TDEE Questions....

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Limath
Limath Posts: 89 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been tracking regularly for about 8 weeks now. I've been trying to stay around 1200-1300 calories in addition to about half of the calories that I earn exercising(consuming approximately 1400-1600 calories total most days, I'm not too trusting on the exercise calorie counts given by MFP, which is why I've tried to stick to about half). I've been averaging about 1 lb/week weight loss - not linear, but average over the 8 weeks.

I went and researched to understand what all the TDEE talk was about, since the lady lifters on here with the bodies that I would like to get to seem to follow this. :) Here my main question...

Since the calculation already figures in the amount of exercise per week, it seems to me that I should not include extra exercise calories in my daily diary. Is this correct?

My TDEE calculation was 1949 including exercise 4X/week. I typically workout 5X/week, alternating between cardio & lifting for an hour, but I have a very sedentary desk job 40 hours/week, so I wanted to compensate.

I'm considering trying this and seeing how it goes, even though I'm a little hesitant, since I've been seeing results already, and it really hasn't been that difficult. I just want to make sure I'm doing it right.

Thanks!

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    That's right - don't add in your exercise calories. Just eat the same every day. If you like to log the exercise to track it just add it in as 1-2 calories.
  • Limath
    Limath Posts: 89 Member
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    Thank you! I think I'm going to change my settings to -20% (just saw that on another post).
  • heaven_511
    heaven_511 Posts: 315 Member
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    Have you checked out EM2WL.com. That's Eat More to Weigh Less...they also have an MFP group. The ladies there are great and can answer a lot of your questions. I too am researching lifting and increasing my calorie intake. It's more than a little scary to me, but looking at the ladies that follow the plan...it gets results.
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
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    If you set your daily goal based on TDEE calculations minus a deficit then you do not eat back any of your daily exercise calories. Many people log the exercise and time and then enter 1 calorie so their macros aren't affected. I go ahead and log the exercise calories based on my HRM or other method of measuring and then don't eat any of those calories back. I like to see how many calories I'm burning exercising. I know what my macro goals are, so I don't mind the fact that MFP adjusts them based on my exercise calories. I just stick with the basic macro goals it showed at the beginning of the day.

    If you are accurate in your measurements the MFP NEAT + exercise (or a % of exercise) should be about the same as TDEE - deficit over the course of a week if you are aiming for the same weight loss goal with each method. I prefer TDEE because I like to have the same calorie goal each day. I find it easier to plan rather than have a large change in calories based on my exercise. I have lost weight equally well using both methods.
  • Limath
    Limath Posts: 89 Member
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    I also really like the idea of one higher number every day as opposed to what I've been doing. The one thing that's a little frustrating is that every calculator I've used comes up with a different number, with a range of about 300 calories. That's a pretty big range, so I'm not sure which number to trust. I started with the lowest, just to be safe.

    I will check out the eat more to lose weight site. Thanks!

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