TDEE v. Counting Exercise Calories?
Bappelman
Posts: 8 Member
Hello,
Having read so much on these boards and doing my own separate research, I am still undecided as to the best course to take.
I am doing P90X. That means a pretty intense hour of exercise 6 times a week. I wear a HRM and it counts my workout calories. Only 2 of the workouts each week are what we consider "cardio", the others are weight lifting, and one day of Yoga.
I have now learned that HRMs can not accurately count calories burned while doing weight lifting, and the Yoga workout would seem to suffer from the same inaccuracies (Your heart rate goes up, but not due to steady-state cardio that the HRMs are designed to count).
So for 4 workouts each week, i have no accurate way to measure my calories burned. I have been estimating them, using MFP and other online calculators, but I am not satisfied with that method.
Using the TDEE method seems much easier to do. I would find my BMR, multiply it by the appropriate activity level , subtract 750 a day to lose 1.5 lbs a week, and eat that amount of calories each day, with no counting of exercise calories.
Has anyone tried both methods and now has a preference? If you do, what did you pick one method over the other?
Thanks!
Having read so much on these boards and doing my own separate research, I am still undecided as to the best course to take.
I am doing P90X. That means a pretty intense hour of exercise 6 times a week. I wear a HRM and it counts my workout calories. Only 2 of the workouts each week are what we consider "cardio", the others are weight lifting, and one day of Yoga.
I have now learned that HRMs can not accurately count calories burned while doing weight lifting, and the Yoga workout would seem to suffer from the same inaccuracies (Your heart rate goes up, but not due to steady-state cardio that the HRMs are designed to count).
So for 4 workouts each week, i have no accurate way to measure my calories burned. I have been estimating them, using MFP and other online calculators, but I am not satisfied with that method.
Using the TDEE method seems much easier to do. I would find my BMR, multiply it by the appropriate activity level , subtract 750 a day to lose 1.5 lbs a week, and eat that amount of calories each day, with no counting of exercise calories.
Has anyone tried both methods and now has a preference? If you do, what did you pick one method over the other?
Thanks!
0
Replies
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Since it sounds like you are very consistant with your workout schedule then it sounds like either method would work for you. If you are not very consistant then I would suggest using MFP so you are not eating exercise calories you do not earn. That is the only thing I find wrong with TDEE, which is less system error and more user error but you get the point.0
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they are 6 of one half a dozen of the other.
The calories given to you by MFP+exercise calories usually come pretty close to TDEE-20%...
It doesn't matter really what you do as long as you are consistent with your choice..
I use TDEE because I lift weights and it is damn near impossible to estimate those burns...so this makes it easier on me...but I did not use an online calculator to get my TDEE...I used my own data...so I know it's correct.
If I wasn't lifting weights I would use the NEAT method and eat back my exercise calories as cardio calories etc are easier to get a read on with HRM etc .0 -
I prefer TDEE.
Then monitor and tweak it as needed0 -
I prefer TDEE, I hate math and numbers in general and seeing them bounce all over telling me to eat more one day and more-but-not-as-much-as-yesterday the next day and so on drove me up the flippin' wall so I changed my tactic. Not for health or for any reason at all other than to have a static daily goal to aim for.0
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if you do it honestly, accurately, and long enough...
they aren't that far apart.
Like others have said, I prefer and use the TDEE-% method.
...well, that.. and patience/logging/adjusting0 -
Personal preference. I think TDEE is a lot simpler and more accurate approach if you tend to work out regularly, which it sounds like you do. If your exercise is really sporadic, then the MFP approach may be better.0
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I couldn't wrap my brain around TDEE-%. Not that i don't get the concept, I've just been using a low daily goal + earned calories method for so long (years) that it's just what I'm used to. My current method is BMR + earned calories and that seems to be just around right for me.0
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they are 6 of one half a dozen of the other.
The calories given to you by MFP+exercise calories usually come pretty close to TDEE-20%...
It doesn't matter really what you do as long as you are consistent with your choice..
I use TDEE because I lift weights and it is damn near impossible to estimate those burns...so this makes it easier on me...but I did not use an online calculator to get my TDEE...I used my own data...so I know it's correct.
