TDEE and Net Calories

2

Replies

  • stefaniemazz
    stefaniemazz Posts: 179 Member
    Understand that MFP follows the NEAT method which is different from TDEE. MFP is designed for its users to eat their exercise calories back (thus the "Netting of calories) while TDEE includes exercise calories (which is why those who follow this method tend to log their exercise as 1 cal burns).

    It is important, regardless which method you use, to pick the correct activity level as well as the correct amount of weight loss per week for you.

    Seeing as you don't have that much to lose (per your ticker), you probably should have gone with the 0.5lb/week loss. Also, are you truly sedentary? Maybe consider going with lightly active (if using MFP's #s) and sticking with those #s for 4-6 weeks. If you follow TDEE - pick the correct activity level by exercise amount and subtract 10-20% of that.

    Also invest and use a food measuring scale if you aren't already. Here are some helpful links for you to read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1144679-kiss

    Thanks for the NICE and very well explained response. I appreciate it.

    I don't eat my exercise calories back. So sometimes I will NET a little bit under 1200 calories.

    So if I go with MFP, which is probably easier, should I just set my calories to 1200 calories? Rather then manually changing them to 1600 calories.

    The reason for me not changing my calories number to 1200 is I always go over in carbs and protein, with 1600 calories, I don't over at all.

    I know that sounds SO confusing

    Go to your Goals page and just redo your numbers.

    Pick lightly active and 0.5lb/week loss.

    MFP will then give you a base number.

    Eat that + at least half your exercise calories back.

    :smile:

    Even if I'm not lightly active? I have an office job where I get up to go to the printer pretty often, I go home, workout, and then sit down and relax

    1000 cals per day in workouts makes you lightly active.

    1000 a day? I burn around 202 calories a day.

    When I said 1000, I thought you meant for the week.
  • michaelsontag
    michaelsontag Posts: 12
    In the military, and I asked the same to a nutritionist, and they told me to look at net. In my example, my daily caloric is about 1600 (sedentary) to lose 2 pounds a week. If I workout 1000 cals, i MUST eat 2600 cals, or else I risk starvation. Quote from them below:

    "They need to eat basically what they burn through exercise - I tell them they earn it. I sometimes give an example of exercise being like driving a car and that without refueling, it's hard to get back to your starting destination."
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Understand that MFP follows the NEAT method which is different from TDEE. MFP is designed for its users to eat their exercise calories back (thus the "Netting of calories) while TDEE includes exercise calories (which is why those who follow this method tend to log their exercise as 1 cal burns).

    It is important, regardless which method you use, to pick the correct activity level as well as the correct amount of weight loss per week for you.

    Seeing as you don't have that much to lose (per your ticker), you probably should have gone with the 0.5lb/week loss. Also, are you truly sedentary? Maybe consider going with lightly active (if using MFP's #s) and sticking with those #s for 4-6 weeks. If you follow TDEE - pick the correct activity level by exercise amount and subtract 10-20% of that.

    Also invest and use a food measuring scale if you aren't already. Here are some helpful links for you to read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1144679-kiss

    Thanks for the NICE and very well explained response. I appreciate it.

    I don't eat my exercise calories back. So sometimes I will NET a little bit under 1200 calories.

    So if I go with MFP, which is probably easier, should I just set my calories to 1200 calories? Rather then manually changing them to 1600 calories.

    The reason for me not changing my calories number to 1200 is I always go over in carbs and protein, with 1600 calories, I don't over at all.

    I know that sounds SO confusing

    Go to your Goals page and just redo your numbers.

    Pick lightly active and 0.5lb/week loss.

    MFP will then give you a base number.

    Eat that + at least half your exercise calories back.

    :smile:

    Even if I'm not lightly active? I have an office job where I get up to go to the printer pretty often, I go home, workout, and then sit down and relax

    1000 cals per day in workouts makes you lightly active.

    1000 a day? I burn around 202 calories a day.

    When I said 1000, I thought you meant for the week.

    To keep it simple...yes, you are still lightly active. Just go with that. Do this for 4-6 weeks and see how things go. (And I can't emphasize enough that you log and weigh everything everyday).
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Understand that MFP follows the NEAT method which is different from TDEE. MFP is designed for its users to eat their exercise calories back (thus the "Netting of calories) while TDEE includes exercise calories (which is why those who follow this method tend to log their exercise as 1 cal burns).

