I don't feel right eating exercise calories....

2

Replies

  • hookandy
    hookandy Posts: 278 Member
    I know exactly where you are coming from in not wanting to eat them back. I have been logging exercise and food for the last 8 weeks, not long, but bear with me. Looking at my MFP goal and my net calories you can work out my total deficit (The 500 from my stats 1lb a week plus the extra by not eating the exercise back). Assuming 1lb lose is created by a 3500cal deficit then crunching the numbers, in the 8 weeks my real weight lose was 17lb, MFP gives me a figure of 16.2lb

    So the number do work, if your eat the calories back then you will lose at the goal rate in MFP, if you dont eat them back you create a larger deficit and lose at that rate.

    I am eating back some of them 50%ish so I lose at a sustainable rate.
  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    If your net calories end up being too low, you'll end up causing your metabolic rate to crawl. And then the stagnant weight loss epic begins. There have been lots of threads on them...................losing 10lbs-20lbs or more in less than a month then NOTHING for the next 3 months. Not an uncommon story.
    You CAN'T outsmart your body. What you FEEL isn't something your body cares about. It just knows how to acclimate if you don't provide enough for it to function properly.

    So help a newbie out here....

    Right now it appears that I am sitting at a solid 1000 deficit based on all I can gather from my diary, fitbit, info, etc. Being only in my 4th week into the process with only about 2.5 of those weeks of tracking CICO, what would be the best indicator that I may be under-eating?

    Calories In, assuming I'm measuring properly (I think I estimate high when I have to estimate) is pretty easy. Calories out seems like another matter. I can say that I've dropped about 12 pounds in about 4 weeks, which I don't suspect is sustainable. I do worry about whether my metabolism will slow down and how to tell for sure if it is. If I see the weight loss slowing down or stopping (not to say slowing down from 3 lbs/wk - I expect that), is that an indication that I should eat more? If I'm reading you correctly I think it is....

    But there is so much information out here on these forums, I know it is not all correct.



  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,118 Member
    edited March 2017
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    If your net calories end up being too low, you'll end up causing your metabolic rate to crawl. And then the stagnant weight loss epic begins. There have been lots of threads on them...................losing 10lbs-20lbs or more in less than a month then NOTHING for the next 3 months. Not an uncommon story.
    You CAN'T outsmart your body. What you FEEL isn't something your body cares about. It just knows how to acclimate if you don't provide enough for it to function properly.

    So help a newbie out here....

    Right now it appears that I am sitting at a solid 1000 deficit based on all I can gather from my diary, fitbit, info, etc. Being only in my 4th week into the process with only about 2.5 of those weeks of tracking CICO, what would be the best indicator that I may be under-eating?

    Calories In, assuming I'm measuring properly (I think I estimate high when I have to estimate) is pretty easy. Calories out seems like another matter. I can say that I've dropped about 12 pounds in about 4 weeks, which I don't suspect is sustainable. I do worry about whether my metabolism will slow down and how to tell for sure if it is. If I see the weight loss slowing down or stopping (not to say slowing down from 3 lbs/wk - I expect that), is that an indication that I should eat more? If I'm reading you correctly I think it is....

    But there is so much information out here on these forums, I know it is not all correct.



    Calories out will depend on the method you're using to come to those calorie burns, the MFP database is notoriously inaccurate for some people (and I say some, because it's accurate for others), the same goes for cardio equipment burns that don't require your stats and that don't measure your Heart Rate consistently.

    Most people will recommend eating 50% of your calories earned via those methods for a period of at least 4 weeks and then reviewing your weight loss. If the rate is higher than what you've set your MFP account to do, eat more of them and if it's lower than expected eat less of them and you should be on the right track.

    Some of the initial weight you've dropped will be water weight and it probably won't continue at that rate.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,942 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    If your net calories end up being too low, you'll end up causing your metabolic rate to crawl. And then the stagnant weight loss epic begins. There have been lots of threads on them...................losing 10lbs-20lbs or more in less than a month then NOTHING for the next 3 months. Not an uncommon story.
    You CAN'T outsmart your body. What you FEEL isn't something your body cares about. It just knows how to acclimate if you don't provide enough for it to function properly.

