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HELP! I don't understand all of this TDEE stuff!
sch7355
Posts: 55
Over the last couple weeks I have been reading about Eating More to Weigh Less, eating at TDEE, etc. My mind feels like it is going to explode right now with all the information. I’m still so confused, and unsure about different things. Basically here are my stats, and what I DO know:
22 yr. old female
5’ 0”
CW: 110 lbs.
GW: 105 lbs. and toned
Currently I’m zig-zagging calories each day, but I’m averaging at or slightly below 1,300 calories per day (9,100 calories per week) and NOT eating back any exercise calories.
My daily workout typically is 20 minutes of circuit training. Aside from that, I wouldn’t say I get much more exercise except for walks I take here and there. I work from home, so I’m not getting exercise at my job or anything, and my only other “exercise” really is daily chores and cooking that I do each day.
Here’s where I need help:
From what I read, I should be eating 15% less than what my TDEE is, which according to scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ is 1,567 calories (desk job w/ little to no exercise), so I should be eating 1,332 each day to lose. Does that mean I should eat 1,332 PLUS my workout calories since I’m not taking them into account with my TDEE? I know I’ve read that I need to stay above my BMR, which it says is 1,305, and I currently am not doing that. Also, I keep reading about resetting your metabolism by eating your TDEE for 8-12 weeks. Is this necessary, or can I just start right away with eating the 15% less than TDEE? Lastly, I really enjoy zig-zagging my calories and being able to eat more on the weekends but not affecting my overall weekly calorie intake--am I able to somehow zig-zag calories with eating more to weigh less or no?
Please help me!! I'm feeling so confused right now..
22 yr. old female
5’ 0”
CW: 110 lbs.
GW: 105 lbs. and toned
Currently I’m zig-zagging calories each day, but I’m averaging at or slightly below 1,300 calories per day (9,100 calories per week) and NOT eating back any exercise calories.
My daily workout typically is 20 minutes of circuit training. Aside from that, I wouldn’t say I get much more exercise except for walks I take here and there. I work from home, so I’m not getting exercise at my job or anything, and my only other “exercise” really is daily chores and cooking that I do each day.
Here’s where I need help:
From what I read, I should be eating 15% less than what my TDEE is, which according to scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ is 1,567 calories (desk job w/ little to no exercise), so I should be eating 1,332 each day to lose. Does that mean I should eat 1,332 PLUS my workout calories since I’m not taking them into account with my TDEE? I know I’ve read that I need to stay above my BMR, which it says is 1,305, and I currently am not doing that. Also, I keep reading about resetting your metabolism by eating your TDEE for 8-12 weeks. Is this necessary, or can I just start right away with eating the 15% less than TDEE? Lastly, I really enjoy zig-zagging my calories and being able to eat more on the weekends but not affecting my overall weekly calorie intake--am I able to somehow zig-zag calories with eating more to weigh less or no?
Please help me!! I'm feeling so confused right now..
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Replies
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You confused me because you're making this way too hard.
Go use the Scooby calculator and adjust -15% with your AVERAGE activity level. Eat the number it tells you to eat. Job done. If you track on MFP and it says that your NET is under the BMR scooby gave you, eat enough to get over the BMR NET. That's the only time you should eat back.0 -
I wish I could help, but I'm as confused as you. I have been inching up my calories slowly out of fear of massive weight gain (irrational or not). I am trying to embrace this theory because it makes so much sense to me, but I'm struggling with it. If I understand it correctly, using TDEE minus x%, you simply go for that goal as your net intake for the day. For you that would be net goal of 1332 a day. That would mean eating back your exercise calories as MFP subtracts those calories when you enter them. But then like I said, I'm as confused as you. Possibly more so.
I wondered the same thing about starting out with TDEE and then going to 15% under vs. just starting at 15% under. I don't know that I've ever heard anyone explain that, although I'm sure they have.
Right now I am also not eating above my BMR amount each day (not that I don't try), and I lose about .5 pounds a week on average. I never thought it would be difficult to eat more, but I clearly haven't mastered it if I'm still netting under 1200 several days a week.
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You confused me because you're making this way too hard.
Go use the Scooby calculator and adjust -15% with your AVERAGE activity level. Eat the number it tells you to eat. Job done. If you track on MFP and it says that your NET is under the BMR scooby gave you, eat enough to get over the BMR NET. That's the only time you should eat back.
So according to Scooby, my BMR is 1332, my daily calories based on goal is 1465. In MFP I put in 1465 as my goal, and don't worry about eating back exercise calories unless they bring my net below 1332? So I don't aim for 1465 a day?0 -
I wish I could help, but I'm as confused as you. I have been inching up my calories slowly out of fear of massive weight gain (irrational or not). I am trying to embrace this theory because it makes so much sense to me, but I'm struggling with it. If I understand it correctly, using TDEE minus x%, you simply go for that goal as your net intake for the day. For you that would be net goal of 1332 a day. That would mean eating back your exercise calories as MFP subtracts those calories when you enter them. But then like I said, I'm as confused as you. Possibly more so.
I wondered the same thing about starting out with TDEE and then going to 15% under vs. just starting at 15% under. I don't know that I've ever heard anyone explain that, although I'm sure they have.
Right now I am also not eating above my BMR amount each day (not that I don't try), and I lose about .5 pounds a week on average. I never thought it would be difficult to eat more, but I clearly haven't mastered it if I'm still netting under 1200 several days a week.
I'm glad I'm not alone with not understanding all of this! The idea of eating MORE to me just seems sort of crazy sometimes in my mind, and I think that is what's making it more difficult for me to understand it all. I already upped my calories to the 1,300 a day after being at a plateau this past month, and I still can't manage to start losing again. (Before that, I was steadily losing about 1 lb a week without exercise. I decided to add exercise thinking that would make me lose better and tone up, and now I'm not losing at ALL.) Eating MORE makes it just seem like that's just going to make me gain more. It's all just frustrating and confusing sometimes. It would be so much easier if there was a straight forward method that worked for everybody so I wouldn't have to experiment with lowering calories, upping exercise, zig-zagging calories, etc. just to try to find something that will work! lol0
This discussion has been closed.