    It is important, regardless which method you use, to pick the correct activity level as well as the correct amount of weight loss per week for you.

    Seeing as you don't have that much to lose (per your ticker), you probably should have gone with the 0.5lb/week loss. Also, are you truly sedentary? Maybe consider going with lightly active (if using MFP's #s) and sticking with those #s for 4-6 weeks. If you follow TDEE - pick the correct activity level by exercise amount and subtract 10-20% of that.

    Also invest and use a food measuring scale if you aren't already. Here are some helpful links for you to read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1144679-kiss

    Thanks for the NICE and very well explained response. I appreciate it.

    I don't eat my exercise calories back. So sometimes I will NET a little bit under 1200 calories.

    So if I go with MFP, which is probably easier, should I just set my calories to 1200 calories? Rather then manually changing them to 1600 calories.

    The reason for me not changing my calories number to 1200 is I always go over in carbs and protein, with 1600 calories, I don't over at all.

    I know that sounds SO confusing

    Go to your Goals page and just redo your numbers.

    Pick lightly active and 0.5lb/week loss.

    MFP will then give you a base number.

    Eat that + at least half your exercise calories back.

    :smile:

    Even if I'm not lightly active? I have an office job where I get up to go to the printer pretty often, I go home, workout, and then sit down and relax

    1000 cals per day in workouts makes you lightly active.

    1000 a day? I burn around 202 calories a day.

    When I said 1000, I thought you meant for the week.

    Ah, gotcha... I probably misread.


    Either way, I think you need to decide if you want to go with the TDEE approach or MFP's method. Both work, both have you eating about the same, so it's just a question of how you want to eat and log.

    But the bottom line is to PICK 1 and go with it. Mixing methods only confuses you and likely leads to failure.
  • stefaniemazz
    stefaniemazz Posts: 179 Member
    Understand that MFP follows the NEAT method which is different from TDEE. MFP is designed for its users to eat their exercise calories back (thus the "Netting of calories) while TDEE includes exercise calories (which is why those who follow this method tend to log their exercise as 1 cal burns).

    It is important, regardless which method you use, to pick the correct activity level as well as the correct amount of weight loss per week for you.

    Seeing as you don't have that much to lose (per your ticker), you probably should have gone with the 0.5lb/week loss. Also, are you truly sedentary? Maybe consider going with lightly active (if using MFP's #s) and sticking with those #s for 4-6 weeks. If you follow TDEE - pick the correct activity level by exercise amount and subtract 10-20% of that.

    Also invest and use a food measuring scale if you aren't already. Here are some helpful links for you to read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1144679-kiss

    Thanks for the NICE and very well explained response. I appreciate it.

    I don't eat my exercise calories back. So sometimes I will NET a little bit under 1200 calories.

    So if I go with MFP, which is probably easier, should I just set my calories to 1200 calories? Rather then manually changing them to 1600 calories.

    The reason for me not changing my calories number to 1200 is I always go over in carbs and protein, with 1600 calories, I don't over at all.

    I know that sounds SO confusing

    Go to your Goals page and just redo your numbers.

    Pick lightly active and 0.5lb/week loss.

    MFP will then give you a base number.

    Eat that + at least half your exercise calories back.

    :smile:

    Even if I'm not lightly active? I have an office job where I get up to go to the printer pretty often, I go home, workout, and then sit down and relax

    1000 cals per day in workouts makes you lightly active.

    1000 a day? I burn around 202 calories a day.

    When I said 1000, I thought you meant for the week.

    Ah, gotcha... I probably misread.


    Either way, I think you need to decide if you want to go with the TDEE approach or MFP's method. Both work, both have you eating about the same, so it's just a question of how you want to eat and log.

    But the bottom line is to PICK 1 and go with it. Mixing methods only confuses you and likely leads to failure.

    Okay, I want to go with MFP, seems like the easier option so what do I set my calories to then? What's your suggestion?

    Should I keep it at 1600, and keep doing what I'm doing (that includes the 3500 cheat days) or adjust?
  • ayalowich
    ayalowich Posts: 242 Member
    But I'm setting my MFP to Sedentary so technically I'm not including my exercise.
    I'm just going by the TDEE number

    Does that make sense?