    So help a newbie out here....

    Right now it appears that I am sitting at a solid 1000 deficit based on all I can gather from my diary, fitbit, info, etc. Being only in my 4th week into the process with only about 2.5 of those weeks of tracking CICO, what would be the best indicator that I may be under-eating?

    Calories In, assuming I'm measuring properly (I think I estimate high when I have to estimate) is pretty easy. Calories out seems like another matter. I can say that I've dropped about 12 pounds in about 4 weeks, which I don't suspect is sustainable. I do worry about whether my metabolism will slow down and how to tell for sure if it is. If I see the weight loss slowing down or stopping (not to say slowing down from 3 lbs/wk - I expect that), is that an indication that I should eat more? If I'm reading you correctly I think it is....

    But there is so much information out here on these forums, I know it is not all correct.


    PM me your current stats (height, weight, age, gender) and what you're consuming calorie wise along with your daily regimen and exercise and I'll take a look.

    PS. This is NOT an invite for people to start PMing me asking to write programs and consult them on their weight loss continuously.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • HappyBlues
    HappyBlues Posts: 94 Member
    I only eat mine back if I feel like I need it, which is rare as I feel my workouts are moderate and usually only 30-40 minutes max. Here is an article I found helpful on the topic.

    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/
  • Jabbarwocky
    Jabbarwocky Posts: 100 Member
    Hehehe! Gotta be careful about what you offer ninerbuff!
  • walkerrita2
    walkerrita2 Posts: 7 Member
    I try not to eat back my exercise earnings. However, I figure that can account for the Pam spray and such that I do not log.
  • bwhitty67
    bwhitty67 Posts: 162 Member
    I don't, but I'm not doing anything intense (just getting back in the swing of things). I look at the #that pops up but I think my Fitbit shows high for steps, IMO. So I appreciate them and thank them but I don't eat them :p
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    If your net calories end up being too low, you'll end up causing your metabolic rate to crawl. And then the stagnant weight loss epic begins. There have been lots of threads on them...................losing 10lbs-20lbs or more in less than a month then NOTHING for the next 3 months. Not an uncommon story.
    You CAN'T outsmart your body. What you FEEL isn't something your body cares about. It just knows how to acclimate if you don't provide enough for it to function properly.

    So help a newbie out here....

    Right now it appears that I am sitting at a solid 1000 deficit based on all I can gather from my diary, fitbit, info, etc. Being only in my 4th week into the process with only about 2.5 of those weeks of tracking CICO, what would be the best indicator that I may be under-eating?

    Calories In, assuming I'm measuring properly (I think I estimate high when I have to estimate) is pretty easy. Calories out seems like another matter. I can say that I've dropped about 12 pounds in about 4 weeks, which I don't suspect is sustainable. I do worry about whether my metabolism will slow down and how to tell for sure if it is. If I see the weight loss slowing down or stopping (not to say slowing down from 3 lbs/wk - I expect that), is that an indication that I should eat more? If I'm reading you correctly I think it is....

    But there is so much information out here on these forums, I know it is not all correct.



    The main sign of undereating is that you lose weight faster than expected. Not slower. If you persist in this then perhaps you'll see a bit (a bit) of metabolic slowdown over the long term but you will still lose faster than the expected rate, unless a binge-restrict cycle starts up. If that happens, you may maintain your weight because the binges and the restrictions balance each other out.

    Other signs are tiredness, persistent hunger, tendency to binge, obsession with food and, longer term, things like dry skin and hair loss.

    Some people who undereat somehow do not feel hunger, however.

