TDEE question

RoyBeck
RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
edited December 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi. I'm a 232lb man aged 35. My TDEE ranges from 2500-2650 depending on which website I visit.

My BMR is closer to 2160 according to these calculations.

So my question is this. I'm aware these are averages but let's say on a lazy day I burn hardly anything. No gym just lazing around indoors. By eating my 1900 calories my deficit isn't going to be my chosen one of 500 or 1000 depending on my set goals it would only be 260.

Therfore I'd either have to create a bigger deficit or workout to get to the desired daily deficit.

Is this correct?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    If your TDEE is 2500 and you eat 1900 that is a deficit of 600 calories.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Yes I understand that. What I mean is if my BMR is 2160 and I literally sat on my bum all day and ate 1900 my deficit would be 260. Is that where setting your TDEE accurately comes in in terms of your activity level?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    RoyBeck wrote: »
    Yes I understand that. What I mean is if my BMR is 2160 and I literally sat on my bum all day and ate 1900 my deficit would be 260. Is that where setting your TDEE accurately comes in in terms of your activity level?

    Your BMR is if you're in a coma, not your sedentary calorie allowance.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Well yes again I understand that. I'm guessing your TDEE is an average which takes into account that some days you're going to be a bit more active than others. For example, if I'm at the gym, I'll burn 500-1000 calories by walking between 2 and 4 hours. However, if I'm not, I'll burn 200 all day by doing not a lot of walking.

    My thinking was that if I eat 1900 on both of those days my deficit would naturally differ. Anyway, thanks for your replies.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    TDEE is a daily average - which means some days you will burn more, some days less, but on average over a whole week/month, this will be your approximate burn per day.

    So if your activity level for some days is low, then yes, you will burn less on those days. But your activity level for other days will be higher, pushing your daily burn even higher than your average, so your deficit will be more.

    Hopefully that makes sense. Individual daily stats vs average per day.

    Some people calorie cycle to accommodate this inequity in daily burn, others prefer to eat the same amount all the time and let it average out.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Yes it does thank you.

    Calorie cycling sounds like something different so I'll look into it. I don't suppose the odd day every week on a non gym day eating say 1600 calories would do me any harm. Then the next if I burn 600 as an example I would just eat them or half of them back. OK thank you.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    RoyBeck wrote: »
    Yes it does thank you.

    Calorie cycling sounds like something different so I'll look into it. I don't suppose the odd day every week on a non gym day eating say 1600 calories would do me any harm. Then the next if I burn 600 as an example I would just eat them or half of them back. OK thank you.

    But if you're using a TDEE calculation then you wouldn't eat back your exercise cals?
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    Here's my current favorite calorie cycling calculator if you want to check it out...typically you would pick 3 non-consecutive days a week (I do my strength training days, but others do long run days or whatever their most intense exercise days are) as your "training days" and thus higher calories...then the other days are treated as "rest days" and you eat the lower calories...I have an "offset meal" to key in on the rest days to automatically remove those calories I don't eat, and my diary should be open if you want to see that in action.

    https://x-gains.com/MacroCalculator/
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    RoyBeck wrote: »
    Yes it does thank you.

    Calorie cycling sounds like something different so I'll look into it. I don't suppose the odd day every week on a non gym day eating say 1600 calories would do me any harm. Then the next if I burn 600 as an example I would just eat them or half of them back. OK thank you.

    But if you're using a TDEE calculation then you wouldn't eat back your exercise cals?

    My TDEE/maintenance figure is 2550 as an average. I really should try to get a more unique figure rather than one generalised on the net but that's for a other topic.

    I've programmed in a 1lb a week loss as 2lbs would allow me only 1550 calories per day which I feel is too low.



  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    RoyBeck wrote: »
    Yes it does thank you.

    Calorie cycling sounds like something different so I'll look into it. I don't suppose the odd day every week on a non gym day eating say 1600 calories would do me any harm. Then the next if I burn 600 as an example I would just eat them or half of them back. OK thank you.

    You are confusing two different methods.
    A TDEE estimate includes an average estimate for your exercise (if you answer the questions on the calculator accurately).

    Both the MFP method and the TDEE method has you eating back exercise calories but the TDEE method doesn't separate them out, it just gives you a daily allowance including an average amount of exercise.
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