    STOP. It doesn't matter what you told MFP because you overrode it's numbers with your own. You're going by TDEE and MFP's method doesn't apply to you. Stop trying to mash 2 different approaches into 1.

    Your TDEE is 1600. Cut that by 10% and you get 1440. Cutting TDEE by 10% is what creates your calorie deficit and what will lead to weight loss. Set that as you calorie goal and eat that each day. Don't log exercise calories.

    .

    This last part makes no sense to me. Why would you not log exercise?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Okay, I want to go with MFP, seems like the easier option so what do I set my calories to then? What's your suggestion?

    Should I keep it at 1600, and keep doing what I'm doing (that includes the 3500 cheat days) or adjust?

    If you want to use the MFP approach, then let MFP set the calories for you. Go back in, set your activity setting and weight loss goal (no more than 1lb per week), and let it do the rest.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Understand that MFP follows the NEAT method which is different from TDEE. MFP is designed for its users to eat their exercise calories back (thus the "Netting of calories) while TDEE includes exercise calories (which is why those who follow this method tend to log their exercise as 1 cal burns).

    It is important, regardless which method you use, to pick the correct activity level as well as the correct amount of weight loss per week for you.

    Seeing as you don't have that much to lose (per your ticker), you probably should have gone with the 0.5lb/week loss. Also, are you truly sedentary? Maybe consider going with lightly active (if using MFP's #s) and sticking with those #s for 4-6 weeks. If you follow TDEE - pick the correct activity level by exercise amount and subtract 10-20% of that.

    Also invest and use a food measuring scale if you aren't already. Here are some helpful links for you to read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1144679-kiss

    Thanks for the NICE and very well explained response. I appreciate it.

    I don't eat my exercise calories back. So sometimes I will NET a little bit under 1200 calories.

    So if I go with MFP, which is probably easier, should I just set my calories to 1200 calories? Rather then manually changing them to 1600 calories.

    The reason for me not changing my calories number to 1200 is I always go over in carbs and protein, with 1600 calories, I don't over at all.

    I know that sounds SO confusing

    Go to your Goals page and just redo your numbers.

    Pick lightly active and 0.5lb/week loss.

    MFP will then give you a base number.

    Eat that + at least half your exercise calories back.

    :smile:

    Even if I'm not lightly active? I have an office job where I get up to go to the printer pretty often, I go home, workout, and then sit down and relax

    1000 cals per day in workouts makes you lightly active.

    1000 a day? I burn around 202 calories a day.

    When I said 1000, I thought you meant for the week.

    Ah, gotcha... I probably misread.


    Either way, I think you need to decide if you want to go with the TDEE approach or MFP's method. Both work, both have you eating about the same, so it's just a question of how you want to eat and log.

    But the bottom line is to PICK 1 and go with it. Mixing methods only confuses you and likely leads to failure.

    Okay, I want to go with MFP, seems like the easier option so what do I set my calories to then? What's your suggestion?

    Should I keep it at 1600, and keep doing what I'm doing (that includes the 3500 cheat days) or adjust?

    Please go back to one of my earlier posts where I put a step by step of what you should do.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    But I'm setting my MFP to Sedentary so technically I'm not including my exercise.
    I'm just going by the TDEE number

    Does that make sense?


    STOP. It doesn't matter what you told MFP because you overrode it's numbers with your own. You're going by TDEE and MFP's method doesn't apply to you. Stop trying to mash 2 different approaches into 1.

    Your TDEE is 1600. Cut that by 10% and you get 1440. Cutting TDEE by 10% is what creates your calorie deficit and what will lead to weight loss. Set that as you calorie goal and eat that each day. Don't log exercise calories.

    .

    This last part makes no sense to me. Why would you not log exercise?

    Because when you base your daily calorie goal on your TDEE, exercise is already figured into the calculation. Logging exercise would effectively be counting it twice.
  • stefaniemazz
    stefaniemazz Posts: 179 Member
    So Jacksonpt, what do you suggest I do.

    Should I change my goals to 0.5 pounds a week and change my settings to lightly active or do you suggest something else?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    But I'm setting my MFP to Sedentary so technically I'm not including my exercise.
    I'm just going by the TDEE number

    Does that make sense?