    In general, if you choose a sensible rate of loss (not just 2lb a week by default), eat up to your goal, and take proper account of exercise, you will be safe from undereating. But exercising hard and failing to eat it back can easily put you in that situation.
  • fitjp88
    fitjp88 Posts: 15 Member
    I think if you are eating around 1200 calories (which what mfp sets it to usually) , eat back your workout. But if you eating more. I eat around 1500-1700 calories a day. I never eat back I worked out. My calorie burn is average of 500-700 calories a work out and I am still losing fine. Do what works for you. If you are hungry, drink water first and if you are still hungry after that. Then eat some veggies or fruit.
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
    I currently don't eat back my exercise calories but I have my weight loss goal set non-aggressively (losing about 0.5 lb a week). Also, I'm sure my stats are way different from yours. Everyone is different.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    fitjp88 wrote: »
    I think if you are eating around 1200 calories (which what mfp sets it to usually) , eat back your workout. But if you eating more. I eat around 1500-1700 calories a day. I never eat back I worked out. My calorie burn is average of 500-700 calories a work out and I am still losing fine. Do what works for you. If you are hungry, drink water first and if you are still hungry after that. Then eat some veggies or fruit.

    How did you arrive at the 1500-1700 calorie target though? Did MFP provide you that estimate (assuming not since it's a range) or did you get it from a TDEE calculator, or is this something you came up with on your own?
    When you say you are "still losing fine" what does that mean? How quickly are you losing? Is that appropriate for the amount of weight you have to lose?

    Why the suggestion to eat veggies or fruit, and not, say, some turkey, or nuts, or string cheese? What if I'm low on my fat goal for the day? What if I'm short on protein?

  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,134 Member
    I don't feel right eating exercise calories. Makes me feel like a failure and that I'm wasting all of my time logging and eating a certain amount and that I won't lose any weight. Anybody feel this way? I'm I way wrong? What can I do?

    If you used mfp to get your goal you are supposed to eat back the exercise calories. No need to feel bad about it. Your deficit is already built into your goal so you can lose weight with no exercise. Exercising increases your deficit which is not necessary and may leave you with too large of a deficit. If you used a TDEE calculator then you should not eat back exercise calories. A TDEE calculator will give you a higher calorie goal than mfp will. That is because the TDEE calculator has factored exercise into your goal and mfp has not. So when you use a TDEE calculator you are still eating the exercise calories, you just aren't listing them separately from your food goal.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    If your net calories end up being too low, you'll end up causing your metabolic rate to crawl. And then the stagnant weight loss epic begins. There have been lots of threads on them...................losing 10lbs-20lbs or more in less than a month then NOTHING for the next 3 months. Not an uncommon story.
    You CAN'T outsmart your body. What you FEEL isn't something your body cares about. It just knows how to acclimate if you don't provide enough for it to function properly.

    So help a newbie out here....

    Right now it appears that I am sitting at a solid 1000 deficit based on all I can gather from my diary, fitbit, info, etc. Being only in my 4th week into the process with only about 2.5 of those weeks of tracking CICO, what would be the best indicator that I may be under-eating?

    Calories In, assuming I'm measuring properly (I think I estimate high when I have to estimate) is pretty easy. Calories out seems like another matter. I can say that I've dropped about 12 pounds in about 4 weeks, which I don't suspect is sustainable. I do worry about whether my metabolism will slow down and how to tell for sure if it is. If I see the weight loss slowing down or stopping (not to say slowing down from 3 lbs/wk - I expect that), is that an indication that I should eat more? If I'm reading you correctly I think it is....

    But there is so much information out here on these forums, I know it is not all correct.

    A 1000 calorie deficit means you are set to lose 2 pounds per week. You're losing 3 pounds a week, so yes, you are undereating.

    What are you currently doing about your exercise calories? If you're not eating them back, start. The simplest explanation would be that you burn about 500 calories a day and have not been eating them back. In this case, you can eat 100% of them back. I could provide numerous other scenarios but will wait to hear your response on what you're currently doing with exercise calories.
  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »

    A 1000 calorie deficit means you are set to lose 2 pounds per week. You're losing 3 pounds a week, so yes, you are undereating.

    What are you currently doing about your exercise calories? If you're not eating them back, start. The simplest explanation would be that you burn about 500 calories a day and have not been eating them back. In this case, you can eat 100% of them back. I could provide numerous other scenarios but will wait to hear your response on what you're currently doing with exercise calories.

