Sedentary plus exercise vs. TDEE/BMR - what do you do?

Deena_Bean
Deena_Bean Posts: 906 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been going along with my calories set at a specific amount and eating back 80% of exercise calories. I see some friends who list exercise calories at 1 per workout using TDEE/BMR calculations. What's your preference and why? I chose the method I currently do because my workouts were not consistent enough to pin down how much working out I did per week. Now I've been working out consistently for 6 weeks and I am inclined to say 5-7 hours of moderate exercise a week...but I'm too scared to jump into the 'burned 1 calorie' method. Does it even matter which way? I went to scooby again today to check myself - if I put 3-5 moderate hours of exercise it says 1836/day to eat. If I put in 5-6 strenuous it says eat 2107 (these are based on a 20% fat loss goal). The past 7 days averaged about 57 min/day (even though one day I did nothing). My average calorie intake for the last 30 days is 1738/day. I'm doing Strong Lifts and running (opposite days), so I know my body is probably also changing a lot and retaining some water in the muscles - so I haven't really lost much in the last month.
Just curious...pondering and whatnot.

CW: approx 175
Height: 5' 7.5"
Female
Age: 36

Replies

  • katya_be
    katya_be Posts: 227 Member
    This is something I've been curious about as well!
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    I do "lightly active" plus exercise. I don't think my lifestyle is actually lightly active, but it was the only way I could finagle MFP to give me more than 1200 kcal baseline (I am too lazy to set it manually).

    Why this method?

    I have a history of compulsive exercise (exercise bulimia). With workouts already accounted for in my TDEE, the pressure to do them No Matter What--and, worse--to "beat the system" by working out just a little longer, just a little harder, squeeze in an extra go-round in the evening--would get unhealthy for me, very quickly. Most people don't have that baggage, though.

    Since I don't weigh food or log every single ounce of every single condiment or diet soda/gum, my attempt to eat back 60-75% of exercise calories probably ends up more like eating back all of them. It's working fine for me.
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
    Sedentary plus exercise. It just seems right for me. Some days I exercise a lot, other days not at all. I don't want to have to try to figure out an average.

    I don't eat back all the calories anyway, not on purpose. Sometimes I slip up, though.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you are doing them correctly and comparing apples to apples loss rate goals, the two methods are 6 of 1...they're just two different ways of arriving at the same thing. The only difference between the two methods is where you account for your exercise.

    Where people go wrong with either method is selecting an inappropriate activity level...for example, with MFP everyone seems to pick sedentary whether they're truly sedentary before exercise or not...even with a desk job and without deliberate exercise, I'm not sedentary. Conversely, people look at a TDEE calculator and simply look at the number of hours they workout and pick "strenuous" or whatever...most people don't put in enough work to have an activity level that is "strenuous", even though the hours might add up...you have to look at intensity as well.

    Most people who exercise regularly are going to be somewhere between light and moderately active on a TDEE calculator...if they're someone who actively trains for events and what not, they may be somewhere between moderate and strenuous...the only people I know who are actually strenuous or "very active" are actual athletes.

    If I compare my MFP goals to TDEE I get:

    MFP: net 1800 to lose 1 Lb per week plus exercise I"m looking at around 2,200 calories.

    TDEE: 2,800ish - 20% = 2,240.

    The difference between the two methods is a mere 40 calories.

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited March 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • Deena_Bean
    Deena_Bean Posts: 906 Member
    @cwolfman13‌

    I just went back to MFP and plugged in "Lightly Active" with a desire to lose 1 lb per week (planning to exercise 6 days for 45 min.). It came back with 1640 calories/day to consume.

    Then I hopped my self back over to Scooby's place and plugged in light exercise (seems fair). My TDEE came out as 2339 and 1871 calories/day to consume. (20% fat loss goal)

    If I understand you correctly, option one (MFP), I would eat back calories I burn with exercise? Which generally ranges in 200-350 calories. Or do I not eat back the calories because I selected lightly active? If I eat them back then Scooby and MFP are indeed quite close...and it took me typing this post to have the revelation lol. And also, my calories seem to be quite low being set at 1400 currently. Sigh. Brain pain.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 698 Member
    Deena_Bean wrote: »
    @cwolfman13‌

    I just went back to MFP and plugged in "Lightly Active" with a desire to lose 1 lb per week (planning to exercise 6 days for 45 min.). It came back with 1640 calories/day to consume.