    As soon as you manually set your "net eating goal" - you stopped MFP's math from changing your eating level. So your profile settings don't matter a whit regarding activity level or weight loss goal.

    Only if you log exercise calories would it still bump up your "net eating goal" - even though you are not treating it as net, but gross.

    So either log your exercise as 1 calorie, or at night after you have reached your 1600 goal, or keep in mind it's 1600 no matter what the goal changes to.

    You'll have to ignore MFP's math too on "in 5 weeks you'll weigh" because they methods are totally different.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Should I change my goals to 0.5 pounds a week and change my settings to lightly active or do you suggest something else?

    Yes, that's what I would do.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    First, pick either MFP's calorie method, or the TDEE - X% method.

    If you go by your TDEE, subtract some calories to account for weightloss (i'm assuming this is your goal) and manually change your MFP to account for this value, then it is just calories. You will not add workouts to this.

    Or you can go by MFP's method and calculate based on net calories

    This!^

    Pick one method...............MFP allows you to override the goals to be what you want them to be.

    If you use TDEE less a % ......."log" exercise......but give yourself 1 calorie burned (or something minimal)......that way you can see the exercise you did......but ignore the net number, because it is essentially TDEE less a % anyway.

    Using MFP ....log exercise & pay attention to the NET number.
  • changing4life
    changing4life Posts: 193 Member
    save
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Also, MFP's Lightly Active is not the same as the TDEE levels Lightly Active that includes exercise.

    MFP's level has no exercise included in it, so BMR x 1.35.
    TDEE level includes 1-3 hrs of exercise, so BMR x 1.375.

    It is a difference.
  • ayalowich
    ayalowich Posts: 242 Member
    But I'm setting my MFP to Sedentary so technically I'm not including my exercise.
    I'm just going by the TDEE number

    Does that make sense?


    STOP. It doesn't matter what you told MFP because you overrode it's numbers with your own. You're going by TDEE and MFP's method doesn't apply to you. Stop trying to mash 2 different approaches into 1.

    Your TDEE is 1600. Cut that by 10% and you get 1440. Cutting TDEE by 10% is what creates your calorie deficit and what will lead to weight loss. Set that as you calorie goal and eat that each day. Don't log exercise calories.

    .

    This last part makes no sense to me. Why would you not log exercise?

    Because when you base your daily calorie goal on your TDEE, exercise is already figured into the calculation. Logging exercise would effectively be counting it twice.

    Based on all this, I went in and let MFP decide what I needed to do to maintain my present weight. So now they want me to essentially eat 2,500 calories a day (I burn about 3,000 a week or just over 400 per day on average). That's a lot more than I am comfortable eating.

    Fascinating thread though. Thanks for the 10 minute diversion.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    But I'm setting my MFP to Sedentary so technically I'm not including my exercise.
    I'm just going by the TDEE number

    Does that make sense?

    Sedentary is "activity level" ........NOT exercise. MFP expects you to log exercise separately & then gives you a calorie "bonus" of sorts. This is great for people who are new to exercise, who exercise infrequently, or need an incentive to exercise.

    TDEE includes exercise.....so you don't log exercise in on MFP.....unless you want a "visual" record.....if that's the case override the calorie burn to something nominal.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    But I'm setting my MFP to Sedentary so technically I'm not including my exercise.
    I'm just going by the TDEE number

    Does that make sense?


    STOP. It doesn't matter what you told MFP because you overrode it's numbers with your own. You're going by TDEE and MFP's method doesn't apply to you. Stop trying to mash 2 different approaches into 1.

    Your TDEE is 1600. Cut that by 10% and you get 1440. Cutting TDEE by 10% is what creates your calorie deficit and what will lead to weight loss. Set that as you calorie goal and eat that each day. Don't log exercise calories.

    .

    This last part makes no sense to me. Why would you not log exercise?

    Because when you base your daily calorie goal on your TDEE, exercise is already figured into the calculation. Logging exercise would effectively be counting it twice.

    Based on all this, I went in and let MFP decide what I needed to do to maintain my present weight. So now they want me to essentially eat 2,500 calories a day (I burn about 3,000 a week or just over 400 per day on average). That's a lot more than I am comfortable eating.

    Fascinating thread though. Thanks for the 10 minute diversion.

