Need Help With Daily Caloric Goals - Please!!

SkinnyMsFitness
SkinnyMsFitness Posts: 389 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 28 yrs old, 5'7, CW 181, GW 140. I maintain moderate exercise 5-7 days/week, 30-60 mins/day.

MFP set me at 1,200 cals/day so I 'try' to stay at 1,000-1,200. However, many ppl recommend I go by TDEE and this is VERY new to me...I need help! Through http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/#results ... I've found this:

BMR = 1587 cals/day
TDEE (@ 20% cal reduction/lose fat) = 1968 cals/day

Should I increase my MFP cals to go off TDEE or stick with the 1200? Thanks so much for any advice/support anyone can give. I've been battling this for weeks now!

Replies

  • Teresa527
    Teresa527 Posts: 62 Member
    If you eat TDEE you will need to make sure you never eat over that and you also exercise that much every single day because those calories are based off your activity. MFP has you set at 1200, but eating back all your exercise calories. So if you burn 500 calories you will end up eating 1700 calories that day. Does that make sense?
  • Salt_Sand_Sun
    Salt_Sand_Sun Posts: 415 Member
    Based on my calculations from your measurements you should be netting around 1550.

    If you do the TDEE method you will NOT eat back your exercise calories on MFP. When you enter your exercise it will be "burned 1 calories". This method requires more consistency as well as it takes into account you are working out 5-6x per week.

    But if your workouts vary and you want the option to eat back your calories - I'd change your goals to 1550 and then enter your exercise. As you start to lose you will need to adjust and probably increasse your caloric intake.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    If MFP says 1200, why are you trying to stay below that?

    1200 is probably the lowest MFP would go because you set your weight loss goal too aggressively.


    With all that said....
    Assuming you use reasonably estimates and have reasonable goals (which it sounds like you might not), MFP's approach and the TDEE approach should have you eating about the same amount of cals in the long run. MFP's daily goal changes based on exercise (you should be eating back exercise cals), where the TDEE approach doesn't.

    So it really comes down to personal preference. Do you want to log exercise and eat different amounts each day based on your workouts, or do you want to eat the same every day?
  • SkinnyMsFitness
    SkinnyMsFitness Posts: 389 Member
    Thanks everyone...very valid points! I do workout consistenly...for mentality reasons, so I'm confident I will keep that up. I stay at 1000-1200 b/c that's what my MFP buddies say to do...right or wrong...I'm pretty new with this. What you guys have said makes sense. Thank you!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Thanks everyone...very valid points! I do workout consistenly...for mentality reasons, so I'm confident I will keep that up. I stay at 1000-1200 b/c that's what my MFP buddies say to do...right or wrong...I'm pretty new with this. What you guys have said makes sense. Thank you!

    You need some new MFP buddies.

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