    Then I hopped my self back over to Scooby's place and plugged in light exercise (seems fair). My TDEE came out as 2339 and 1871 calories/day to consume. (20% fat loss goal)

    If I understand you correctly, option one (MFP), I would eat back calories I burn with exercise? Which generally ranges in 200-350 calories. Or do I not eat back the calories because I selected lightly active? If I eat them back then Scooby and MFP are indeed quite close...and it took me typing this post to have the revelation lol. And also, my calories seem to be quite low being set at 1400 currently. Sigh. Brain pain.

    Yes, using MFP you eat back exercise calories. You select your activity level based on your job and home life, which does not include exercise. The TDEE method gives you more to consume because it does include exercise.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Deena_Bean wrote: »
    @cwolfman13‌

    I just went back to MFP and plugged in "Lightly Active" with a desire to lose 1 lb per week (planning to exercise 6 days for 45 min.). It came back with 1640 calories/day to consume.

    Then I hopped my self back over to Scooby's place and plugged in light exercise (seems fair). My TDEE came out as 2339 and 1871 calories/day to consume. (20% fat loss goal)

    If I understand you correctly, option one (MFP), I would eat back calories I burn with exercise? Which generally ranges in 200-350 calories. Or do I not eat back the calories because I selected lightly active? If I eat them back then Scooby and MFP are indeed quite close...and it took me typing this post to have the revelation lol. And also, my calories seem to be quite low being set at 1400 currently. Sigh. Brain pain.

    If you play around with MFP you will find that your exercise goals have ZERO bearing on your calorie goals...they are just for you. If you ate 1640 + exercise it would be pretty close....with the difference being that with TDEE you are going to eat the same amount every day and in the end it should all net out...whereas with MFP you would have higher and lower calorie days.

    If you select "light active" with MFP, that should be your activity before exercise. A lot of people pick sedentary simply because its says "desk job" or because they're afraid to pick anything else...I have a desk job and I'm still light active without any exercise whatsoever. I walk around my office and talk to people...I take the stairs...when I get home I'm cooking and cleaning and fixing stuff, etc. Your mileage will vary.

    Keep in mind also that none of these calculators are gospel...these calculators are meant to be good starting points...nobody has a TDEE of exactly XXXX calories. They provide you with a good place to start and then you watch the trends over the course of 3-4 weeks and make adjustments as necessary.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I prefer the MFP method of eating back my exercise calories. It's just preference. My exercise schedule can be sporadic and this way I don't get myself in trouble by accounting for exercise that I don't do. And I like to "earn" beer and pizza after bike rides.

    But yes, as wolfman mentioned, I think I have it set as highly active in order for it to come close to my real pre-exercise calorie needs (as estimated from trail and error and use of a BMF). Sedentary would be way to low for me.
  • Deena_Bean
    Deena_Bean Posts: 906 Member
    Well, I'm certainly not sedentary --- I'm guessing most people who have a home and children and are mobile, are not sedentary. I did have it set at sedentary, though, for the reasons you mentioned. I see what you mean - that if you are realistic with your settings, then the 2 avenues become the same (or super close). Just one is less tedious in terms of tracking. I'm still drawn to eating back my calories for the simple reason that if I miss any workouts I don't end up overeating. Probably just a mental issue, but thanks everyone for helping me see the light!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I've used TDEE since month 3 here. I didn't use a site to get it tho, there is a calculation that is more accurate.

    TDEE can be daunting and if your exercise isn't consistent than it's not for you.

    For me it changes depending on the season. Winter time it's 2000 I lift only...no walking, biking, swimming...yes I could do HIIT from Fitness blender but to be frank I don't want to.