    I used several (6) sites to determine my BMR, moderate TDEE and Active TDEE on the average. My Fitbit every day comes back with a calorie burn somewhere between the moderate and active TDEE levels, closer to moderate than active, but that number is rising - I workout 6 days per week. My BMR is right around 1971; MFP estimates 1900 (I've averaged about 1950 CI) without exercise and adds calories through the day as I do. I've averaged about 3060 calories out (again, according to Fitbit, which at this point I only moderately trust, but it seems to match what the exercise levels of the various calculators give me).

    I would not expect the 3 lbs/wk to continue and honestly I'm not interested in that. There you have it. I'm not at all hungry at the 2000 calorie level. Eat more?
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »

    A 1000 calorie deficit means you are set to lose 2 pounds per week. You're losing 3 pounds a week, so yes, you are undereating.

    What are you currently doing about your exercise calories? If you're not eating them back, start. The simplest explanation would be that you burn about 500 calories a day and have not been eating them back. In this case, you can eat 100% of them back. I could provide numerous other scenarios but will wait to hear your response on what you're currently doing with exercise calories.

    I used several (6) sites to determine my BMR, moderate TDEE and Active TDEE on the average. My Fitbit every day comes back with a calorie burn somewhere between the moderate and active TDEE levels, closer to moderate than active, but that number is rising - I workout 6 days per week. My BMR is right around 1971; MFP estimates 1900 (I've averaged about 1950 CI) without exercise and adds calories through the day as I do. I've averaged about 3060 calories out (again, according to Fitbit, which at this point I only moderately trust, but it seems to match what the exercise levels of the various calculators give me).

    I would not expect the 3 lbs/wk to continue and honestly I'm not interested in that. There you have it. I'm not at all hungry at the 2000 calorie level. Eat more?

    Sometimes looking at too many data points becomes confusing and can put you in analysis paralysis. And this is coming from someone who loves data. If you have a FitBit, I would tend to rely on that more than TDEE calculators, especially as time goes on, it should get more accurate at predicting your activity and calories burned. The best numbers are the ones that come from your actual results though... losing 3 lb/week is more aggressive than recommended for anyone that is not morbidly obese.

    What are your stats (height, weight, age, gender) and goal (weight). What sort of exercise are you doing? How many calories have you been eating, and are you logging accurately using a food scale?

    It is all new, and a lot of these things sort of settle into a more predictable pattern, but in the absence of answers to the questions above I think the recommendation to begin eating more is a prudent one.

    And for what it's worth, I'm a 5'2 female that lost >30 lbs eating b/w 1600-1800 cals and my TDEE (according to FitBit and actual results) is 2200.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    This is something I've asked my trainer about a lot. Personally, I'm under the guise that we need a calorie deficit - plain and simple. Eating back the calories reduces that deficit -- and we work out essentially to create one. It truly depends on your caloric goal you eat by, though. It helps to know your BMR -- or your bottom line for calorie intake.

    IIFYM and TDEE calculators online can help you find your numbers :))

    @meldeeonline
    IIFYM and other TDEE calculators include exercise calories of course. You just get a daily average instead of a variable amount.
    Might be a good solution for the OP though to avoid the feelings of guilt over what are just a perfectly legitimate calorie need for your body.

    I don't workout to create a calorie deficit or to eat more food. I train to be fit, strong and healthy. Plus I actually enjoy it - weird I know! ;)
  • TIDDYBEAR
    TIDDYBEAR Posts: 63 Member
    I don't try to eat my exercise calories back. I try to keep may calories around 1,100 - 1,200. But if I go over a bit because of exercise I'm OK with it.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I don't feel right eating exercise calories. Makes me feel like a failure and that I'm wasting all of my time logging and eating a certain amount and that I won't lose any weight. Anybody feel this way? I'm I way wrong? What can I do?

    That's like not wearing a seat belt because you think it'll damage your shirt.

    What you can do, is the math on how this all works. :smile:
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,677 Member
    TIDDYBEAR wrote: »
    I don't try to eat my exercise calories back. I try to keep may calories around 1,100 - 1,200. But if I go over a bit because of exercise I'm OK with it.

    I took a peek at your diary. You often leave 600 - 700 cals behind as a result of not eating back your exercise cals. Do you mind if I ask what your goal is set at to lose? (i.e. 2lb a week)?