If I wasn't lifting weights I would use the NEAT method and eat back my exercise calories as cardio calories etc are easier to get a read on with HRM etc .
Every time I see one of these posts on TDEE, my head starts to spin. First of all, @Sexyzstef you used your own data instead of a calculator? Have you already posted somewhere on how to do that? Would love to read it.
Secondly, it is SCARY the amount of food TDEE wants me to eat. I know it sounds lame but I am nervous to jump into that much food. I have a sendentary job but work out 5-6 days a week 30-90 minutes depending on how I'm feeling that day. Would that equate to light activity or moderate?0 -
As others said, personal preference.
For me, I eat my exercise calories back. It is a mindset thing -- want to eat more, then have to move more. I also have a Fitbit, so tracking is not a huge issue for me, Fitbit adjusts my estimated calorie burn all day based on my activity level that day.
I hope that by firmly establishing the link (in my head) between moving and eating that I will have better success with maintenance. (Part of the reason I gained was that I stopped exercising but did not adjust my food intake)0 -
I totally feel you on this, I recently posted a similar post. In the beginning of my journey I used the MFP method and ate back exercise cals but that's when I was doing cardio and I wore an HRM. My daily calorie limit was 1200 (I know, I know, super low). I have been on MFP for almost 18 months now and you learn so much from all the great people so when I finally realized that I need to be lifting weights to get the physique I want, I was exactly where you are at now, no clue how many calories I was burning since the HRM really isn't meant to track those kind of burns. I took the plunge and changed to the TDEE method. It's hard to completely rewire your brain after so long and to be comfortable with eating more, trusting in the process that you will still lose weight. My daily calorie intake is now around 1600. It's been a relief not to have to worry about how much I burn anymore and logging the workouts and although I haven't lost much weight, I have lost quite a few inches and packed on muscle in all the right places. I have been doing the TDEE-20% method for 2 months now and I only log workouts that are not my typical routine (running a 10K or Half for example). I used www.iifym.com to calculate my stuff.0
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they are 6 of one half a dozen of the other.
The calories given to you by MFP+exercise calories usually come pretty close to TDEE-20%...
It doesn't matter really what you do as long as you are consistent with your choice..
I use TDEE because I lift weights and it is damn near impossible to estimate those burns...so this makes it easier on me...but I did not use an online calculator to get my TDEE...I used my own data...so I know it's correct.
If I wasn't lifting weights I would use the NEAT method and eat back my exercise calories as cardio calories etc are easier to get a read on with HRM etc .
Every time I see one of these posts on TDEE, my head starts to spin. First of all, @Sexyzstef you used your own data instead of a calculator? Have you already posted somewhere on how to do that? Would love to read it.
Secondly, it is SCARY the amount of food TDEE wants me to eat. I know it sounds lame but I am nervous to jump into that much food. I have a sendentary job but work out 5-6 days a week 30-90 minutes depending on how I'm feeling that day. Would that equate to light activity or moderate?
I'm in the same boat as you. Sitting 7+ hours a day. I come home and workout for an hour and walk after dinner for 45-50 minutes. If I put that I was "Lightly" or "Moderately" active it would bump me up close to 2700+ calories a day net. I tried it for a few weeks at 2,500 and was only losing .5-ish a week when I'm already 60+ lbs. overweight.
I set my activity level to "Sedentary" because that's what I'm doing most of the day, sitting.
I let MFP set up my calories depending on how much weight I wanted to lose each week (1.5lbs | 60+lbs overweight).
I eat back most / all of my exercise calories and have been successful doing it this way.
You might have to do trial & error for a week & a half or so, see how things go and if they aren't working for you then consider adjusting things around.0 -
I am using MFP and it is working. The amount of calories TDEE recommends seems awfully high but I am not ruling it out. If MFP no longer works for me, I will try TDEE. I think different plans might be better at different stages of your journey so I won't rule anything out unless it is unhealthy.0
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they are 6 of one half a dozen of the other.
The calories given to you by MFP+exercise calories usually come pretty close to TDEE-20%...
