TDEE-BMR-Going from 1200-1400 cals and eating more

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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    TDEE and BMR are not the same thing. Like someone said earlier, BMR is the amount of calories your body burns if it's practically comatose. TDEE is more like your natural lifestyle's maintenance calories, where if you eat that amount given your normal activity (which includes exercise), you will neither gain or lose weight. They are not the same number. Is your BMR 1343? What is your TDEE? It will be higher, even based on a sedentary lifestyle, than your BMR.

    If you're estimating your TDEE based on a sedentary lifestyle, then you would want to set your goal calories at some deficit off TDEE, like -20% or you could simply subtract 500 cals (assuming you're aiming to lose 1lb/week), and you should probably eat back your exercise calories, since those are not factored into a sedentary TDEE.

    There's controversy over whether to eat back your exercise cals, whether to eat below BMR. I won't get into that.

    My BMR is 1419, my TDEE is 1703 and so my TDEE- 20% is 1363 (all set to sedentary) so thats the measurement I have been going by. I try to eat most of my exercise calories but find it difficult at times, except for the weekends. The weekends I should work out double really.

    Again, TDEE can't be sedentary... you're doing it wrong.
  • Tigg1011
    Tigg1011 Posts: 146
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    TDEE and BMR are not the same thing. Like someone said earlier, BMR is the amount of calories your body burns if it's practically comatose. TDEE is more like your natural lifestyle's maintenance calories, where if you eat that amount given your normal activity (which includes exercise), you will neither gain or lose weight. They are not the same number. Is your BMR 1343? What is your TDEE? It will be higher, even based on a sedentary lifestyle, than your BMR.

    If you're estimating your TDEE based on a sedentary lifestyle, then you would want to set your goal calories at some deficit off TDEE, like -20% or you could simply subtract 500 cals (assuming you're aiming to lose 1lb/week), and you should probably eat back your exercise calories, since those are not factored into a sedentary TDEE.

    There's controversy over whether to eat back your exercise cals, whether to eat below BMR. I won't get into that.

    My BMR is 1419, my TDEE is 1703 and so my TDEE- 20% is 1363 (all set to sedentary) so thats the measurement I have been going by. I try to eat most of my exercise calories but find it difficult at times, except for the weekends. The weekends I should work out double really.

    Again, TDEE can't be sedentary... you're doing it wrong.

    Ok fine, so u take my info and tell me whats right then please. On http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ I placed my activity level to "desk job with little exercise" that is where my number comes from.
  • Tigg1011
    Tigg1011 Posts: 146
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    My BMR is 1419, my TDEE is 1703 and so my TDEE- 20% is 1363 (all set to sedentary) so thats the measurement I have been going by. I try to eat most of my exercise calories but find it difficult at times, except for the weekends. The weekends I should work out double really.
    Gotcha. You might get folks who strongly recommend against eating below your BMR, even if it's 20% under TDEE. If it's working for you, I say continue. If it's not, perhaps consider trying to at least net your BMR. I know that's a smaller deficit, but sometimes smaller works.

    Altho you did say you're rounding to 1400, which is almost your BMR. If it's not working, try maybe adding 50-100 cals a day for a couple weeks. See how you do. Sometimes, it's trial and error.

    Yes, I round upto 1400 and eat that everyday. Thanks so much for your help! :o)
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    TDEE and BMR are not the same thing. Like someone said earlier, BMR is the amount of calories your body burns if it's practically comatose. TDEE is more like your natural lifestyle's maintenance calories, where if you eat that amount given your normal activity (which includes exercise), you will neither gain or lose weight. They are not the same number. Is your BMR 1343? What is your TDEE? It will be higher, even based on a sedentary lifestyle, than your BMR.

    If you're estimating your TDEE based on a sedentary lifestyle, then you would want to set your goal calories at some deficit off TDEE, like -20% or you could simply subtract 500 cals (assuming you're aiming to lose 1lb/week), and you should probably eat back your exercise calories, since those are not factored into a sedentary TDEE.

    There's controversy over whether to eat back your exercise cals, whether to eat below BMR. I won't get into that.

    My BMR is 1419, my TDEE is 1703 and so my TDEE- 20% is 1363 (all set to sedentary) so thats the measurement I have been going by. I try to eat most of my exercise calories but find it difficult at times, except for the weekends. The weekends I should work out double really.

    Again, TDEE can't be sedentary... you're doing it wrong.

    Ok fine, so u take my info and tell me whats right then please. On http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ I placed my activity level to "desk job with little exercise" that is where my number comes from.

    Do you want to calculate TDEE (which will include exercise, you won't eat back exercise cals, and as such you'll eat the same number of calories every day regardless), or do you want BMR + NEAT (which will not include exercise, will require you log and eat back exercise cals, and thus will have you eating different amounts every day based on how much you exercise)?
  • Tigg1011
    Tigg1011 Posts: 146
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    The second option-NEAT. Which is what I thought my 1363 number was? You tell me.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    The second option-NEAT. Which is what I thought my 1363 number was? You tell me.

    Which it was, but you keep calling it TDEE, which is isn't.