    That could be pretty reasonable.
  • stefaniemazz
    stefaniemazz Posts: 179 Member
    Just running your calculations of 1400 a day average with a 3500 day works out to about 1700 calories a day over a week's time. That's fine if that's how you want to do it.

    That's exactly the answer I was looking for, I wanted to know if I will still lose weight doing this.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Based on all this, I went in and let MFP decide what I needed to do to maintain my present weight. So now they want me to essentially eat 2,500 calories a day (I burn about 3,000 a week or just over 400 per day on average). That's a lot more than I am comfortable eating.

    Fascinating thread though. Thanks for the 10 minute diversion.

    That could be pretty reasonable.

    Ditto.
    And remember, that's not including your exercise either, just daily life.

    You putting in those exercise goals has no bearing on the math for your diet goals.

    MFP has pretty effectively made that confusing by putting them right together like they do.

    Unless you've cause some decent muscle mass loss - which is easily done if diet is done wrong, you likely could maintain on that with no exercise.
    Sounds like with exercise you'd be at 2900 a day on average. Depending on how accurate you think the calorie burns are.
  • focuseddiva
    focuseddiva Posts: 174 Member
    I want to know more about your cheat day! I find that if I'm eating 1400 cals a day of healthy food, and then I have a cheat/binge day, I feel like complete crud. I'm hungrier the next day and have to work through it to get through the hunger and inclination to shove carbs in my face. How do you deal with that? Or does it not bother you? I'll just tell you this. I used to do 6 days of eating well and one cheat day. That turned into two cheat days. Etc. Soon, I was being careful half the time and out of control the other half. In 2 years, I gained back the 40 lbs it took me so long to lose. And here I am.
  • stefaniemazz
    stefaniemazz Posts: 179 Member
    Well thanks for the answers guys.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Just running your calculations of 1400 a day average with a 3500 day works out to about 1700 calories a day over a week's time. That's fine if that's how you want to do it.

    That's exactly the answer I was looking for, I wanted to know if I will still lose weight doing this.

    Assuming you don't have some kind of crazy diet, you'll lose weight as long as you are in a deficit. But we can't tell you when you're in a deficit and when you aren't. Neither can MFP. All we can do (and all MFP does) is make calculations based on assumptions. It's up to you to be honest about your diet and exercise, be consistent with your logging, and give it a chance.

    if after a month you aren't seeing the results you want, then tweak something. But no one can say for certainty right now whether or not you'll lose weight.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I want to know more about your cheat day! I find that if I'm eating 1400 cals a day of healthy food, and then I have a cheat/binge day, I feel like complete crud. I'm hungrier the next day and have to work through it to get through the hunger and inclination to shove carbs in my face. How do you deal with that? Or does it not bother you? I'll just tell you this. I used to do 6 days of eating well and one cheat day. That turned into two cheat days. Etc. Soon, I was being careful half the time and out of control the other half. In 2 years, I gained back the 40 lbs it took me so long to lose. And here I am.

    Would it have worked better with a more reasonable deficit, where you could have something special almost everyday and looked forward to it, knowing it was there tomorrow too?

    Or was it more the weekend dinners out, but you had control rest of the week? That is a tough one.
  • stefaniemazz
    stefaniemazz Posts: 179 Member
    I want to know more about your cheat day! I find that if I'm eating 1400 cals a day of healthy food, and then I have a cheat/binge day, I feel like complete crud. I'm hungrier the next day and have to work through it to get through the hunger and inclination to shove carbs in my face. How do you deal with that? Or does it not bother you? I'll just tell you this. I used to do 6 days of eating well and one cheat day. That turned into two cheat days. Etc. Soon, I was being careful half the time and out of control the other half. In 2 years, I gained back the 40 lbs it took me so long to lose. And here I am.

    My cheat day is normally Saturday.

    I will literally eat junk all day, I'm talking McDonalds for lunch and going out for dinner to a restaurant.

    It works for me, whenever I weigh myself after a cheat day, I've lose weight.

    The next day, I go back to normal, I don't have a problem with my cheat day lasting more then one day.

    I will screw up here and there, just yesterday, I had pizza and went over my calories of 1330, and actually ate 1600.