It doesn't matter really what you do as long as you are consistent with your choice..
I use TDEE because I lift weights and it is damn near impossible to estimate those burns...so this makes it easier on me...but I did not use an online calculator to get my TDEE...I used my own data...so I know it's correct.
If I wasn't lifting weights I would use the NEAT method and eat back my exercise calories as cardio calories etc are easier to get a read on with HRM etc .
Every time I see one of these posts on TDEE, my head starts to spin. First of all, @Sexyzstef you used your own data instead of a calculator? Have you already posted somewhere on how to do that? Would love to read it.
Secondly, it is SCARY the amount of food TDEE wants me to eat. I know it sounds lame but I am nervous to jump into that much food. I have a sendentary job but work out 5-6 days a week 30-90 minutes depending on how I'm feeling that day. Would that equate to light activity or moderate?
I most definately can't take credit for this calculation. I am in a group Eat Train Progress and I found it there. Basically choose a period of time which best represents your average day...(I chose 3 weeks worth of data) and ensure you are accurately logging your intake with a food scale and choosing correct entries...otherwise this doesn't work.
Total calories consumed + (pounds lost x 3500)/# of days chosen
So for me it looked like this
29,642+(3.5 x 3500)/21=1995...
So my maintenance is 1995 calories and I eat TDEE-15% so it works out to be about 1700 calories a day. I keep a spreadsheet as well to track my weekly intake, losses etc and I average 1661 a day since starting TDEE (excluding vacation) and I have lost on average 3/4lb a week....so for me it's pretty spot on.
This calculation needs redone every 10lbs or so...I have yet to see a major change in it tho as I am fairly consistent with my exercise, intake and weight loss.
As a note of interest Scooby puts me at 2267, IIFYM 2077, Mayo clinic at 2100...
Average is 2148 so not far off but 148 extra calories a day would mean 1lb a month gain...12lbs in one year.0 -
I do it the MFP way, mostly because my workout schedule is a bit sporadic. Some weeks I can get 5 days of exercise, and other weeks I can only get 2. That's the main difference I see between the two. If I regularly worked out 3 days a week for an hour each, it would be easy for me to calculate my TDEE, adjust as necessary, and lose weight.
ETA: I would recommend the TDEE method if your workouts include a lot of weight training.0 -
i found i had no good way to get an accurate calorie count,so i do tdee. no math htat way either. i just subtract the cals burned when i log my exercise0
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I most definately can't take credit for this calculation. I am in a group Eat Train Progress and I found it there. Basically choose a period of time which best represents your average day...(I chose 3 weeks worth of data) and ensure you are accurately logging your intake with a food scale and choosing correct entries...otherwise this doesn't work.
Total calories consumed + (pounds lost x 3500)/# of days chosen
So for me it looked like this
29,642+(3.5 x 3500)/21=1995...
So my maintenance is 1995 calories and I eat TDEE-15% so it works out to be about 1700 calories a day. I keep a spreadsheet as well to track my weekly intake, losses etc and I average 1661 a day since starting TDEE (excluding vacation) and I have lost on average 3/4lb a week....so for me it's pretty spot on.
This calculation needs redone every 10lbs or so...I have yet to see a major change in it tho as I am fairly consistent with my exercise, intake and weight loss.
As a note of interest Scooby puts me at 2267, IIFYM 2077, Mayo clinic at 2100...
Average is 2148 so not far off but 148 extra calories a day would mean 1lb a month gain...12lbs in one year.
Thank you!!0 -
i found i had no good way to get an accurate calorie count,so i do tdee. no math htat way either. i just subtract the cals burned when i log my exercise
here's another approach.
block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.
From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.
Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.0 -
All of you responses have been great!
I appreciate the help.
I have decided to try TDEE for the next month and see how well it works for me. I am a large guy (6'4' 261 lbs), so I want to lose at least 40 lbs. I set up my TDEE and to lose 2 lbs a week, I should eat @ 2750 calories a day. Seems like a huge number, but I am willing to trust the system for this month and see what results I get.
