TDEE and cardio

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it tells me to eat 3100 calories because i work out everyday, so i'm currently eating at a 25% deficit which is 2300, i just came back from 1hr+ biking and i've already eaten 2300 calories for today, do i have to eat up the calories that i have burned to make up for the 2300 so i don't lose any muscle, i lost 700 calories by the way.

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  • mbc_clover
    mbc_clover Posts: 3 Member
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    I never track my workouts/training miles. I have my macros planned and calculated to include that I am a very active person. (1/2 marathons, marathon training, and weight lifting) On days I have long runs or extra workouts I up my carbs and make sure to hit my fat and protein. Tracking this way ensures you are getting enough food when you work out without over eating along with the days you take as rest days.

    I happen to use http://kmaecags.com/e-books/ to calculate. The Flexible Dieting book is kinda like iifym but the calculations are ones you make and everything is explained. My running and lifting are so much stronger when my food is on pointe.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
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    TDEE is already calorie fixed with your activity built in and averaged over time. So unless you are changing your activity over an average of time (i.e... you were working out 3 days a week, now you are doing 4 days a week, etc...), then I would just stick with your prescribed deficit. Run that deficit for a few weeks and notate weightloss. If around .5-1% lbs a week average bodyweight for your loss, then you are golden. If more than that, up calories a little and run few more weeks and re-access. If the reverse is true and you aren't losing on average after a few weeks, then drop calories by a little and run a few more weeks. So as you see my usage of weeks and not days, true weight loss and true weight gain are a factor of averages over time. So counting one day of extra exercise or one meal of binging, does not factor too heavily (if much at all) in the overall average.

    Note: If you are fairly lean, then stay closer to the .5% bodyweight loss goal as you don't have a lot of fat to lose from.
  • kat2brigid
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    TDEE is already calorie fixed with your activity built in and averaged over time. So unless you are changing your activity over an average of time (i.e... you were working out 3 days a week, now you are doing 4 days a week, etc...), then I would just stick with your prescribed deficit. Run that deficit for a few weeks and notate weightloss. If around .5-1% lbs a week average bodyweight for your loss, then you are golden. If more than that, up calories a little and run few more weeks and re-access. If the reverse is true and you aren't losing on average after a few weeks, then drop calories by a little and run a few more weeks. So as you see my usage of weeks and not days, true weight loss and true weight gain are a factor of averages over time. So counting one day of extra exercise or one meal of binging, does not factor too heavily (if much at all) in the overall average.

    ^^this was super helpful to me, thanks!
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    As far as I'm aware, you don't 'eat back' when using TDEE but 25% is quite a steep deficit - maybe go a bit easier on yourself and recalculate?
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    i sooo struggle with this.. i try to eat what it says.. and I miss it most days.. I don't eat more then what it says my TDEE - 20% is, but I usually struggle to get over my BMR. It says I need to eat 2320 and my BMR is 1651. I am stuffed most days when I reach my BMR. I exercise and run a lot so I have it set to very active. I eat mostly clean, so it's hard to get it all in. Esp cause i don't like oil or nuts and have to be in the mood for PB.