP calculation? They are a few hundred calories apart.

I have plateaued at the MFP calorie goal (7 lbs lost in 6 weeks, 15 to go). I am hungry all the time and low on energy. The MFP goal is about 60 cal above what my BMR is according to Scooby. If the TDEE concept is correct, why is MFP and other calorie counting websites suggesting you eat near or below, in some cases, your BMR? That is counter intuitive.

Please help me understand and feel comfortable upping my calories from 1640 (MFP) to 1967 (Scooby TDEE -20%). That is soooo scary to me!!

Also, what does the TDEE calculator consider as exercise 3-5x a week? Does 30 min 4-5x count? Should I really be setting my activity level at Moderate? (I am a mom of little ones, so on my feet a lot.)

Thanks!

To be honest, if your set up correctly and you eat all of your calories back its just about the same as TDEE-20.

Just searched this topic because I am having the same question!

Based on MFP's settings, I should eat 1500 calories a day (plus exercise calories on days I exercise). On the days I work out, I feel great (eating around 1900-2000 calories). On the days I don't work out, and try to eat only 1500, I am DYING. Like, SO hungry and grumpy. 80% of my TDEE would be around 2000 calories, so I'm considering aiming for that EVERY day, not just on days I work out. I am nervous that I will be overeating, though, and don't want to stall my efforts to lose weight. I agree with the OP - someone convince me!!

I'm in the same boat!

I started 10 weeks ago at 144lbs. Using MFP, it suggested I net 1500 cal to lose 1 lbs a week. I got down to 133 then gained 3 lbs back.

I've been stuck at 136 for 3 weeks now. My exercise has increased a lot since I started MFP and I've been reading a lot about TDEE- 20% being a better way to lose weight.

My TDEE - 20% is around 1800cal.

I'm also hungry a lot of the time when I have already hit my 1500 cal goal on MFP. I've been thinking about trying TDEE because (1) it would be much easier to do (2) keeping consistent with MFP has lead me to a plateau as well.

I figure I'll give it a shot and as long as I don't gain weight, it hasn't hurt to try.

Assuming you make reasonable/appropriate selections for activity level and such, both methods should give about the same calories per day.

MFP would be something like 1500 cals + exercise... you eat 1500 cals, burn 250 during exercise and eat those back for a daily total of 1750.

TDEE includes exercise, so it would give you 1750 cals per day, you eat those 1750 and you're done.


Both methods get to the same endpoint, they just do it differently. So it really comes down to how you want to log and whether or not you want to eat different amounts on rest days than you do on exercise days.

The confusion comes when people screw up their settings. They'll tell MFP that they want to lose 2lbs per week, but TDEE-20% is only calculating 1lb per week (for example). In this scenario, the daily calories will be fairly different, and people will wonder why, wonder which method is better, and end up generally confused.



So in conclusion... both methods do the same thing assuming you set them up (calculate) correctly. Picking one over the other is a matter of preference based on how you want to eat and what you want to log.

^This^ I was confused in the beginning too but after reading and doing calculations, I found MPF and TDEE the same. I prefer doing MPF because it keeps me at the minimum calorie allowance and if I don't feel like exercising, I don't eat over.

I use the TDEE - 20% method. However when I calulated my TDEE I selected lightly active. My theory is my TDEE accounts for the little I do at work because I work a desk job and the little around the house as I have no children. Then I eat back most of my exercise calories. I tend to keep a few hundred of my exercise calories weekly, incase I want to eat more on a non-work out day. This method works the best for me.

I do agree with what has already been posted, TDEE and MFP should be the same if set up/calculated properly. There is more then one way to get to the same goal and it's a matter of personal preference.

If you are using MFP calories - are you eating back your exercise calories? This should bring you to the TDEE number, or really really close since TDEE already adds exercise calorie burn into its number.

Also, what does the TDEE calculator consider as exercise 3-5x a week? Does 30 min 4-5x count? Should I really be setting my activity level at Moderate? (I am a mom of little ones, so on my feet a lot.)

Thanks!

3-5 x a week suggests 3-5 hours of workout. Most of those calculators assume 1 workout = 1 hour. So if you are doing 30 x5, that is 2.5 hours per week, so 1-3 category (lightly active).

I workout 3 times, but 90 minutes each time, so I am 4.5 hours and moderately active.

