Check I've understood?

kpkitten

I've done my calculations and the most "accurate" BMR/RMR I can find says I'm 2000 calories, TDEE 2224 calories. My cut rate I've calculated as so close to 1900 that I reckon I should just call it 1900!
So if I've understood this correctly, I should aim to eat between 1900 and 2224 calories each day, allowing extra for workouts over 300 calories (difference between my TDEE and cut rate). I should neat a minimum of 1900 calories per day.

Is this right? I've tried reading through previous threads and I'm just a bit confused as to which number (TDEE or cut) is the one I should be targetting!

mymodernbabylon

The questions is, have you been eating at a very low calorie level for a long time? If so, then you should work your way up to TDEE. Otherwise, you can eat at TDEE right from the start. Personally, I decided to figure out if my TDEE as calculated online was true and have eaten at it for a while. I'm going to be cutting after the new year. My confusion is how your BMR is so high and your TDEE is so close to it...most people have a very big separation especially if they are working out at all. Are you sure it is the correct info? (Because everything I've read says not to eat below your BMR as that's how much you need to eat at a coma...so you must be a bit more active than that)

heybales

BMR 2000, TDEE 2224 - activity factor 1.11.

So that is less than sedentary (1.2 or 1.25 better), and yet you comment on doing exercise.

Either you misunderstood something, used wrong values, or you found some site for TDEE that appears to leave a lot desired.

kpkitten

Based on the site suggested my BMR is 1900, based on a few other sites it averages at just below 2000, so I've assumed that eating below 2000 would be eating below my BMR, if that makes sense.
I haven't been doing much exercise so I'ved used the sedentary calculations to get my TDEE (2200 is based off 1900ish BMR) but I'm going to be starting a fitness programme - however at the moment I don't know how much exercise or at what intensity, so I thought it better to leave exercise out of these calculations and just make sure I net what I need to once I calculate exercise calories - because my metabolism at the moment will be based on me being sedentary, right?

I've not been eating at a deficit, but my macros will probably have been off (too many carbs, not enough protein, fat probably about right). Will that make a difference?
Basically, I'm going into this having not "dieted" for over 6 months, and having actually gained a bit of weight in the last few months.

Should I increase my activity factor to allow for light exercise based on the fact that I'm going to be working out, or should I keep it low for now, make sure I net the right amount by eating back exercise calories, and adjust it in a few weeks when I'm used to exercising?

Sorry I wasn't too clear to start off with - I was trying not to confuse things by giving too much detail!!

NK1112

I read your question as being ... should my calorie intake be between my BMR amount and my TDEE amount? The answer is yes.

Now a question for you .... it sounds like you may not have been tracking calories during those past few months where you weight was stable. If you were, then you already know what your TDEE was to maintain weight. Was it about what the estimated TDEE is from the calculators you used?

Try your calorie limits for a period of 2-4 weeks to see where it takes you. Good luck.

NK1112

mymodernbabylon

Can you give us your stats? Age, height, weight. That would make it easier to help out.

kpkitten

OK, calories being between BMR and TDEE makes sense

I'm 22, 245lb, 160cm, have been sedentary but now trying to exercise 30 minutes+ 3 times a week.
I was confused as to whether I should have been aiming to eat my cut amount, my BMR (which is almost the same), my TDEE, or an amount between these!

mymodernbabylon

I just put your information into the Scooby Workshop calculator - BMR is 1909, TDEE is 2624 and your cut (15%) is 2231. I did this at being 1-3 hours of activity, because this would be typical if you are leaving your house, doing errands, cleaning the house and doing the 30 min x 3 a week. Otherwise, if you truly feel you do absolutely no movement at all, your TDEE is 2290 and a 10% cut is 2061 (I'd do a slower cut to give you enough calories).

kpkitten

mymodernbabylon wrote: »

I just put your information into the Scooby Workshop calculator - BMR is 1909, TDEE is 2624 and your cut (15%) is 2231. I did this at being 1-3 hours of activity, because this would be typical if you are leaving your house, doing errands, cleaning the house and doing the 30 min x 3 a week. Otherwise, if you truly feel you do absolutely no movement at all, your TDEE is 2290 and a 10% cut is 2061 (I'd do a slower cut to give you enough calories).

thanks very much!

heybales

If you are wanting to NOT include exercise in the estimate, and have a daily goal that only increases when you do that actual exercise....

