Scared about moving from MFP calories to TDEE

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CynthiaRohdeCoulon
CynthiaRohdeCoulon Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
MFP has my calorie maximum set at 1320. I eat back my exercise calories usually.

I'm 42, female and currently at 193 lbs. I used to weigh 215.


My TDEE minus 20% is 1927 calories. That includes me exercising three times a week, which I do.

I have lost about 22 pounds over the last several months eating healthy calories, but only about 1300 per day +/- 150.

So, I've obviously had success losing. However, I don't believe my current calorie intake is realistic/sustainable. The TDEE makes more sense to me, but I'm afraid that the weight loss will stop if I increase my calories. I guess I'm asking for some words of courage here for me to make the switch. I would still like to lose at least 33 pounds.

And should I scale up slowly or all at once?

Thanks for your input and advice!

Replies

  • sjbuescher
    sjbuescher Posts: 45 Member
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    Generally your MFP number eating back your exercise calories and your TDEE are close to the same number, give or take a few hundred calories.

    TDEE at 1927 per day would have you eating 13,489 cals per week. Eating your MFP 1320 plus 150 3x a week puts you around 9,640. That's a really big difference - is your MFP set to more than 1 lb per week or are you sure you've done the calculations correctly? That just seems like such a huge difference to me.
  • CynthiaRohdeCoulon
    CynthiaRohdeCoulon Posts: 3
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    Hmmm. I'll go check.
  • Tldavis3s
    Tldavis3s Posts: 83 Member
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    Just so I make sure I have this correct..
    The tdee- 20% is all exercise included? So when I calculate my tdee it's important to put the correct activity level and not miss an exercise day.
  • sjbuescher
    sjbuescher Posts: 45 Member
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    Correct - below is a good explanation I copied from another poster:

    As an example 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.

    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.
  • CynthiaRohdeCoulon
    CynthiaRohdeCoulon Posts: 3
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    I'm 5'8" by the way.


    My MFP is set with the goal of losing 1.5 lbs per week and I've listed myself as lightly active. That has my calorie max at 1390. (not 1350). When I exercise, I log that in and mostly eat back the calories that MFP calculates I've burned.

    My TDEE score is 2049 with me exercising 3 times per week. If I subtract 20% I get 1639.2. So I did previously calculate that incorrectly. I realize that I wouldn't eat back exercise calories using this number.

    So should I switch or just stay with what has been working until it stops working? Stuff I've read on these boards has me worried about large calorie deficits being unhealthy.
  • sjbuescher
    sjbuescher Posts: 45 Member
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    There's no direct answer to that, because it's all based on preference. There are people on this site who have used MFP numbers the entire time with no slow down, people who started with MFP numbers and transitioned to TDEE after they felt they experienced a plateau, and people who only ever used TDEE numbers.

    If you've done your research and feel that you want to move to a TDEE - then know that many people experience a slight gain as their bodies adjust and then they go back to losing again. It's something you would have to try for a few weeks/months to see if you like it and if it works for you. Everyone is different. I would search and read through TDEE threads on MFP, and then also do your own research and then make a decision.

    Good luck in whatever you do - remember that it's a journey with many different paths.
  • Zombriana
    Zombriana Posts: 764 Member
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    I personally prefer the TDEE method since you get a steady amount to eat every day. When I was going by MFPs standards there'd be days that when I'd exercise a lot i'd get to eat 2100 calories and then i'd get to a day where I didn't and i'd be stuck with 1400 and be starving and mad and hungry. Now I just eat a steady 1800 and i'm good.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    Why make the switch at all? Why not just adjust your goal calories so that you achieve the desired effect of more to eat but still have a prediction of what you'll lose and more to eat on the days you exercise. That way if you have a less active week you won't be overeating.

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