    Honestly, if you have set MFP to the goal loss rate you want, and it's telling you to regularly eat 1900+ cals a day, you're doing your body a disservice to stay at 1200. If you want to see progress, health, energy and develop a sustainable lifestyle, I'd strongly recommend bumping up how much you eat. Even if it's to consistently aiming for 1500. Also, your protein is consistently on the low side, so it would be easy for you to add in something like 200g of chicken breast, or even a protein drink, to get those cals.
  • GuessIgottalog
    GuessIgottalog Posts: 65 Member
    Wow! Lots of info here! Thanks!
    So my TDEE is 1750 because I am 5"9 and am a sedentary office worker.
    I have MFP set to 1300 cals a day and some days, mostly weekends I go over to about 1800-2000.
    I walk 30 min each day at work ( so 5 days)
    I lift weights for 30min 2 to 3 times a week.
    I do 2 other cardio sessions a week like elliptical, skating, sledding, exercise bike. 30min to 1 hour depending on how much fun im having lol.

    TDEE 1750 - 1300 = 450 deficit.
    2000 weekend calories - 1750 TDEE = 250 surplus

    450*5 days = 2250 deficit
    250x2 days = 500 surplus
    NET deficit for week is 1750
    Exercise calories - 1000 (pure guestimate)
    Weekly deficit of 2750

    I shouldn't eat exercise calories, should I??????
    I am barely set up to lose a pound of weight a week and sometimes I even screw up more!
    This math i did is an eye opener that I need to work harder!
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Wow! Lots of info here! Thanks!
    So my TDEE is 1750 because I am 5"9 and am a sedentary office worker.
    I have MFP set to 1300 cals a day and some days, mostly weekends I go over to about 1800-2000.
    I walk 30 min each day at work ( so 5 days)
    I lift weights for 30min 2 to 3 times a week.
    I do 2 other cardio sessions a week like elliptical, skating, sledding, exercise bike. 30min to 1 hour depending on how much fun im having lol.

    TDEE 1750 - 1300 = 450 deficit.
    2000 weekend calories - 1750 TDEE = 250 surplus

    450*5 days = 2250 deficit
    250x2 days = 500 surplus
    NET deficit for week is 1750
    Exercise calories - 1000 (pure guestimate)
    Weekly deficit of 2750

    I shouldn't eat exercise calories, should I??????
    I am barely set up to lose a pound of weight a week and sometimes I even screw up more!
    This math i did is an eye opener that I need to work harder!

    It seems like you are mixing up two different approaches. MFP and TDEE work off of two different formulas, and it seems like you might be trying to combine them.

    You reference a TDEE of 1750 for a sedentary office worker, but then go on to describe your exercise routine. Where did you get 1750 from? If it was from a TDEE calculator online, it should have included your exercise estimates in it. TDEE is the Total Daily Energy Expenditure and should include exercise in your estimate. Then you would take an appropriate deficit from that (either subtract calories or take a percentage deduction) and then DON'T log and eat back exercise calories.

    You also reference what you have MFP set to. MFP is a NEAT calculation - it estimates what your maintenance calories would be excluding exercise, takes a deduction from that based on the rate of loss you select, and then provides you a goal. If you exercise, you should eat back some of those calories if you are following the MFP method.

    Pick one or the other - but not both.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    edited March 2017
    I would not expect the 3 lbs/wk to continue and honestly I'm not interested in that. There you have it. I'm not at all hungry at the 2000 calorie level. Eat more?

    Ignore how much weight you lost in your first two weeks. (That's when the water weight losses would have happened.) Calculate an average weight loss per week since then (or for the last month - if it's been longer than that). Is the number still 3 pounds/week? If so, start eating more. At least 500 cals/day more. To bring your weight loss down to no more than 2 pounds/week. If, after several weeks, you're still losing too fast, increase the calories more.