    Cheat days help me because during the week, I eat as healthy as possible, I need that "Mcdonalds burger" or big plate of Pasta, it keeps me sane.
  • stefaniemazz
    stefaniemazz Posts: 179 Member
    Just running your calculations of 1400 a day average with a 3500 day works out to about 1700 calories a day over a week's time. That's fine if that's how you want to do it.

    That's exactly the answer I was looking for, I wanted to know if I will still lose weight doing this.

    Assuming you don't have some kind of crazy diet, you'll lose weight as long as you are in a deficit. But we can't tell you when you're in a deficit and when you aren't. Neither can MFP. All we can do (and all MFP does) is make calculations based on assumptions. It's up to you to be honest about your diet and exercise, be consistent with your logging, and give it a chance.

    if after a month you aren't seeing the results you want, then tweak something. But no one can say for certainty right now whether or not you'll lose weight.

    So far I have lost the weight doing this method.

    My big thing is, I'm not willing to give up my cheat day, like I said in the post I just wrote, it keeps me sane.
  • focuseddiva
    focuseddiva Posts: 174 Member
    I've also heard of people who lose weight the day after a cheat day! I wonder why that is. Well, your cheat day doesn't sound THAT bad. Mine is awful. It's like I know I have one day to eat what I want, so I wind up eating like I'm going to the electric chair. Probably 4000 cals in a day. Yep. You read that right.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Just running your calculations of 1400 a day average with a 3500 day works out to about 1700 calories a day over a week's time. That's fine if that's how you want to do it.

    That's exactly the answer I was looking for, I wanted to know if I will still lose weight doing this.

    Assuming you don't have some kind of crazy diet, you'll lose weight as long as you are in a deficit. But we can't tell you when you're in a deficit and when you aren't. Neither can MFP. All we can do (and all MFP does) is make calculations based on assumptions. It's up to you to be honest about your diet and exercise, be consistent with your logging, and give it a chance.

    if after a month you aren't seeing the results you want, then tweak something. But no one can say for certainty right now whether or not you'll lose weight.

    So far I have lost the weight doing this method.

    My big thing is, I'm not willing to give up my cheat day, like I said in the post I just wrote, it keeps me sane.

    So what exactly is your question?

    How many cals should you be eating?
    Can you have a cheat day?
    Will you lose weight?

    I'm confused.
  • stefaniemazz
    stefaniemazz Posts: 179 Member
    Just running your calculations of 1400 a day average with a 3500 day works out to about 1700 calories a day over a week's time. That's fine if that's how you want to do it.

    That's exactly the answer I was looking for, I wanted to know if I will still lose weight doing this.

    Assuming you don't have some kind of crazy diet, you'll lose weight as long as you are in a deficit. But we can't tell you when you're in a deficit and when you aren't. Neither can MFP. All we can do (and all MFP does) is make calculations based on assumptions. It's up to you to be honest about your diet and exercise, be consistent with your logging, and give it a chance.

    if after a month you aren't seeing the results you want, then tweak something. But no one can say for certainty right now whether or not you'll lose weight.

    So far I have lost the weight doing this method.

    My big thing is, I'm not willing to give up my cheat day, like I said in the post I just wrote, it keeps me sane.

    So what exactly is your question?

    How many cals should you be eating?
    Can you have a cheat day?
    Will you lose weight?

    I'm confused.

    I guess my question is, can I continue to have a cheat day and still lose weight? like when I'm about 5 pounds away from my goal, should I stop the cheat day?

    Sorry for the confusion, like I said, I'm confused myself.

    I have lost weight before, I went from like 140 to 105, and then I gained it all back because I lost it too fast eating under 1200 calories day. I want to make sure I'm doing it right this time.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    So what exactly is your question?

    How many cals should you be eating?
    Can you have a cheat day?
    Will you lose weight?

    I'm confused.

    I guess my question is, can I continue to have a cheat day and still lose weight? like when I'm about 5 pounds away from my goal, should I stop the cheat day?

    Sorry for the confusion, like I said, I'm confused myself.

    I have lost weight before, I went from like 140 to 105, and then I gained it all back because I lost it too fast eating under 1200 calories day. I want to make sure I'm doing it right this time.

    Absolutely.

    This is oversimplifying things a bit, but as long as you are eating less than your body burns over the course of time, you'll lose weight. You can be over 1 day, or even 4 days, as long as you are under your TDEE for the week.

    .

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