MFP calorie requirements vs TDEE

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angelwings0110
angelwings0110 Posts: 45 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
MFP says I should eat around 1500 calories daily. And loose 1lb a week. However TDEE - 20% is 1834. If I am calculating it correctly. I'm 37 4'11" 167. I exercise atleast 4 times weekly. I want to loose 17lbs by Nov. 1st. Any suggestions? Am I calculating the TDEE correctly. Which is more accurate and works best? Any help is greatly appreciated.
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  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    If you add back in your exercise calories with MFP, it pretty much works out the same as TDEE-20%. Mine did - within about 100 calories a day between the two methods.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    MFP does not take into account calories burned through exercise, TDEE does. MFP is based on a system where you log your workouts as separate from your calorie goal and eat those calories back, while TDEE factors it into the base, so you don't log your workouts.
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
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    I would personally go with the TDEE - 20%, then aim to eat back at least half of your exercise calories.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Yup either will get you the about the same. MFP says 1500 and eat back what you burn from exercise and TDEE says eat 1834 everyday whether you workout or not. At the end of the week the total cals consumed should be pretty close.

    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.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    I would personally go with the TDEE - 20%, then aim to eat back at least half of your exercise calories.

    No.

    Your workouts are already included in the calculation for TDEE-20% so you would NOT eat back your exercise calories.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I would personally go with the TDEE - 20%, then aim to eat back at least half of your exercise calories.

    No, if you do TDEE you don't eat any cals back. TDEE includes exercise cals before you do the exercise averaged out for the week.
  • xilka
    xilka Posts: 308 Member
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    I'm 5'0ft 115lbs, and my TDEE before exercise (NEAT) is 1880.
    But it depends on your activity level.
    The MFP calculation definitely seems too low to me.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    I would personally go with the TDEE - 20%, then aim to eat back at least half of your exercise calories.

    No.

    Your workouts are already included in the calculation for TDEE-20% so you would NOT eat back your exercise calories.

    ^ Correct.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    I would personally go with the TDEE - 20%, then aim to eat back at least half of your exercise calories.

    No.

    Your workouts are already included in the calculation for TDEE-20% so you would NOT eat back your exercise calories.

    ^ Correct.

    Yup. Plus if MFP is set up correctly / honestly.. the difference between the two methods isn't that far off. Benefit of TDEE? Not having to worry about adding exercise cals in just to eat back.
  • jls341
    jls341 Posts: 30 Member
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    .
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    MFP says I should eat around 1500 calories daily. And loose 1lb a week. However TDEE - 20% is 1834. If I am calculating it correctly. I'm 37 4'11" 167. I exercise atleast 4 times weekly. I want to loose 17lbs by Nov. 1st. Any suggestions? Am I calculating the TDEE correctly. Which is more accurate and works best? Any help is greatly appreciated.

    They are roughly 6 of 1 if you do it right. TDEE accounts for estimated exercise in your activity level. MFP does NOT do this...you log exercise after the fact and then eat those calories back.

    When I did MFP, my net calorie goal was 1850; with exercise, I usually grossed around 2100-2200 depening on the WOD. When I became really consistent in my exercise regimen, I switched to TDEE. My TDEE is roughly 2,700 calories...when I take my 20% cut to lose 1 Lb per week, I consume roughly 2,160 calories. I don't eat back exercise calories because they're already accounted for in my TDEE activity level. As you can see...2100-2200 calories per day with MFP...2160 with TDEE. 6 of 1, half dozen of the other.
  • jim9097
    jim9097 Posts: 341 Member
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    I'm 5'0ft 115lbs, and my TDEE before exercise (NEAT) is 1880.
    But it depends on your activity level.
    The MFP calculation definitely seems too low to me.
    That has to be a mis-statement, there is no way someone weighing 115 would get 1880 without exercise calculated in there. I get barely over 1880 without exercise and I am over 200lbs.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    I would personally go with the TDEE - 20%, then aim to eat back at least half of your exercise calories.

    You do not eat back exercise calories with the TDEE method; they are already accounted for in your activity level. The reason you eat them back with MFP is because your activity level on MFP is only supposed to be your day to day work and what not...it doesn't include exercise. Therefore any exercise is logged after the fact and then you eat back your estimated burn (of course, making an allowance for estimation error).
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I'm 5'0ft 115lbs, and my TDEE before exercise (NEAT) is 1880.
    But it depends on your activity level.
    The MFP calculation definitely seems too low to me.
    That has to be a mis-statement, there is no way someone weighing 115 would get 1880 without exercise calculated in there. I get barely over 1880 without exercise and I am over 200lbs.

    If they have an active job they could (waitress, postman/woman, etc)
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
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    I feel like the MFP method keeps me more honest. Due to my job and family restraints, I tend to have to skip workouts. With MFP I only get to eat back what I burn so logging exercise only when i actually do it (3 x per week at least) is a value. I eat 300 less a day than my BMR calculation - 1,400 then eat half my exercise calories back. On days I that I intend to work out, I eat a littel more at each meal, then if I have to cancel the workout, I go for a very light dinner - salad w/balsamic & 4 ounces of grilled chicken or fish and manage to stay at my calorie goal. That's just how it works for me.
  • angelwings0110
    angelwings0110 Posts: 45 Member
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    thanks everyone. This really helps. Didn't realize how the TDEE really worked. But do now. Thanks so much
  • bluelena
    bluelena Posts: 304 Member
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    I would personally go with the TDEE - 20%, then aim to eat back at least half of your exercise calories.

    No.

    Your workouts are already included in the calculation for TDEE-20% so you would NOT eat back your exercise calories.

    ^ Correct.

    Yup. Plus if MFP is set up correctly / honestly.. the difference between the two methods isn't that far off. Benefit of TDEE? Not having to worry about adding exercise cals in just to eat back.

    This. I switched from MFP to TDEE - 20% because I found myself getting hangry on non-workout days. I like having one set number per day. To me, it's more sustainable and more "real life" than using exercise to "earn" food.
  • angelwings0110
    angelwings0110 Posts: 45 Member
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    Just making sure I got this right. My total daily goal can be as much as 1834 without eating back exercise calories. If I eat 1800 calories and exercise away 500 calories. Then I do not deduct the exercise calories. Correct?
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
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    I would personally go with the TDEE - 20%, then aim to eat back at least half of your exercise calories.
    No.

    That's the MFP way that doesn't take exercise into account for the total. If you do TDEE-20%, the point is that you DON'T eat back your exercise calories.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Just making sure I got this right. My total daily goal can be as much as 1834 without eating back exercise calories. If I eat 1800 calories and exercise away 500 calories. Then I do not deduct the exercise calories. Correct?

    Correct, because on some days you will eat 1800 and not even go to the gym, so it all balance out for the week.

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