TDEE is 2320 - 1000 cals = 2 lbs a week?

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NotSoPerfectPam
NotSoPerfectPam Posts: 114 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. I decided to calculate my TDEE based on the katch-mccardle (body fat) method on IIfym.com. I plugged in my info and exercise six times a week, which gives me a TDEE of 2320 -- so does this mean that in order to lose 2 lbs a week, I would have to cut my calories to 1320 a day when I'm exercising? That seems awful extreme. I've been eating about 1400-1800 a day on MFP and exercise six days a week, burning, accd to my HRM, at least 400 - and usually closer to 700 -- calories per exercise session. Depending on whether I drink alcohol or not, I usually lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. Thanks for any feedback.

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  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Anything with trying to find your actual calories burned per day is going to be trial, and error. But, you are correct that based on TDEE, 1320 would give you 2lb/week. However, that might be too aggressive of a deficit for what you're trying to accomplish, so it could be really low.

    How much do you have to lose, and what is your BMR?
  • NotSoPerfectPam
    NotSoPerfectPam Posts: 114 Member
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    I have at least 40 pounds to lose (have lost 40) and my BMR is 1530
  • FrankiesSaysRelax
    FrankiesSaysRelax Posts: 403 Member
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    I would get the number out of your head (2 lbs per week) and decrease the calories by 20% instead. 1320 calories is way too low for someone working out 6 days a week.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    FrankiesSaysRelax wrote: »
    I would get the number out of your head (2 lbs per week) and decrease the calories by 20% instead. 1320 calories is way too low for someone working out 6 days a week.

    ^ This.
  • NotSoPerfectPam
    NotSoPerfectPam Posts: 114 Member
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    FrankiesSaysRelax wrote: »
    I would get the number out of your head (2 lbs per week) and decrease the calories by 20% instead. 1320 calories is way too low for someone working out 6 days a week.

    I agree, I can't handle that few calories if I plan to workout - and I enjoy working out - it helps keep me from eating too much...
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    2320 - 20% is roughly 1850 calories a day, or a deficit of 470 per day or roughly 1 pound per week. Try either setting up a custom calorie number in MFP, or, if you prefer to log exercise and eat back exercise calories, change your MFP goal to 1lb/week. You should be good to go with either of those methods.
  • donjtomasco
    donjtomasco Posts: 789 Member
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    Don't forget about your added calories you get to eat from all your working out.
  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
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    donjtomasco wrote: »
    Don't forget about your added calories you get to eat from all your working out.

    If she does TDEE - 20% she wont need to add those
  • NotSoPerfectPam
    NotSoPerfectPam Posts: 114 Member
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    donjtomasco wrote: »
    Don't forget about your added calories you get to eat from all your working out.

    Don - i think that's the point of a TDEE, you don't eat the calories back, they are included in that number.

    Right now my MFP goal is 1200, but I never eat that low, I eat about 75 percent of my calories back for about 1500 a day
  • donjtomasco
    donjtomasco Posts: 789 Member
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    OK sorry. I need to learn what TDEE stands for. I got my daily calories from the Scooby website, plugged it in MFP and pulled out 500 cals per day for 1# loss per week. I guess that net number is my TDEE. But when I plug in my workout calories it adds those lost calories back to what I can eat. Well, it confesses me but MFP is so accurate and trouble free as long as I log in everything as exact as possible.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    donjtomasco wrote: »
    OK sorry. I need to learn what TDEE stands for. I got my daily calories from the Scooby website, plugged it in MFP and pulled out 500 cals per day for 1# loss per week. I guess that net number is my TDEE. But when I plug in my workout calories it adds those lost calories back to what I can eat. Well, it confesses me but MFP is so accurate and trouble free as long as I log in everything as exact as possible.

    If you included your exercise in the calculation on the Scooby website, you used the Scooby calculation to create your calorie goal on MFP, AND you're logging exercise in MFP (and eating the calories back), then you're taking double credit for your workouts and likely will eventually stall your losses.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Do a 20% deficit. 2 pounds a week is too extreme with only 40 pounds to lose, IMO.
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    You shouldn't eat below your BMR unless medically instructed to do so. If your TDEE is around 2350, you should be pretty comfortable in the 1700-1900 range. Don't worry about 2lbs/week. Since you have 40lbs to lose, 1lb/wk is a more realistic goal.
  • donjtomasco
    donjtomasco Posts: 789 Member
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    Well I am pretty close to my goal so something right is happening.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    donjtomasco wrote: »
    Well I am pretty close to my goal so something right is happening.


    That's awesome! Sincerely. I just wanted to make you aware of it; especially as you get closer to your goal it may start impacting you more. Plus, I don't know about you, but making sure my math is right is something that's really important to me :smile: .
  • bb_wholesale12
    bb_wholesale12 Posts: 2
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    I am trying to lose weight they tell me to eat 2720 calories a day. I've been staying around 1300 and fill fine. .. should I keep going or should I eat more. Even know I don't want to?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    peachyfuzzle wrote: »
    You shouldn't eat below your BMR unless medically instructed to do so. If your TDEE is around 2350, you should be pretty comfortable in the 1700-1900 range. Don't worry about 2lbs/week. Since you have 40lbs to lose, 1lb/wk is a more realistic goal.

    Yeah. That first part is simply not true. You can eat below your BMR with no issues.

    The 1lb a week is good advice though
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    donjtomasco wrote: »
    OK sorry. I need to learn what TDEE stands for. I got my daily calories from the Scooby website, plugged it in MFP and pulled out 500 cals per day for 1# loss per week. I guess that net number is my TDEE. But when I plug in my workout calories it adds those lost calories back to what I can eat. Well, it confesses me but MFP is so accurate and trouble free as long as I log in everything as exact as possible.

    Reset MFP to automatic then you can log and eat workout calories

    If you overwrote the MFP calories with a scooby calculated cut from TDEE then you don't eat extra calories from workouts, you've already included them ...you can log workouts as 1 calorie

    TDEE is a gross number...it's your BMR plus your general activity level plus your purposeful workouts

    MFP uses BMR plus general activity (NEAT) to give a basic calorie goal which is why any exercise on top is added

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