20 or 25% calorie reduction?

lswatson111304
lswatson111304 Posts: 80 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't know which to pick. I'm on the scooby calculator. I'm trying to figure my calories better. I don't know which calc to use, this one was suggested to me, if I do this calc do I have to figure my macros every day. That seems like so much! LOL I can give my stats if anyone wants to help?
I'm 29, 5ft 4, 224lbs, female, I don't know my activity, I do normal daily activities of a stay at home mom, probably on the lazier side though! LOL I do my fair share of computer and Tv time! None of that includes exercise. I try to ride my bike 1 or 2 times a week, more when DH is on his 7 days off, then I do a little lifting, not much as of right now, just starting. I want to be sure that I'm honest enough about how much I actually do so it doesn't over account for any activity.
When I enter my info with 1-3 hrs light exercise my BMR is 1788, TDEE is 2459, and calorie goal at 20% is 1967, if I go to 25% reduction it is 1844, and it gives that lovely warning, which makes me LOL Because I've been coming in under 1370 most days. So should I use this method, do I need to watch macros, and will I gain before I lose? What else do I need to do to be successful. Which % should I reduce, I obviously have a lot to lose. And is there a guestimate of what I'll lose at which percent? Like 1lb/week or 1.5 or whatever?

Replies

  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    Either one of those, you do have a bit to lose so you can have a bigger deficit.. I would pay attention to your macro's and try to fit food in there, but at first focus on calories.. Try to hit your protein macro (probably way higher than you currently have on MFP) and let the carbs/fat fall into place. But if your getting 50g of protein and 300+ of carbs... then time to change it up.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Either will be fine

    Don't focus so much on macros right now; just get your calories straight. When you get to that point, you just adjust your macros to wherever you want them to achieve optimal performance.

    Keep in mind that when you're using TDEE method, you don't switch things up day to day...your exercise, etc is averaged out over the course of a week so you eat the same gross calories day to day...this kinda goes to the whole macro thing because I get the impression that you think this stuff gets switched up every day...it doesn't...it's relatively constant. That said, some people do carb cycle and what not, but I don't see a whole lot of advantage to it having tried it myself.

    TDEE - 20% is generally about 1 Lb per week. So 25% would be slightly faster, but it's going to be somewhat variable.
  • lswatson111304
    lswatson111304 Posts: 80 Member
    I don't switch things up now either. I just try to hit or stay below my calories. I assume you mean like the eat them back thing? I don't do that. I tried logging exercise but Im more worried now about figuring out which calorie goal to use and then just being more active overall and not worrying about how much i burn. Is that a bad idea? Lol
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    20
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I don't switch things up now either. I just try to hit or stay below my calories. I assume you mean like the eat them back thing? I don't do that. I tried logging exercise but Im more worried now about figuring out which calorie goal to use and then just being more active overall and not worrying about how much i burn. Is that a bad idea? Lol

    TDEE and MFP are basically 6 of 1 if you do it right. When I did MFP to lose 1 Lb per week I had a 1850 net calorie goal...with exercise and eating those calories back, I was grossing between 2100 - 2200. TDEE - 20% gives me a gross calorie goal of 2,150 to lose 1 Lb per week roughly. The only difference is that with the TDEE method I'm estimating that "burn" as per how often and how intensely I exercise during a given week and including that estimate in my activity level. With MFP, you're trying to estimate an actual burn number and apply that to your calorie budget and eat them back. Two ways of accomplishing the same exact thing.

    The difficulty with MFP was figuring out what my actual burn was...I finally got to where if I took about 70% of what my HRM said for an aerobic activity I was good...always did at least 50%. TDEE is a bit easier, but still I ended up having to bump up my calorie goal somewhat from the 1-3 hours...I wasn't quite at the next tier, but I wasn't at that 1-3 hours tier either. What I'm getting at is that in either case it's an estimate.

    With TDEE just make sure you keep up with the exercise you said you were going to do...failure to do so makes your formula invalid. The MFP method is more forgiving because you just net to your goal either way...it'll be more if you work out and less if you don't...but net to that goal and you're golden.

    I'm very consistent in my training and I don't worry about "burn" at all...I just train and I eat. I'm at maintenance so I don't even log anymore, but for me TDEE was easier and I could just focus on my training rather than concerning myself with calorie burn. But everyone is different in that RE....

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