    Summer time it is usually 2400 with all the walking/biking/swimming I do.

    But I still won't use NEAT method (which is what MFP is btw) as the estimations for exercise is off esp for weight lifting.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    I just switched to sedentary + exercise calories after almost 2 years on TDEE-20%. My activity level has been drastically reduced because of the winter, yet I was still eating the same. I felt it was allowing me to be lazy, so I decided to drop my calories and earn more calories when I actually do the work.
  • Deena_Bean
    Deena_Bean Posts: 906 Member
    @SezxyStef‌ - Can you explain NEAT? I just used the MFP thing to calculate my calories. As I said above, it dropped me in at 1640. I don't use the MFP exercise calculator, though, I use my HRM (and record 80% of the calories it says).
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    Deena_Bean wrote: »
    @SezxyStef‌ - Can you explain NEAT? I just used the MFP thing to calculate my calories. As I said above, it dropped me in at 1640. I don't use the MFP exercise calculator, though, I use my HRM (and record 80% of the calories it says).

    NEAT is calories burned in daily activities like cleaning your house, playing drums, walking around the kitchen while cooking, etc. (There are entries in MFP's exercise database for all of these). Basically the things that are accounted for in "sedentary" or "lightly active" calorie targets already. Just don't log lifestyle stuff like this as exercise and you'll be fine.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited March 2015
    I kind of worked backwards from what I can actually live with from a "how do I feel on this much food for my activity" POV. I feel decent eating 1800-1900. The TDEE calculator gives me 2100 or 2000 for maintenance, but I've been eating 2200-2300 and seeing no weight change at my current activity level, so I think that's my real maintenance number.

    MFP's calculator would have me netting 1500ish to lose 0.5 lbs a week. I can't always get the 300 calorie burn I'd need to make that endurable from a diet POV. There's no way I could just eat 1500 on sedentary days. Same for TDEE (which according to the calculators would have me at 1750ish for that rate of loss, similar really).

    So I sort of split it down the middle and have just reset it to net 1600. (I've been tracking for a while but not really making cuts until like this week.) I can burn 250, usually, so I can get close to that. I've yet to have had a sedentary day since I set this, so we'll see if I could eat 1600 on those days (I kind of doubt it, I tend to go over by a little, up to 1900-2000).

    I've kind of just set my crosshairs on that 1600 net, 1800-2000 gross-ish, and whatever comes off will come off. I'm ok with losing really slowly, though, or trying to get whatever newbie gains I can from my limited workouts, if this is just under maintenance. Something's got to happen eventually, lol.

    Bottom line, that is what I can handle, so that's what's happening.

    (1800-2000 is actually what I ate when I lost 50 lbs, so it should work.)
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
    I do lightly active plus exercise calories, for now. I've done both, and the numbers work out about the same, but I'm not 100% recovered from an injury last summer and not as consistent with my exercise as I'll be when I am fully recovered.
  • Deena_Bean
    Deena_Bean Posts: 906 Member
    Thanks everyone for taking the time to give me your 2 cents - I have decided to set myself at the MFP lightly active and record 80% of my calories burned (not including lifestyle stuff - unless it's major, like hard core cleaning or snow shoveling). So that has me at 1640/day plus whatever I burn exercising. I think that's doable.
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    Deena_Bean wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for taking the time to give me your 2 cents - I have decided to set myself at the MFP lightly active and record 80% of my calories burned (not including lifestyle stuff - unless it's major, like hard core cleaning or snow shoveling). So that has me at 1640/day plus whatever I burn exercising. I think that's doable.

    See what happens over a month. I track my exercise through FitBit (manually log strength training and interval work). Over two months I was maintaining using MFP add-back system, so I used the data to back off the CI by 100-200 calories a day and will see what happens over another month. I did have a .8 lb weight loss after the first week of doing this, but I don't know if that means anything or was just a blip of water-reduction. I will be able to tell over 4 weeks, though.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    When I have a consistent exercise regimen, TDEE is more convenient for me, so that's what I do.
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