TDEE calories recommended vs MFP's calorie - HELP !

MFP uses the NEAT measure, which means that its recommended calories assume no exercise. If you exercise, you can (some say should) add exercise calories to the base MFP recommendation. TDEE includes (assumed) exercise in its number. If you have the same weight loss goals and are honest and realistic about your exercise calories, TDEE and NEAT should be essentially the same after you make appropriate exercise adjustments.

cioube wrote: »

To Ana3067 :
I don't quite get the difference between BMR and NEAT now ..

BMR = the calories you burn just being alive. In addition to those calories, you burn calories: (1) in non-exercise activities (brushing your teeth, walking to your car, etc...); (2) digesting food; and (3) exercise. NEAT includes 1 & 2, but not 3. TDEE includes all 3.

cioube wrote: »

To Ana3067 :
Ok, I think I get it. So ... MFP is giving me a number that doesn't include my workout calories. I thought that you weren't meant to eat back your exercise calories when you're trying to lose weight. So I haven't been. When I was on 1580kcals/day I didn't eat back my exercise calories and lost weight weekly (I've been on MFP for 45 days).

So if I understand correctly, TDEE is an indicator that includes what it assumes are my workout calories (ie apparently about 1000kcals which is way above) and BMR is what I should be getting daily without workouts ?

I like to not include my workout calories in my daily target as I don't want to eat them back.

I don't quite get the difference between BMR and NEAT now ..

I'm not fussed about how much I lose, so long as it's going off that's great. I have messed about with MFP and got the goal up to 1530kcals, so I'll see if that works out better, which it should.

Now I'm just trying to understand, it's interesting, and confusing

Thanks for your time !!

No, because BMR does not include NEAT or exercise. If you just eat your BMR, it's not enough to fuel your activity - you'll be tired, your workouts will suck. Eat a little less than your TDEE.

All that aside, there's no need to overcomplicate it. There's no magical right amount for weight loss. Done right TDEE and MFP method should be about the same number if your goal that you tell it is the same, but as you move calories up and down all that will change is that you will lose more or less and have a more sustainable or less diet and, especially if close to goal too low can risk losing more muscle. I'd say if 1580 was working, why change it. As you lose your maintenance calories will go down so if your activity stays the same you might need to lower it, but that might not be for a while.

20% below TDEE easily could be under BMR. It's good not too have too aggressive a deficit, but the idea that BMR is some significant limit is a myth.

People who use the TDEE method log one minute for their exercise, just to keep track. You can add other information (actual calories burned, etc) in the Fitness Notes section (or the Food Notes section if that's easier to scan on your screen or whatever when you're counting things up).

It's not a bad idea to include in your notes things like your energy, mood, and hunger levels, as well - this gives you information you can use to make changes to your meal plans (macros), or absolute intake numbers.

Yes, try that and see. Sounds reasonable.

I do the log one calorie thing since I like putting my exercise in my diary.

You are supposed to eat back exercise calories with MFP - that's how their system works. The deficit is built in to the figure they give you before you add your exercise calories. (The reason for not eating back all the calories is that some people feel MFP's exercise calories are a little overestimated. I think, just be careful - if you go to an hour's exercise class, you might spend some of that time listening to instructions, or getting out equipment, etc., so don't necessarily log it as a full hour).

With the TDEE method, you're averaging out your exercise calories over the week and subract a figure from the total, so you eat the same calories every day (and don't eat back exercise calories because you've already included them). I think most people go for a deficit of about 20% (maybe more if you've a lot to lose, and less if you don't have much to lose). (Without exercise, the TDEE - 20% method would take you below your BMR too).

MFP doesn't use percentages, but just subtracts an amount according to how fast you set it to lose. For instance, if you enter 1lb a week loss, it will subtract 500 calories (from your BMR + NEAT i.e. what you burn before exercise). So if you do 700 calories worth of exercise and eat the calories back, then you will still have a 500 calorie deficit. If you don't eat them back, then you'll have a 1200 calorie deficit and will be eating to little. MFP usually recommends a 1lb a week weight loss (500 calories). It won't let you go under 1200 calories, though.

