Is this right?

mwaespy
mwaespy Posts: 6
edited February 4 in Health and Weight Loss
I inputted my information into Myfitnesspal and it says for me to lose 1.5 pounds a week I must eat 1380 calories a day. MFP says my BMR is 1700 calories and I found out that my TDEE (1700 x 1.2) is 2040 calories. I want to add exercising (3 Day of Running Track and Up/Down Stairs, and 2 Days of Strength Training) which would bring my TDEE to 2635 or 2933 (1700 x 1.55 or 1.725). I know I should eat the calories burned from exercise back and I will, but I'm just worried that the amount MFP gave me is too little.

Replies

  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    What did you put as your activity level in MFP? That is probably where the difference is.

    Either way, pick one and try it. If you find MFP is too little calories even eating back exercise, then bump it up. Or if you find you aren't losing fast enough on the TDEE estimate after a few weeks, cut your intake. It's all just guesswork really, and you don't know what will really work best for you until you try it out.
  • MuseofSong
    MuseofSong Posts: 322 Member
    Okay my best advice is this:

    If you're BRAND NEW and you don't want to recalculate and recustomize your TDEE - 20% goal every 5 pounds lost, just choose something simple and go with MFP.

    Start with the MFP at 1 pound per week (you'll lose more at first anyway so it's no big deal). Then eat that recommended amount of calories. When you exercise eat back 50%-75% of those calories, as sometimes the exercise calorie burn estimates too high, but you have to eat back at least half those calories or you're not fueling your body correctly.

    If you exercise at night, like me, you can eat back exercise calories on a different day. It doesn't matter too much as long as you balance your week out to maintain your deficit of 3,500 calories a week, without undereating.

    I hope that helps. :)
  • mwaespy
    mwaespy Posts: 6
    What did you put as your activity level in MFP? That is probably where the difference is.

    Either way, pick one and try it. If you find MFP is too little calories even eating back exercise, then bump it up. Or if you find you aren't losing fast enough on the TDEE estimate after a few weeks, cut your intake. It's all just guesswork really, and you don't know what will really work best for you until you try it out.

    I put my activity level as Sedentary.
    Okay my best advice is this:

    If you're BRAND NEW and you don't want to recalculate and recustomize your TDEE - 20% goal every 5 pounds lost, just choose something simple and go with MFP.

    Start with the MFP at 1 pound per week (you'll lose more at first anyway so it's no big deal). Then eat that recommended amount of calories. When you exercise eat back 50%-75% of those calories, as sometimes the exercise calorie burn estimates too high, but you have to eat back at least half those calories or you're not fueling your body correctly.

    If you exercise at night, like me, you can eat back exercise calories on a different day. It doesn't matter too much as long as you balance your week out to maintain your deficit of 3,500 calories a week, without undereating.

    I hope that helps. :)

    It helps. Thank you very much. I'm just worried that I'm going to mess up my metabolism or go into starvation mode. Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to eat.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    That's about right, mathematically speaking. Losing 1.5 lbs a week would require a 750 cal daily deficit.
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