TDEE -20%

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sarah5893
sarah5893 Posts: 106 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Those of you who do the TDEE - 20% method, do you eat back your exercise cals?

My TDEE is 2386, so minus 20% would mean I need to eat somewhere around 1900 cals.

Currently i eat around 1500 but I do eat back my exercise cals. (I'm not having problems losing weight i'm just curious)

I can't imagine that if I ate1900 cals a day AND ate back my exercise cals, i'd lose weight.

Thoughts on this? How much weight do you guys lose on this method?
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Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    You're not supposed to. I do it because it's much easier than tracking my exercise every day, although I usually don't make my goal and still eat closer to MFP's system.
  • scrttwtt
    scrttwtt Posts: 30
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    I do...
  • TwelveSticks
    TwelveSticks Posts: 288 Member
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    It all depends on how you worked out your TDEE. It is supposed to be your total calorie expenditure per day, so already includes your exercise calories. If you take TDEE -20% and then eat back exercise calories as well, the chances are you end up eating around your TDEE level, which means you won't lose weight.

    Then again, the TDEE calculators out there are pretty much a 'finger in the air' number as far as I can see. I strongly recommend that if you want use TDEE -20% as your goal setting, you should work out your own TDEE exactly, using your food diary calories and your actual weight loss, instead of relying on the generalisations that the online calculators give you...
  • Vain_Witch
    Vain_Witch Posts: 476 Member
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    The whole point of TDEE is that it's already factoring in your activity including exercise. So, no, you would not eat back any extra calories. This method works best for people (like me) who find it easier to eat the same number of calories on a daily basis instead of eating calories based on that days activity and exercise levels.
  • scrttwtt
    scrttwtt Posts: 30
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    I've set my TDEE at a level for 'sedentary', because I do not do a set level of exercise from day to day, or from week to week. I can go a week without doing any exercise, or do 90 minutes of walking every day and even more on the weekend on other weeks. So I set it at sedentary, then add the exercise on top of that. Does that sound OK??
  • CherylP67
    CherylP67 Posts: 772 Member
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    I set my TDEE to lightly active, even though I am much more active and eat back 75% of purposeful exercise calories. I use my HRM to figure out my exercise cals. I'm 5 ft 5 in, and my calorie goal is 1545.
  • mikejholmes
    mikejholmes Posts: 291 Member
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    The whole point of TDEE is that it's already factoring in your activity including exercise. So, no, you would not eat back any extra calories. This method works best for people (like me) who find it easier to eat the same number of calories on a daily basis instead of eating calories based on that days activity and exercise levels.
    ^THIS
  • scrttwtt
    scrttwtt Posts: 30
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    So I should eat 1400 calories everyday whether I do nothing or walk 6 miles?
  • Philllbis
    Philllbis Posts: 801 Member
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    I don't eat back my exercise calories because they are calculated in my TDEE. I calculated my TDEE as active( I work out 6 days a week for 90 minutes or more per workout).
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    So I should eat 1400 calories everyday whether I do nothing or walk 6 miles?

    No, your TDEE-20% is more likely 1700 or 1800.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    As others have said, TDEE includes exercise.

    If you are doing something where you set your TDEE to sedentary and then eat back exercise calories, you're not using TDEE. It may still work mind you, but by definition it is not TDEE.
  • jujunnaichi
    jujunnaichi Posts: 86
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    If I set my TDEE based on my BMR, I will eat back my calories because if I don't, I may place myself in too much of a deficit

    TDEE (BMR) - 20% = 1526


    If I set my TDEE based on already known exercise plan, for example, 4 days a week, then I may not eat back my exercise calories. This will depend on my exercise duration and intensity.

    TDEE (4 times/week) - 20% = 1732


    We do well to keep in mind though that this is just a guideline. Sooner or later, we have to make adjustments until we find what works for us.
  • scrttwtt
    scrttwtt Posts: 30
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    So this plan relies on you doing the same level of activity week-in, week-out and does not reward you for doing more?! That's terrible. I think I will move off from doing this and back to the MFP normal "only eat 1200 calories, but add extra if you exercise" plan. That seems like a more reliable measure of how much you should eat compared to how much you actually do that day. Otherwise I am just going to feel hungry and awful if I ever do any exercise, which would hardly motivate me to move more.
  • scrttwtt
    scrttwtt Posts: 30
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    So I should eat 1400 calories everyday whether I do nothing or walk 6 miles?

    No, your TDEE-20% is more likely 1700 or 1800.

    It isn't. My MBR is 1479 and I work in an office job (sitting down for 10 hours straight).
  • jujunnaichi
    jujunnaichi Posts: 86
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    It all depends on how you worked out your TDEE. It is supposed to be your total calorie expenditure per day, so already includes your exercise calories. If you take TDEE -20% and then eat back exercise calories as well, the chances are you end up eating around your TDEE level, which means you won't lose weight.

    Then again, the TDEE calculators out there are pretty much a 'finger in the air' number as far as I can see. I strongly recommend that if you want use TDEE -20% as your goal setting, you should work out your own TDEE exactly, using your food diary calories and your actual weight loss, instead of relying on the generalisations that the online calculators give you...

    This explains it much better than I have.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    So this plan relies on you doing the same level of activity week-in, week-out and does not reward you for doing more?! That's terrible. I think I will move off from doing this and back to the MFP normal "only eat 1200 calories, but add extra if you exercise" plan. That seems like a more reliable measure of how much you should eat compared to how much you actually do that day. Otherwise I am just going to feel hungry and awful if I ever do any exercise, which would hardly motivate me to move more.

    You need to do what you think will work best for you, but the TDEE method is quite reliable for people who pay attention and make adjustments as needed. It's also quite simpler in that you don't need to attempt to micromanage activity on a day to day basis in some effort to continually eat close to that days expenditure.

    I'm not trying to convince you to use this method. If you think an exercise calorie model will motivate you to exercise, then you should go with that. I'm just trying to clear up some misconceptions you may have about the method itself. It's quite useful for many people, myself included.
  • kiramaniac
    kiramaniac Posts: 800 Member
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    If your TDEE was based on you being Sedentary, you should eat them back.
    If your TDEE was based on lightly active, moderately active, or very active - the TDEE level has already factored exercise in, and you should not eat them back.

    I calculated my TDEE based on being sedentary. That way, on days I don't work out, I know the "right" calorie target. Then when I do work out (4-5x per week) on those days I eat back my exercise calories, since my TDEE assumes that I am not exercising.
  • tj1207
    tj1207 Posts: 4
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    Help... Please would someone who has mastered this TDEE process take a look at my numbers?? What should be my calorie intake when I exercise and when I don't..I just want to make sure I'm understanding..

    My numbers:
    47 yrs
    63" 5'3"
    130 current weight
    BMI 23%

    BMR at 130lbs lightly active is 1782 and less 20% is 1486
    and moderately active is 2009 and less 20% is 1600

    So am I correct on days of less activity for my calorie intake to be 1486
    and on days I exercise my calorie intake should be 1600

    I've battled this last 15 lbs for a long time. I want this 2 inch layer of fluff off for good!
    Thanks in advance for your help

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