How should I decide calories?

jamieparadis20

Basically what I'm asking is what's the difference between all the online calculators? I know I've calculated bmr, tde, and other things but I don't know when to use which when. Which would be the number of calories I burn on a given day with no excercise? Like just by living?

I've been doing a recomp but kinda getting tired of it and I don't know if it's the best fit for me. I'd rather just eat at maintenance I think and work on gains in the gym and on my lacrosse team. Should I set my fitness pal to count back my excercise calories (right now it's turned off) and set my calorie goal as whatever my daily burn is not counting excercise?

*ive been feeling really hungry lately and kinda deprived so that's why I wanna try changing things up

jgnatca

If I were you since you have been counting for a while add a hundred calories a day for a week or so and see what happens. Keep adding a hundred calories until you find your sweet spot.

jamieparadis20

So what's the difference between bmr and tdee? And neat?

CafeRacer808

Put very simply:

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): The number of calories your body would need to keep you alive if you were in a coma.

NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): The number of calories your body burns in normal everyday life, excluding exercise. The daily calorie goal MFP gives you is based on your NEAT.

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure): The number of calories your body burns in normal everyday life, including exercise.

Christine_72

jamieparadis20 wrote: »

So what's the difference between bmr and tdee? And neat?

BMR- Basal Metabolic Rate- Your basic daily burn, what you would burn lying in bed all day.

TDEE - TOTAL daily energy expenditure- This is everything combined, includes daily living, exercise etc.

Neat- What MFP uses, Your activity minus exercise.

This is a really basic rundown.

I personally use the MFP method and add my exercise separately. I'm not consistent enough with exercise to use TDEE.

Christine_72

Posted at the same time @CafeRacer808 I type too slow lol

jamieparadis20

Christine_72 wrote: »

jamieparadis20 wrote: »

So what's the difference between bmr and tdee? And neat?

BMR- Basal Metabolic Rate- Your basic daily burn, what you would burn lying in bed all day.

TDEE - TOTAL daily energy expenditure- This is everything combined, includes daily living, exercise etc.

Neat- What MFP uses, Your activity minus exercise.

This is a really basic rundown.

I personally use the MFP method and add my exercise separately. I'm not consistent enough with exercise to use TDEE.

So if I'm gonna use my "maintenance" plus whatever calories I burn on my Fitbit, I should use neat instead of bmr?

Christine_72

jamieparadis20 wrote: »

Christine_72 wrote: »

jamieparadis20 wrote: »

So what's the difference between bmr and tdee? And neat?

BMR- Basal Metabolic Rate- Your basic daily burn, what you would burn lying in bed all day.

TDEE - TOTAL daily energy expenditure- This is everything combined, includes daily living, exercise etc.

Neat- What MFP uses, Your activity minus exercise.

This is a really basic rundown.

I personally use the MFP method and add my exercise separately. I'm not consistent enough with exercise to use TDEE.

So if I'm gonna use my "maintenance" plus whatever calories I burn on my Fitbit, I should use neat instead of bmr?

Plug in your stats here and choose maintain my weight. These are the calories you will need to eat to maintain your current weight with no exercise. Sync your fitbit, eat back the extra calories you get or a portion of them. This part is trial and error, some people eat back 50-75% of their exercise calories, others are able to eat every last one of them.