What would you do? (logging/eating back exercise)

ichigomaybridge
ichigomaybridge Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Wondering whether I'm doing this 'right'?

I've got my daily target set to my BMR (1378) which is very nearly the same as TDEE-20% (~1400).
I aim for between those figures and not more than TDEE.
I've only got about 15lb to lose so I'm happy if it goes slowly. (I tried closer to 1200 and I got grumpy and started to obsess so I put it up a bit - it seems to be going better).

However... should I then log exercise and/or eat back the calories or do I take that as 'bonus' weightloss and just keep the gross daily calories within the target range? (So far, I've only logged when I've done something outside the ordinary, like a really long walk).

Help/advice would be lovely.

TIA. :)

Replies

  • motivatedmartha
    motivatedmartha Posts: 1,108 Member
    No expert here - but I thought that if you calculated your TDEE that included your normal level of activity inclusive of exercise and therefore you didn't eat back your exercise calories. Could be wrong - often am! I am sure someone wiser than I can advise.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    No expert here - but I thought that if you calculated your TDEE that included your normal level of activity inclusive of exercise and therefore you didn't eat back your exercise calories. Could be wrong - often am! I am sure someone wiser than I can advise.

    You are correct. TDEE adds the exercise calories beforehand. MFP adds them afterwards.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    My understanding is that TDEE already accounts for your exercise. so unless you're going above & beyond what you based the TDEE on you should be set.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    eat enough to ensure your Net is above 1200.

    With such a low goal and TDEE (wondering where those numbers come from actually) you just have to make sure you are eating enough to fuel your next workout.
  • DianaGabriela2013
    DianaGabriela2013 Posts: 108 Member
    What I don't understand about this TDEE method is, if you include your excericise so that it gives you a number of calories to eat a day, but you only excercise 4 times a week. What about the other 3 days? Are you eating too much because you are not doing the level of activity you said you would? Or is this more like an averaged out for the week total?
  • Nice2BFitAgain
    Nice2BFitAgain Posts: 319 Member
    Are you sure your TDEE is correct? I have a BMR of 1368 and my TDEE is 2120; 1400 seems really low if your BMR is 1368. Did you put sedentary, as in you sit on a couch ALL day as your activity level?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    What I don't understand about this TDEE method is, if you include your excericise so that it gives you a number of calories to eat a day, but you only excercise 4 times a week. What about the other 3 days? Are you eating too much because you are not doing the level of activity you said you would? Or is this more like an averaged out for the week total?

    TDEE averages things out. You get 1 number for all 7 days. MFP gives you an up/down kind of thing (depending on workouts) which can be a pain.
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    Are you sure your TDEE is correct? I have a BMR of 1368 and my TDEE is 2120; 1400 seems really low if your BMR is 1368. Did you put sedentary, as in you sit on a couch ALL day as your activity level?

    Agree with this poster. I think you did not calculate your TDEE correctly. BMR is what it takes to run your body if you were laying in bed all day and night. TDEE is what it would take to run your body all day including all activity and exercise. My BMR is between 1700 and 1800 and my TDEE before the -20% is around 2600. Granted I am male, but my point is there should be a big difference between BMR and TDEE even if it is TDEE -20% there should be a bigger difference.
  • DianaGabriela2013
    DianaGabriela2013 Posts: 108 Member
    Thanks TeaBea, I guess I like the MFP better for me, because although I say I will excercise 5 days a week, its not sure to happen. So.. if it does, i inlcude it, if not I don't.
  • ichigomaybridge
    ichigomaybridge Posts: 22 Member
    Thanks for the replies...

    No, that's my TDEE-20%. My actual TDEE is 1883. (I'm only 5'3")

    I set my activity level to Lightly Active as, since I can't drive, I walk to work and to other activities during the week. So at least a mile or two each day. However, occasionally, I do quite a bit more. For example, today I walked into town for some shopping, adding an extra 60 minutes or more moderate-paced walking.

    So, to try to rephrase my question - On the 'much more exercise than usual' days, would you log the extra under exercise?
  • allotmentgardener
    allotmentgardener Posts: 248 Member
    Log anything you do that is above normal daily routine as exercise. Thats what I do and its working fine :)
  • ichigomaybridge
    ichigomaybridge Posts: 22 Member
    Thanks, that's what made sense to me but I just wanted to check I'd got the idea right.

    Thankee!!

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