Do you eat back you exercise calories TDEE method ?

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xXBabyBelleXx
xXBabyBelleXx Posts: 110 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

This may be a silly question, but please could someone tell me if they eat back their calories from exercise when using the TDEE method? I'm quite active running three times a week, dogs walks and basic weight training - currently i'm trying to aim to eat between 1,500-1,600 calories a day. I'm 5'6 and 36 years old female.

Please be kind...LOL

Thanks :-)

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Short answer is no because you are supposed to incorporate exercise in your TDEE calculation.
  • cantobean
    cantobean Posts: 287 Member
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    Actually, I'm really not sure.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    If you're using the TDEE method correctly (1500-1600 sounds a little low, but I'll take your word for it), then no, you don't eat back exercise calories. Make sure you're using the correct activity level when you calculate your TDEE and it'll already be accounted for in your goal.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Yes! Definitely. I just make sure I don't count the calories twice.

    Is your TDEE setting at active? I think of that as someone who has a very active job, i.e. is on their feet moving 8 hours a day.

    I'm a teacher and I rarely sit down, but I'm also not walking very far or moving very fast, so my TDEE "lifestyle" setting is lightly active, I think.

    Then, when I exercise, that is EXTRA activity, beyond my general activity level, so I log it and eat back the calories (or some of them).

    Does that make sense? Basically, your TDEE activity level should reflect what you spend most hours of the day doing, and then any exercise you do on top of that you should log and eat back the calories.

    TDEE methods include all activity, lifestyle and exercise, into the initial calculation. So if you are lightly active and exercise 3 days a week, you would be at the active/very active multiplier (1.55 or 1.75) based off your projected TDEE. At which you would NOT eat back exercise calories. MFP does the eat back exercise calories, TDEE you do not.
  • cantobean
    cantobean Posts: 287 Member
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    Yes! Definitely. I just make sure I don't count the calories twice.

    Is your TDEE setting at active? I think of that as someone who has a very active job, i.e. is on their feet moving 8 hours a day.

    I'm a teacher and I rarely sit down, but I'm also not walking very far or moving very fast, so my TDEE "lifestyle" setting is lightly active, I think.

    Then, when I exercise, that is EXTRA activity, beyond my general activity level, so I log it and eat back the calories (or some of them).

    Does that make sense? Basically, your TDEE activity level should reflect what you spend most hours of the day doing, and then any exercise you do on top of that you should log and eat back the calories.

    TDEE methods include all activity, lifestyle and exercise, into the initial calculation. So if you are lightly active and exercise 3 days a week, you would be at the active/very active multiplier (1.55 or 1.75) based off your projected TDEE. At which you would NOT eat back exercise calories. MFP does the eat back exercise calories, TDEE you do not.


    Thanks for the clarification. I realized that after I posted. Oops!
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    I configure my TDEE as sedentary and eat back my calories (I'm in "maintenance mode"). The calories I burn every week are all over the place, I couldn't logically build in a meaningful number into my TDEE, so it makes more sense to account for calories burned and then allow myself to eat the additional calories.
  • xXBabyBelleXx
    xXBabyBelleXx Posts: 110 Member
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    Hi,

    Thank you for your replies, I set my TDEE to lightly activate as I have a desk job during the day, but I think I will re-calculate to maybe the next level up.

    I'm slightly nervous of food and gaining back weight, so I try to under estimate but nowadays I want to reward my body with healthy foods after a work-out.

    Thanks for your advice! :-)
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
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    You can calculate your TDEE, and match the activity level using the below site which makes things easier to understand:

    http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
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    When calculating your TDEE it should include your excercise. Therefore, you don't eat them back. You may want to double check your figures - that calorie goal seems a bit low with all that exercise.

    Good luck!
  • xXBabyBelleXx
    xXBabyBelleXx Posts: 110 Member
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    You can calculate your TDEE, and match the activity level using the below site which makes things easier to understand:

    http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee

    Thanks for the link, I will check it out :-)
  • GallifreyanGirl396
    GallifreyanGirl396 Posts: 76 Member
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    Yes! Definitely. I just make sure I don't count the calories twice.

    Is your TDEE setting at active? I think of that as someone who has a very active job, i.e. is on their feet moving 8 hours a day.

    I'm a teacher and I rarely sit down, but I'm also not walking very far or moving very fast, so my TDEE "lifestyle" setting is lightly active, I think.

    Then, when I exercise, that is EXTRA activity, beyond my general activity level, so I log it and eat back the calories (or some of them).

    Does that make sense? Basically, your TDEE activity level should reflect what you spend most hours of the day doing, and then any exercise you do on top of that you should log and eat back the calories.

    TDEE methods include all activity, lifestyle and exercise, into the initial calculation. So if you are lightly active and exercise 3 days a week, you would be at the active/very active multiplier (1.55 or 1.75) based off your projected TDEE. At which you would NOT eat back exercise calories. MFP does the eat back exercise calories, TDEE you do not.


    Thanks for the clarification. I realized that after I posted. Oops!

    Thanks from me too! I'm set to light activity, for work, then log anything extra I do: gym, kayak, skate, et cetera. :blushing: I've been going about it incorrectly!
  • xXBabyBelleXx
    xXBabyBelleXx Posts: 110 Member
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    You can calculate your TDEE, and match the activity level using the below site which makes things easier to understand:

    http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee

    Thanks for the link, I will check it out :-)


    Just wanted to say thanks for the link again, its exactly what I have been looking for and I have been under eating! No wonder I feel so hungry after exercising! My TDEE should be about 1836 !
  • darlincali
    darlincali Posts: 11 Member
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    I eat back some of my calories but not all of them. If I didn't I would be starving. I normally eat between 1500-1600 calories a day, sometimes more depending on how many calories I burned during my workouts. MFP suggested I eat 1200 to lose weight, but for someone as active as me that is unrealistic. You can take a look at my food diary if you add me as a friend. FYI, I am still losing weight even on the day I ate 3 slices of pizza (in addition to all of my other food for the day).
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    You can calculate your TDEE, and match the activity level using the below site which makes things easier to understand:

    http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee

    Thanks for the link, I will check it out :-)


    Just wanted to say thanks for the link again, its exactly what I have been looking for and I have been under eating! No wonder I feel so hungry after exercising! My TDEE should be about 1836 !

    Is that before you exercise? That seems low if you are exercising on top of being lightly active.
  • xXBabyBelleXx
    xXBabyBelleXx Posts: 110 Member
    Options
    You can calculate your TDEE, and match the activity level using the below site which makes things easier to understand:

    http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee

    Thanks for the link, I will check it out :-)


    Just wanted to say thanks for the link again, its exactly what I have been looking for and I have been under eating! No wonder I feel so hungry after exercising! My TDEE should be about 1836 !

    Is that before you exercise? That seems low if you are exercising on top of being lightly active.

    That's if you general exercise twice and run three times a week but have a sedentary job.I also still want to lose a stone, so it's deducted so calories to account for that. Probably because of this, it seems lower. :-)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Ok, then that isn't your TDEE, that's your calorie goal based on your TDEE estimates. TDEE = maintenance calories. But 1800 is normal for most women I know that are working to lose weight.
  • xXBabyBelleXx
    xXBabyBelleXx Posts: 110 Member
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    Ok, then that isn't your TDEE, that's your calorie goal based on your TDEE estimates. TDEE = maintenance calories. But 1800 is normal for most women I know that are working to lose weight.

    Ah, Ok that's cool - thanks for clearing that up. :-)

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