Guess what MFP is already attempting to do?

You merely have to pick a reasonable deficit level. And 250 is it - or 1/2 lb weekly.

Then when you exercise - log it with 15% of the calories taken off, and eat them all back.

That's exactly what you described doing. And comes out the same as the math above for a steady TDEE number. That latter method does allow for better planning though, same number daily - but better do that workout.

For former method, set MFP activity level outside of exercise as Sedentary if you really have a 45 hr desk job/commute, no kids, and sitting around most of days outside exercise.

kpkitten

heybales wrote: »

If you are wanting to NOT include exercise in the estimate, and have a daily goal that only increases when you do that actual exercise....

Guess what MFP is already attempting to do?

You merely have to pick a reasonable deficit level. And 250 is it - or 1/2 lb weekly.

Then when you exercise - log it with 15% of the calories taken off, and eat them all back.

That's exactly what you described doing. And comes out the same as the math above for a steady TDEE number. That latter method does allow for better planning though, same number daily - but better do that workout.

For former method, set MFP activity level outside of exercise as Sedentary if you really have a 45 hr desk job/commute, no kids, and sitting around most of days outside exercise.

I hadn't thought of doing that and just reducing my exercise calories!
And yeah, I'm a student so spend a lot of time sitting around, I walk maybe an hour total each day, and I work 2-3 days a week where I'm on my feet all day, but not being particularly active. It just seems crazy to me to imagine that an OK amount to eat to lose weight (before exercise and eating back exercise calories) could be over 2000 calories!

heybales

You work 2-3 days a week on your feet all day?

You are Lightly Active without any exercise being included. You have a distorted view of what these activity levels mean it sounds like.

And guess what - it will still be over 2000 calories, you didn't do the math to see it works out exactly the same.

kpkitten

heybales wrote: »

You work 2-3 days a week on your feet all day?

You are Lightly Active without any exercise being included. You have a distorted view of what these activity levels mean it sounds like.

And guess what - it will still be over 2000 calories, you didn't do the math to see it works out exactly the same.

I think coming from a family of overweight people, where my mum in particular yoyo diets, I've definitely got a distorted view. My shifts are between 4 and 7 hours long, so not quite all day, but I guess it is enough for me to be more than sedentary. Having put my stats back through, I'm looking at about 1900 BMR, but TDEE of 2600ish and cut 2200ish.

So I should be eating between 2200 and 2600 a day, then any workout exercise (not just general activity, because that's accounted for?) should be eaten back. Aim for Cut (plus exercise) rather than TDEE though?
When I've dieted before (not for several months) I must have been undereating way more than I expected, because I've always been underestimating my activity!

Thanks heybales, I can read general advice not to underestimate as much as I like but it still takes someone to point out that I'm really not that sedentary for me to realise it!

heybales

Since exercise is iffy and you only want to deal with it when actually done, here's the MFP setup for you then.

MFP Settings:
Activity level Lightly Active (which is different then the TDEE table Lightly Active).
Weight loss goal 1/2 lb weekly.
Exercise goal - whatever you want, it has no bearing on eating goal anyway.

Now your daily goal has a 250 cal deficit, but really you could have over 100 more for 15% deficit.
So to keep it simple, always leave 100 calories in the green, if desired.
Meaning you eat under your goal by 100 calories, that gives you 350 cal deficit daily, and that's right.

Then when you do workout, log it, and whatever calorie burn MFP suggested for your minutes of time, take 15% off (calories x 0.85) and save that amount.
Now still get to within 100 less than goal calories.

This is the fail safe method, if you do happen to eat more and meet your goal - you still have 250 deficit no matter what.
This is better than taking 1 lb weekly loss goal, and trying to remember to leave 100 in the red.

After 10 lbs lost, MFP will suggest lowering your eating goal, that's the time to probably stick to just a 250 cal deficit, and actually reach your eating goal.

kpkitten

Thanks!!!

heybales

So Mifflin BMR 1840 x 1.4 Lightly Active = 2576 non-exercise maintenance
2576 - 250 deficit = 2326 daily eating goal on non-exercise days.

You'll leave 100 in green, so eating 2226 until you exercise.

So suggest you increase calories slowly if eating below this level.