If you don't want such an aggressive deficit with MFP, but like the system (eating back exercise calories day to day, rather than eating the same amount every day), you can just set it for a smaller deficit (half a pound, or a pound).

I'm a bit confused by your figures (I'm not clear what your TDEE is), but I hope this helps! I found it very confusing to start with. Good luck!

Just to clarify - your workouts/exercise should make no difference to the activity settings on MFP (sedentary, etc.). Those settings are just for your normal daily activity without exercise (NEAT), to allow for some people having more active jobs, etc. If you have an active job/life (e.g. waitressing), I'd set it to active, but if you drive to work in an office job, for instance, I'd set it to sedentary. (This is different to the usual TDEE activity "settings" which do include your exercise.). Otherwise you're adding in the exercise twice! (Although not quite, because MFP doesn't add a huge amount of calories for you being active at work).

In your case it doesn't really matter as you'll still have quite a big deficit, but I just thought I'd mention it in case you wondered why you weren't losing at the rate it says (if you have a sedentary job).

Have fun eating a bit more . If you're really struggling to eat more, I think denser foods like nuts and nut butters might be helpful.

Actually since you're mostly being told to eat back the exercise calories and you don't wanna, you probably should keep the "Active" since it'll effectively bump up your daily calories :bigsmile:

Keep in mind that your personal experience is more valuable than a formula. If you were losing weight at the old target keep it and maybe adjust by 100 cal either way.

cioube wrote: »

JaneiR36 wrote: »

Weight loss is not linear - if you're in a deficit it'll eventually come off of you. A lot of times people say they're not losing and it's been only two weeks. That's not enough time to draw that conclusion - need more like six to eight weeks. 1300 calories may not be enough to properly nourish you, but if you're eating that little you should be losing weight. If you haven't yet, I would read the forum stickies and just double check things with your food logging. You could be consuming way more calories than you think

Your last explanation is still double counting - with MFP "active" indicates how you do outside of exercise. For example are you delivering mail all day or working restocking shelves, etc. Then you enter exercise calories separately. My MFP activity level is set to sedentary - though I exercise with as much intensity as I can when I do, outside of exercise I work a desk job and generally sit or lay on my bum all day

Thanks for that. In that case, if I put sedentary job, MFP only gives me 1200kcals for the day. Which is way under any other calculations I've done (be it BMR, TDEE, or what have you). If I add my exercise calories to that, I'll end up with just under 1700kcals which is what my actual BMR is on the other calculators. That's where I get confused. MFP seems to give a way lower estimation than any other calculator.

I fully agree that this is not a race. I've been on and off various healthy meal plans for a few years and this time I'd like to get it right. Through my previous meal plans I've learnt what's healthy, what's not, what brings you this that and the other. I've also learnt how to exercise properly,etc. Now I've established all that, I'd like to eat the right amount.

I was indeed losing weight on 1580kcals when that's what MFP gave me. I did not eat back exercise calories. So that was under eating !!!
Why such a change in MFP's calculation : My work was far more intensive back then as I work in a theatre, go on tour, etc. I had set it to moderately active. Now that are shows are finished I mostly spend my time at the office so that would be considered sendentary.

So it's either I use MFP on sedentary which gives me 1200kcals and +whatever exercise calories to eat back as well on workout days.
OR 1580kcals using MFP on active which gives me 1620kcals + whatever exercise calories to eat back on exercise days.
OR I eat 1990kcals any day as that's my TDEE -20% and don't eat back my exercise calories as they're already integrated.

The closest in value are the two last Options. Do you understand why this is pretty confusing ? I feel starved on 1200kcals ...

You've got so many good reasons to not eat 1200 calories. Don't do it. There. Option eliminated

To see the magic of realistic numbers using MFP and sedentary activity level, change your lbs lost per week from I'm guessing 2 lbs to more like 1. Tada! More calories! If you're getting 1200 from MFP, you've "bottomed out" as far as how low you can go. MFP simply won't give you less than that. Take my account for instance, I'm given 1470 cals to lose 1/2 lb per week. To lose 1 lb per week I'd need 250 cals per day less than that = 1220. If I set the account for 1.5 lbs or 2 lbs per week, MFP gives me 1200. No, I won't lose 2 lbs per week eating 1200 calories but that's the lowest the tool allows