I'm new and confused, TDEE, Macros, is a foreign language

Where do you get the 2100 figure? Is that MFP or some TDEE site? If you're trying to lose weight, it does seem like a lot for MFP unless you're very tall and active.

I've just checked into TDEE casually, but it seems to me it would be easy to go wrong in the calculations, because it gives a number that needs to be adjusted by subtracting a percentage, and sites don't necessarily do all the steps for you. I suspect that sometimes when people give hugely different numbers for their TDEE and their MFP numbers, they just haven't done all the calculations. My TDEE comes out almost the same as the MFP estimate when I go through all the steps. I'd say just ignore it for a while and go with MFP's number; it's more user friendly

Same with "macros." It means macronutrients, e.g. the nutrients you need most of to live. Some people here get into ratios, etc, but unless you're planning to live mainly on twinkies or kale, I wouldn't worry about it. I see from your profile that you've got kids, and so I assume you're trying to give them a healthy diet, and I bet you're not sitting there nibbling on rice cakes while your family eats a variety of healthy foods ... so you won't be somehow missing out on key nutrients. Again, it's a kind of "advanced" thing and if you get into it later, great, but no need to worry about it now.

Yes, you can enter other numbers (like the ones from your HR monitor). For what I do, at least, I enter the gym numbers rather than MFP's, which IMO are too high. (I've googled to see what makes most sense via a variety of estimates, and for me it's the gym numbers, but it varies by machine, exercise, etc.) Anyway you can just enter that.

Since you're just starting, I'd say start with Weight Loss 101 and just do the logging and tracking via MFP. If you want to do more later, then you'll know when you're ready for all that; but it's not necessary to take the advanced foreign language before the basic grammar LOL

This is what I use to calculate TDEE:

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Basically, TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) combined with whatever energy you use throughout the day, and will vary depending upon your level of activity.

So, put your stats into that, and you'll find a certain number for your TDEE. From there, you would generally substract 15% - 20% depending on how much weight you're trying to lose, and how quickly you're trying to lose it.

You don't want to drop your calories too low, or lose weight too quickly.

ViolaLeeBlueberry wrote: »

Since you're just starting, I'd say start with Weight Loss 101 and just do the logging and tracking via MFP. If you want to do more later, then you'll know when you're ready for all that; but it's not necessary to take the advanced foreign language before the basic grammar LOL

I completely agree. The whole calorie counting thing is foreign enough from the beginning without letting things that you don't really need to worry about yet complicate it even further for you. That way lies frustration.

Plug your information into MFP, don't set a goal loss per week that's too aggressive, weigh and measure as much of your food and drinks as possible and be completely honest with your logging. By the last one I mean, overestimate calories when you aren't completely sure, underestimate calorie burns or don't eat back all of the calories, don't fool yourself by choosing food entries with the lowest calorie amounts.

Definitely use the calories from your HR monitor but be very wary of the fact that you could be double-dipping if your workouts are long. In other words, you'd burn calories just by sitting on the sofa. The calories your HRM is showing at the end of the workout really includes the calories you would have burnt anyway. Say your body burns 2400 calories per day (it's probably less but I'm being lazy with the math) if you lay in bed all day. If you have a one hour Zumba session and then enter the 600 calories it shows into MFP you're double-dipping on the 100 calories you would have burnt anyway that hour. Your actual calories earned from exercise is 500 calories, not 600. If you worked out like that 5 days per week that's 500 extra calories you ate during the week.

julestar777 wrote: »

Okay so i just did the TDEE calculator and it said around 2400 calories per day, so then i take 20% off that?? So that is still around 2000. But am i right to assume this includes my exercise so i wouldn't add that on??

Providing you selected the right activity level, you would take up to 20% off of that number and yes your exercise is already taken into account.

julestar777 wrote: »

Happy to go with what MFP gives me, but the 2100 calls just seem high and then i assume i don't add on exercise points with that?? I just want a good total aim for and still achieve my goals.

With MFP, your supposed to eat your exercise calories back. Again however, this is providing you picked the correct non-exercise activity level. And if you use MFP estimates or Machine estimates then you only want to eat about 50-75% of the calories, because both tend to overestimate a bit.

julestar777 wrote: »

I weigh 90kgs and and 179cm so even for my build i think it's a bit too much to be loosing weight. I am fairly active in my work and train about 4-5 times a week.

So this morning i did a 45 min workout and burned 900 cals, so does this mean I eat way over 2000?? I was thinking of maintaining around 1500 calories. I will look at all the links you sent me. Thanks for taking the time to respond

I'm roughly 164cm (5'4.5") and weighed in this morning at about 76.5kgs (168.4lbs). My average calorie intake from 10/11 to 11/10 was 1892 per day. I lost 6.2lbs in that time. This gives me an approx TDEE of 2630. I workout approx 6hrs a week and the highest burn I ever log from a workout is right around 400 calories (80% of the calories reported from my HRM). I'm a stay at home mom and probably border line Sedentary/lightly active without factoring in exercise.

Seeing that you are taller/weigh more than me, have a fairly active job, and workout 4-5 days a week, 2000 doesn't sound at all unreasonable (providing there are no medical issues that effect your metabolism like PCOS or hypothyroidism).