    1400 for NEAT is perfectly reasonable. Using this approach you'll want to be eating back your exercise cals. So on a rest day, you eat 1400 cals and call it a day. On an exercise day where you burn 300 calories, you'd eat the base 1400 + the 300 exercise cals for 1700 total cals for the day.
  • Tigg1011
    Tigg1011 Posts: 146
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    Ok, thats what I meant, sorry I suck at correctly wording things. Thank you for your help!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Ok, thats what I meant, sorry I suck at correctly wording things. Thank you for your help!

    And that's fine. The reason it's important is that if you are actually calculating TDEE (including exercise), then you DON'T eat back exercise cals. If you calculate BMR+NEAT (not including exercise), then you do eat back those cals. This is a huge and fundamental difference between the two approaches, and for some people can easily mean a difference of 1000 cals per day.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    Ok, thats what I meant, sorry I suck at correctly wording things. Thank you for your help!
    Don't worry about it. I say it's all semantics. If you don't exercise, then your TDEE is essentially BMR+NEAT. And most online estimators will have a "sedentary" setting for that. If you want to use that number and then on the days you exercise, eat back your exercise cals, it's fine.
  • Tigg1011
    Tigg1011 Posts: 146
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    Oh, I know that, don't worry. Thank you again!
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
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    Thanks guys, just trying to get used to eating more food, I was eating 1200 forever and was stalled out...so eating more just feels wrong and makes me nervous. I'll try to relax and see what happens!

    Oh, and I also have a fitbit which I am still getting used to-I try to eat a deficit of 500 calories thru that- so if I burn 2100, Ill eat 1600 or so. Sound right?

    I didn't read all of the responses so this may be answered. FitBit should be pretty accurate so take your cut from that. My Flex tells me that I burn about 2,500 a day and I'm eating about 2200 and the scale is creeping down. Don't be afraid to eat. Use your fitbit as a tool to help get over that fear. You see your burn in black and white. One pound a week goal sounds reasonable (-500 per day) but I didn't see how much you have to lose. I'm set for .5 or less per week because I'm so close to my fat loss goal. Enjoy your food!

    BTW, I'm a "roadmapper" and have wicked success with eating high calorie diet with strength training. PM me if you want. The link yo the roadmap is in my profile and you can also check out my pix.
    I set my MFP to 1200 and then let my FitBit tell me how many *more* calories I get to eat over top of that based on my exercise for the day. It has worked so well that I reached my goal weight of 110 this past weekend. I highly recommend it! :)
  • KYT1121
    KYT1121 Posts: 58 Member
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    The second option-NEAT. Which is what I thought my 1363 number was? You tell me.

    Which it was, but you keep calling it TDEE, which is isn't.

    1400 for NEAT is perfectly reasonable. Using this approach you'll want to be eating back your exercise cals. So on a rest day, you eat 1400 cals and call it a day. On an exercise day where you burn 300 calories, you'd eat the base 1400 + the 300 exercise cals for 1700 total cals for the day.

    Now I have a question. How exactly do I calculate NEAT? I want to be sure I'm doing this correctly. Thanks.
  • Tigg1011
    Tigg1011 Posts: 146
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    It is your TDEE-20% and thats how you get neat if you set it to desk job with little exercise.
  • KYT1121
    KYT1121 Posts: 58 Member
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    It is your TDEE-20% and thats how you get neat if you set it to desk job with little exercise.

    Ok thanks! I think I've got. I just went back to the Scooby website and re-entered my info. My TDEE-20% is lower than my BMR and I don't think I'm supposed to eat less than my BMR. Maybe my goal should be to net my BMR.
  • Tigg1011
    Tigg1011 Posts: 146
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    Yeah my bmr is 1420 and my TDEE-20 is 1364, I just round up and eat 1400 plus what I gain from exercise.
  • KYT1121
    KYT1121 Posts: 58 Member
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    Yeah my bmr is 1420 and my TDEE-20 is 1364, I just round up and eat 1400 plus what I gain from exercise.

    OK thanks! I'm going to do the same thing. Let's see what happens!
  • Tigg1011
    Tigg1011 Posts: 146
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    Np! Yes let's see...KIT hah
  • mperrott2205
    mperrott2205 Posts: 737 Member
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    I am with you on this. Im eating 1500 and exercising 4-5x per week. (spin/bodypump/aerobics/running). I figured this by using the weight loss calculator from the 'In place of a roadmap' TDEE discussion - this gives me 1,977 cals and Im eating just close to 25% under for 4 weeks.

    Guess what Ive gained 2kgs!

    I can perservere for another week but need to switch something up - start a proper weight lifting program or get back on a RI30 (which firmed me up last time) or cut back carbs.

    I think what works for some people doesnt work for others.

    What about measurements? Are you weighing day after high carb where water weight would be present? Just seems like you are doing a ton to even worry about going below 1500. I weigh 152 and have been on a strict eating routine/workout routine. I havent lost anything in a month but my measurements at my naval and waist have dropped over an inch.
    Measurements>scales

    This this this this this.
  • Tendlr
    Tendlr Posts: 17
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    Bump for later :)

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