Thanks!0 -
give it at least a month. 6-8 weeks to let the your body adjust to the change. If you're upping the calories, go at it in 100 calorie increment increases.All of you responses have been great!
I appreciate the help.
I have decided to try TDEE for the next month and see how well it works for me. I am a large guy (6'4' 261 lbs), so I want to lose at least 40 lbs. I set up my TDEE and to lose 2 lbs a week, I should eat @ 2750 calories a day. Seems like a huge number, but I am willing to trust the system for this month and see what results I get.
Thanks!0 -
i found i had no good way to get an accurate calorie count,so i do tdee. no math htat way either. i just subtract the cals burned when i log my exercise
here's another approach.
block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.
From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.
Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.
yeah i did several calculators, and i'm losing. but i dont have a hrm, and i the burn counts on mfp are overestimated.... i also do mainly strength training which doesnt really have a "burn" anyway.0 -
I am a very simple going person. I dont' like things that shift too much. So for me...the TDEE is a lot easier for me to do as I don't have to shift my calorie intake up and down. I just eat to 1800 every day...that simple. I log when I work out and how long...but leave the calories burnt at 1.
There is nothing wrong with the way MFP does it. Some people say it over estimates calories burnt, but whenever I would input my exercise it was usually A LOT less than what my HRM would say. So really it just comes down to preference and what works for you.0 -
I prefer TDEE it's so much simpler.
Here is a link you can put into your web browser to learn more about TDEE. This post is no longer available on the message boards because of age but I find she is very helpful on explaining what TDEE really is.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide0 -
.. okay?i found i had no good way to get an accurate calorie count,so i do tdee. no math htat way either. i just subtract the cals burned when i log my exercise
here's another approach.
block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.
From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.
Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.
yeah i did several calculators, and i'm losing. but i dont have a hrm, and i the burn counts on mfp are overestimated.... i also do mainly strength training which doesnt really have a "burn" anyway.
My point still stands. You can figure out your own tdee like that. If you eat x, you're losing y, it's just a math equation. You don't need an hrm or anything like that.0 -
they are 6 of one half a dozen of the other.
The calories given to you by MFP+exercise calories usually come pretty close to TDEE-20%...
It doesn't matter really what you do as long as you are consistent with your choice..
I use TDEE because I lift weights and it is damn near impossible to estimate those burns...so this makes it easier on me...but I did not use an online calculator to get my TDEE...I used my own data...so I know it's correct.
If I wasn't lifting weights I would use the NEAT method and eat back my exercise calories as cardio calories etc are easier to get a read on with HRM etc .
Every time I see one of these posts on TDEE, my head starts to spin. First of all, @Sexyzstef you used your own data instead of a calculator? Have you already posted somewhere on how to do that? Would love to read it.
Secondly, it is SCARY the amount of food TDEE wants me to eat. I know it sounds lame but I am nervous to jump into that much food. I have a sendentary job but work out 5-6 days a week 30-90 minutes depending on how I'm feeling that day. Would that equate to light activity or moderate?
I most definately can't take credit for this calculation. I am in a group Eat Train Progress and I found it there. Basically choose a period of time which best represents your average day...(I chose 3 weeks worth of data) and ensure you are accurately logging your intake with a food scale and choosing correct entries...otherwise this doesn't work.
Total calories consumed + (pounds lost x 3500)/# of days chosen
So for me it looked like this
29,642+(3.5 x 3500)/21=1995...
So my maintenance is 1995 calories and I eat TDEE-15% so it works out to be about 1700 calories a day. I keep a spreadsheet as well to track my weekly intake, losses etc and I average 1661 a day since starting TDEE (excluding vacation) and I have lost on average 3/4lb a week....so for me it's pretty spot on.
This calculation needs redone every 10lbs or so...I have yet to see a major change in it tho as I am fairly consistent with my exercise, intake and weight loss.
As a note of interest Scooby puts me at 2267, IIFYM 2077, Mayo clinic at 2100...
Average is 2148 so not far off but 148 extra calories a day would mean 1lb a month gain...12lbs in one year.
Very interesting! Good to know. May try the TDEE method but if I do I will definitely calculate it this way!0
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