TDEE

Hey everyone.

I'm currently using the TDEE method instead of MFP's method, and I had a question. I know TDEE takes into account the amount of workouts per week when calculating your deficit. But is the calorie count it provides only for the days on which you work out? For example, it gave me ~1700 calories. Do I only eat that much on days I work out, or is it at enough of a deficit that it's okay to eat that all 7 days of the week?

Replies

  • ingasmile2
    ingasmile2 Posts: 43 Member
    My understanding is that you eat that amount every day. It averages out the workouts vs calories for 7 days and that is the number you are supposed to eat every day.

    Inga
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    TDEE method averages your caloric goals over the week. So, whatever number you get (for you, the 1700) is what you eat every day, regardless of whether it's workout day or rest day. I use this method, too, and I like it for consistency in planning my food every day.

    The only caveat is that you must remember to do whatever level of exercise you planned to generate that TDEE number. But other than that, the method works very well.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
    The short answer is that you eat that goal everyday.

    Ideally, whatever modifier that's used to calculate activity level would take the number of workouts you do in a week into account in some way.

    If you find that after several weeks (4+) of consistent (and accurate) logging and exercise that you're not losing weight, you may wish to make slight adjustments to your calorie goal.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    With TDEE, you're not so much in the minutia of day to day...it's all averaged out over the course of the week...so you'll have bigger deficits on some days and less of a deficit or even maintenance on other days. In the end it should net out to your desired rate of loss over the week.

    Beyond that, it's all an estimate and you have to make adjustments as per your real world results. In my experience, both MFP and TDEE are pretty much 6 of 1 if you're doing them right. I gross roughly the same calories with either approach give or take.