To Track Exercise Calories or to Not Track... That's the Question

That depends. MFP is set up so that you are supposed to.
If you have a large deficit, or are extremely active or both it's a really, really smart idea to do it.
If you are less active, it's probably not as big of a deal.

I've always factored mine in, even with a modest deficit. I was successful (had a baby so that is why I am back to the weight loss game). I'm a big believe in eating as much as you can while still losing weight. Performance is also important to me as well as body composition. So for all those reasons I choose modest deficit and account for exercise.

Some people also use the TDEE method so they don't log their exercise here but the TDEE method accounts for exercise anyway.

To me, if you are a lifter and pretty consistent then the TDEE method is better. If you are a cardio bunny and sporadic with your workouts, the NEAT method is better.

Hornsby wrote: »

To me, if you are a lifter and pretty consistent then the TDEE method is better. If you are a cardio bunny and sporadic with your workouts, the NEAT method is better.

What if I am a lifter, sporadic (some days are very big burns) and a cardio bunny?
I've done both, which is better for me depends on where I am in my training.

jelgey wrote: »

Could someone explain the difference between the TDEE and NEAT method please? Total newbie here

TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It takes your BMR (Basal metabolic rate, the amount your body needs just to survive if you didn't move all day), figures how active you are during the day including everything from brushing your teeth, walking to the car, your job and how often you plan to exercise. Once you figure this number, you create a deficit from that. It is an average so you eat the same every day even though some days you are more active.

NEAT is Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis is how MFP is set up. It figures your BMR and your daily active, not including exercise. So you take this number and create a deficit from that. On the days you exercise, you log the extra calories burned through exercise and eat those so you maintain the same deficit.
So if your NEAT is 2000 and you aim to lose a lb a week, your calorie goal would be 1500. IF you exercise and burn 500 calories, you eat the 1500 plus the 500 for a total of 2000. On that day, your NEAT would have been 2000, plus the 500, for a total of 2500, so you maintain the 500 calorie deficit.
1501.
As the poster above noted, it is good for people who don't consistently exercise. I also find it useful when I am doing big workouts, ie long runs, on some days and not others.

If figured properly, both take you to the same spot. You'll find that averaged over the week, both end up in the same place. TDEE just averages your exercise over the week, NEAT doesn't.