Thanks everyone! I feel like there are so many different/conflicting theories out there it's hard to figure this all out. I am going to try TDEE for a couple of weeks and see how it works

okay I feel like an idiot... WHAT is TDEE? Is there a link to read about this somewhere? I am interested because I just hired a personal trainer (I am really overweight, like 80 lbs), and she wants me to eat like 2300 calories a day with her workout schedule (metabolic training 3x per week and other days just long walks). I love to exercise so no problem there but I have always thought people should stick to 1500 calories max per day when trying to lose weight (and not eat back calories). Why is this TDEE more effective?

So should I be just eating back my exercise calories then? I thought this was not a good thing to do. I have my calorie goal for the day set to 1500 calories a day but I always go over it...but I exercise. Is it best to just use the MFP method and eat back calories to lose weight faster? confused.

okay! I just came back from an intense fitness camp where I exercised 4 hours a day and only ate 1500 calories (did not eat back calories) and lost 15 lbs in 3 weeks and only 2 lbs of muscle so it was very effective (I lost much more fat that muscle because they gave us a lot of protein with every meal/snack). While I don't think that is real life AT ALL (who can work out that long every day) I still don't see how eating back your calories would work. I do get your point about the difference between TDEE and MFP basically being the same overall when done correctly.

Assuming you make reasonable/appropriate selections for activity level and such, both methods should give about the same calories per day.

MFP would be something like 1500 cals + exercise... you eat 1500 cals, burn 250 during exercise and eat those back for a daily total of 1750.

TDEE includes exercise, so it would give you 1750 cals per day, you eat those 1750 and you're done.


Both methods get to the same endpoint, they just do it differently. So it really comes down to how you want to log and whether or not you want to eat different amounts on rest days than you do on exercise days.

The confusion comes when people screw up their settings. They'll tell MFP that they want to lose 2lbs per week, but TDEE-20% is only calculating 1lb per week (for example). In this scenario, the daily calories will be fairly different, and people will wonder why, wonder which method is better, and end up generally confused.



So in conclusion... both methods do the same thing assuming you set them up (calculate) correctly. Picking one over the other is a matter of preference based on how you want to eat and what you want to log.

Exactly!!! So this is why I am more motivated to work out and use the method where I eat less on rest days. If I go over 100 or so on those days I don't worry about it so much though ... anymore.

I agree with the methods being about the same if you eat your calories back on MFP then don't for TDEE.

I choose TDEE because I don't work out til the end of the day.... so if I am trying to plan out my meal for the day but I'm not sure how much I'll need to eat back (without estimation) then I get stuck with maybe 600+ calories to eat after 7pm. I prefer to eat bigger meals throughout the day to prep for my work out, then finish off the day with a lighter meal.

^^This. I work out at night and would estimate my exercise calories burned so I could spread them over the course of the day. But occasionally I would get stuck at work with an emergency and have to skip my workout. Then I'd already overeaten for the day. So far I'm liking the TDEE-20% much better. And it's something my personal trainer endorses, so I feel like I'm more compliant too. LOL.

I have to say, "eating exercise calories" was a big motivator for me, though. I knew on workout days, I'd get an extra 300-600 calories. But I feel more consistent with TDEE-20% and less likely to "blow" those extra calories on cupcakes or something. Plus I'm not super hungry anymore on non-workout days.

Here is an example that if you have the right weekly weight loss goal it should workout to the same net cals/week:

Say MFP gives you 1450 calories to lose 1 lb/week, and you plan on exercising 5x/week for an average of 400 cals per workout. well MFP will tell you to eat 1450 on the days you don't workout and 1850 on the days you do whereas a "professional" or TDEE calculator may tell you to eat 1700 everyday regardless if you workout that day or not, but is based on how much you workout in a given week.

So for the week MFP will have you eat 12,150 (1450*2+1850*5) whereas doing it the other way will have you eat 11,900 (1700*7) almost the same number of cals for the week (250 dif). The issue in not following MFP is if you don't workout the full 5 days or burn more or less than planned. If that is the case you may lose more or less than your goal, whereas MFP will have you lose your goal amount regardless how much you actually workout.

What many MFPers do is take the low 1450 and not eat back exercise calories which is wrong, if you are not eating them back then your daily activity level should reflect the higher burn with would be covered in the 1700/day above.