Does anyone else set their calorie goal to their TDEE and just make sure to eat beneath it?

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Replies

  • cnave99
    cnave99 Posts: 63 Member
    I do something like this but with a different goal. I don't care if MFP says 'and was under her calorie limit' when I finish up... I use it as a tool to stay in my guidelines. I have a history of restricting, so I set my MFP to 1200. That's my daily minimum. My Fitbit screen is 1750 which is the absolute maximum amount of calories I can have and still lose 1/2 lb a week. As long as I'm not red on my Fitbit screen I'm good.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    There is no real issue with this however I would point out that TDEE is a variable figure so if you have a low activity day, you may actually be in a surplus.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    There is no real issue with this however I would point out that TDEE is a variable figure so if you have a low activity day, you may actually be in a surplus.

    And this is why I don't use TDEE and keep it with the MFP NEAT method. My activity varies depending on several factors. For people with consistent activity TDEE would work just fine as it will average out.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    Yep. My numbers are set at TDEE - 10%. I hate trying to hit a moving target (ie, eating back exercise calories).
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Yep. My numbers are set at TDEE - 10%. I hate trying to hit a moving target (ie, eating back exercise calories).

    It's funny how the psychology works. Perhaps because I have "issues" in that department, sometimes the motivation to get up and earn some extra eats is really helpful.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited April 2017
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Yep. My numbers are set at TDEE - 10%. I hate trying to hit a moving target (ie, eating back exercise calories).

    It's funny how the psychology works. Perhaps because I have "issues" in that department, sometimes the motivation to get up and earn some extra eats is really helpful.

    True. My workouts are very regular/steady. I can certainly see how my way wouldn't work if the exercise were sporadic or changing or different each time.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Yep. My numbers are set at TDEE - 10%. I hate trying to hit a moving target (ie, eating back exercise calories).

    It's funny how the psychology works. Perhaps because I have "issues" in that department, sometimes the motivation to get up and earn some extra eats is really helpful.

    It is indeed funny. I do a lot better now with a TDEE set up than I did with a NEAT setup.

    Give me a moving target, and I'll kill myself trying to move it as far out as I can. (I have a tendency to over exercise, with the therewith associated risks).

    Give me a static target, and I'll do my best to hit it point on.
  • jbitakis
    jbitakis Posts: 13 Member
    What's TDEE??
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
    I use the TDEE method when I log calories. It's a pain that the free version of MFP won't let you set different calorie goals for workout and non-workout days, but I just write down what targets I should be hitting on workout days and ignore what MFP tells me about whether I'm over or under.

    IMO the strict MFP method does nothing but give people an incentive to game the system and start logging things like daily step count and cleaning out their car as exercise so they can justify eating more than they need to. That's not a weight loss plan, it's the bargaining phase of dieting.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    jbitakis wrote: »
    What's TDEE??

    Total Daily Energy Expenditure - the amount of calories your body uses to maintain your current weight.
  • PrincessMel72
    PrincessMel72 Posts: 1,094 Member
    I use MFP's NEAT formula for my calorie goals, just because I sometimes end up skipping a workout or if I'm not feeling it, will do less of one. Since it's not steady - I don't want to overeat :)
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Yep. My numbers are set at TDEE - 10%. I hate trying to hit a moving target (ie, eating back exercise calories).

    It's funny how the psychology works. Perhaps because I have "issues" in that department, sometimes the motivation to get up and earn some extra eats is really helpful.

    It is indeed funny. I do a lot better now with a TDEE set up than I did with a NEAT setup.

    Give me a moving target, and I'll kill myself trying to move it as far out as I can. (I have a tendency to over exercise, with the therewith associated risks).

    Give me a static target, and I'll do my best to hit it point on.

    This is me too. I will overexercise before I under exercise because I feel the need to hit a number. Having a day off and not thinking about numbers is so much better for me, mentally and physically.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    So, to those of you using TDEE, do you use a tracker and just not sync it with MFP, or just ignore the daily over/under MFP gives? I'm kinda thinking of moving this way as I've become more consistent in my exercise, but still want to track it with my tracker.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    So, to those of you using TDEE, do you use a tracker and just not sync it with MFP, or just ignore the daily over/under MFP gives? I'm kinda thinking of moving this way as I've become more consistent in my exercise, but still want to track it with my tracker.

    I don't sync my fitbit.
  • megd44
    megd44 Posts: 110 Member
    I use the TDEE (minus 10 to 15%) method as well and it has worked great for me. My activity level is pretty steady (that might change when I go back to work, but for now.) I also make sure I am recalculating on a monthly basis. I do not sync my tracker, but make sure I am watching the numbers. And I just ignore the MFP over/under counts, you would weigh...in so many weeks (though I usually giggle at the number.)
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    So, to those of you using TDEE, do you use a tracker and just not sync it with MFP, or just ignore the daily over/under MFP gives? I'm kinda thinking of moving this way as I've become more consistent in my exercise, but still want to track it with my tracker.

    I use a tracker, but don't synch.

    I recently switched from fitbit to Garmin, and I don't trust Garmins numbers at all. The fitbit was better, but in reality it's all just estimates.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    WakkoW wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    So, to those of you using TDEE, do you use a tracker and just not sync it with MFP, or just ignore the daily over/under MFP gives? I'm kinda thinking of moving this way as I've become more consistent in my exercise, but still want to track it with my tracker.

    I use a tracker, but don't synch.

    I recently switched from fitbit to Garmin, and I don't trust Garmins numbers at all. The fitbit was better, but in reality it's all just estimates.

    My Garmin (VivoActive) has been spot on. In fact, eating back 75% has had me losing more than 2 lbs per week so I was eating them all back. Now I just eat 2000 regardless.
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    So, to those of you using TDEE, do you use a tracker and just not sync it with MFP, or just ignore the daily over/under MFP gives? I'm kinda thinking of moving this way as I've become more consistent in my exercise, but still want to track it with my tracker.

    I've gotten kind of lazy with my fitbit, anyway, but I just turned off the "sync." And I enter my workouts, because I like to enter them (and, uh, because challenges with prizes) but I set the calories burned to 1. If I do an extra cardio workout, I might go ahead and log the calories as extras, like a little bonus at the end of the week.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    WakkoW wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    So, to those of you using TDEE, do you use a tracker and just not sync it with MFP, or just ignore the daily over/under MFP gives? I'm kinda thinking of moving this way as I've become more consistent in my exercise, but still want to track it with my tracker.

    I use a tracker, but don't synch.

    I recently switched from fitbit to Garmin, and I don't trust Garmins numbers at all. The fitbit was better, but in reality it's all just estimates.

    My Garmin (VivoActive) has been spot on. In fact, eating back 75% has had me losing more than 2 lbs per week so I was eating them all back. Now I just eat 2000 regardless.

    My Garmin, I've had two models, have always been spot on. I ate back conservatively at first and lost more. Now I eat them all and everything is at it should be. Everyone seems to have such widely varying experiences with trackers.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I actually switched to this way sort of this year and am finding psychologically it's working better for me now I'm inching towards goal. But I still use the NEAT method.

    So I'm set to sedentary maintenance. I wear a tracker. Anything green left at the end of the day is my deficit and while red numbers don't freak me out it is nicer to see a healthy green number whilst knowing that's not an unhealthy green! In fact any green is satisfying, even if it's only 100. And if I get my exercise in then hurrah I get to eat even more without hitting maintenance.

    But this approach certainly doesn't work for everyone.

    This (sedentary maintenance plus activity adjustment from tracker to equal daily TDEE) is what I'm doing as well.

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