    I know it can seem scary cranking up the calories. I played that game myself to get down to 1 pound/week, and it took me several stepwise increases because I was too worried about increasing too far. But it's what's best for your longterm health.
  • GuessIgottalog
    GuessIgottalog Posts: 65 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Wow! Lots of info here! Thanks!
    So my TDEE is 1750 because I am 5"9 and am a sedentary office worker.
    I have MFP set to 1300 cals a day and some days, mostly weekends I go over to about 1800-2000.
    I walk 30 min each day at work ( so 5 days)
    I lift weights for 30min 2 to 3 times a week.
    I do 2 other cardio sessions a week like elliptical, skating, sledding, exercise bike. 30min to 1 hour depending on how much fun im having lol.

    TDEE 1750 - 1300 = 450 deficit.
    2000 weekend calories - 1750 TDEE = 250 surplus

    450*5 days = 2250 deficit
    250x2 days = 500 surplus
    NET deficit for week is 1750
    Exercise calories - 1000 (pure guestimate)
    Weekly deficit of 2750

    I shouldn't eat exercise calories, should I??????
    I am barely set up to lose a pound of weight a week and sometimes I even screw up more!
    This math i did is an eye opener that I need to work harder!

    It seems like you are mixing up two different approaches. MFP and TDEE work off of two different formulas, and it seems like you might be trying to combine them.

    You reference a TDEE of 1750 for a sedentary office worker, but then go on to describe your exercise routine. Where did you get 1750 from? If it was from a TDEE calculator online, it should have included your exercise estimates in it. TDEE is the Total Daily Energy Expenditure and should include exercise in your estimate. Then you would take an appropriate deficit from that (either subtract calories or take a percentage deduction) and then DON'T log and eat back exercise calories.

    You also reference what you have MFP set to. MFP is a NEAT calculation - it estimates what your maintenance calories would be excluding exercise, takes a deduction from that based on the rate of loss you select, and then provides you a goal. If you exercise, you should eat back some of those calories if you are following the MFP method.

    Pick one or the other - but not both.

    Thanks. I want to use the TDEE method. I was told to just enter how most of my days were and unfortunately that is office worker so sedentary and for that my TDEE is 1750 so I am knocking off 450 calories to get a deficit.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Wow! Lots of info here! Thanks!
    So my TDEE is 1750 because I am 5"9 and am a sedentary office worker.
    I have MFP set to 1300 cals a day and some days, mostly weekends I go over to about 1800-2000.
    I walk 30 min each day at work ( so 5 days)
    I lift weights for 30min 2 to 3 times a week.
    I do 2 other cardio sessions a week like elliptical, skating, sledding, exercise bike. 30min to 1 hour depending on how much fun im having lol.

    TDEE 1750 - 1300 = 450 deficit.
    2000 weekend calories - 1750 TDEE = 250 surplus

    450*5 days = 2250 deficit
    250x2 days = 500 surplus
    NET deficit for week is 1750
    Exercise calories - 1000 (pure guestimate)
    Weekly deficit of 2750

    I shouldn't eat exercise calories, should I??????
    I am barely set up to lose a pound of weight a week and sometimes I even screw up more!
    This math i did is an eye opener that I need to work harder!

    It seems like you are mixing up two different approaches. MFP and TDEE work off of two different formulas, and it seems like you might be trying to combine them.

    You reference a TDEE of 1750 for a sedentary office worker, but then go on to describe your exercise routine. Where did you get 1750 from? If it was from a TDEE calculator online, it should have included your exercise estimates in it. TDEE is the Total Daily Energy Expenditure and should include exercise in your estimate. Then you would take an appropriate deficit from that (either subtract calories or take a percentage deduction) and then DON'T log and eat back exercise calories.

    You also reference what you have MFP set to. MFP is a NEAT calculation - it estimates what your maintenance calories would be excluding exercise, takes a deduction from that based on the rate of loss you select, and then provides you a goal. If you exercise, you should eat back some of those calories if you are following the MFP method.

    Pick one or the other - but not both.

    Thanks. I want to use the TDEE method. I was told to just enter how most of my days were and unfortunately that is office worker so sedentary and for that my TDEE is 1750 so I am knocking off 450 calories to get a deficit.

    If you're using the TDEE method, you're supposed to include your exercise activity in your activity level...and thus wouldn't be sedentary regardless of whether you work in an office or not. I'm a desk jockey...I also cycle a lot and lift...I'm far from sedentary.