Help determining calorie deficit! BMR & TDEE (what?!)

h_adams

Let me just start out by saying that I'm so confused right now.

I would like to lose 1.5-2 pounds a week. I'm trying to determine what my calorie deficit would be. However, I got lost somewhere with the BMR numbers and the TDEE numbers can anyone help me please?

I'm 5 foot 7 inches and currently weigh about 244lbs. My BMI is way past 30, so I'm trying to get down to a healthy weight.

I would say I'm active. I workout everyday for about 30 minutes, usually walk about four miles, and constantly stand and walk at work.

I guess I got confused when MFP was giving me one number and my calculations were giving me another. Any help would be much appreciated!!

earlnabby

For weight loss, BMR is irrelevant except as a starting point to help calculate TDEE. TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure and it is how many calories you use for all activities from breathing to exercise. BMR is what you use in a day by existing (like in a coma). To lose weight, you take your TDEE and subtract 500 calories daily for each pound you want to lose per week.

You are getting different numbers from your calculations because MFP uses NEAT: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. This is the amount of calories you use during the day for your lifestyle, excluding purposeful exercise. MFP basically takes your TDEE and removes your desired deficit as well as actual exercise and gives you a calorie target. When you do exercise, you calculate your calorie burn and eat additional calories. This way you are always in a deficit whether you exercise or not.

StaciMarie1974

BMR is a starting point, as earlynabby pointed out, to get an idea of what you burn in a day.

Your BMR is 1928. Based on the standard formula. Without exercise, if you are lightly active in your day to day life, you probably burn about 30% additional to move thru your day. Or add 578. 1928 + 578 = 2506.

This is a starting point for you. To lose 1.5 per week, aim for a 750 deficit or 2506-750 = 1756. To make life more sane, look for a range. 1650-1850 would be reasonable. Aiming for an exact # is not necessary.

From there if you're walking 30 minutes a day for exercise, I'd say to stick to the 1650-1850 unless you feel you need extra occasionally. At 244, aiming to lose 1.5 per week is reasonable and so if you lose extra from exercise, its a bonus.

DeguelloTex

The problem is that non-linear weight loss, or even fluctuations during maintenance, can skew TDEE calculations all to hell and back even with a fairly consistent diet and exercise routine.

StaciMarie1974

Note: your calories burned goes down as you lose weight. At 224, your BMR + 30% would be 2392 per day. So as you lose weight, you have a few options:

a) decrease calories in to keep same deficit
b) increase activity/exercise to keep burn rate per day up
c) keep calories in the same and accept a smaller deficit; this is why as you get closer to your goal weight you may need to drop to 1 pound a week, then .5 and so on.

Liftng4Lis

I would follow MFP's recommendations for a month and adjust from there.

earlnabby

DeguelloTex wrote: »

The problem is that non-linear weight loss, or even fluctuations during maintenance, can skew TDEE calculations all to hell and back even with a fairly consistent diet and exercise routine.

True, which I think is why MFP uses NEAT: you view each day as a separate, all inclusive, unit and eat what you expend for that day, less your desired deficit.

DeguelloTex

earlnabby wrote: »

DeguelloTex wrote: »

The problem is that non-linear weight loss, or even fluctuations during maintenance, can skew TDEE calculations all to hell and back even with a fairly consistent diet and exercise routine.

True, which I think is why MFP uses NEAT: you view each day as a separate, all inclusive, unit and eat what you expend for that day, less your desired deficit.

Same problem, different abbreviations.

segacs

The reason for the discrepancy between the numbers is that you're comparing two different methods. With MyFitnessPal, you start off with a base calorie number that excludes your workouts, and then you eat back exercise calories on top of that. With the TDEE method, you build those exercise calories into your base.

Don't worry about all the calculations and abbreviations and acronyms for now. Just follow what MyFitnessPal gives you for a few weeks and focus on learning to log and track everything. It'll all clarify after you've been at it for a bit.

h_adams

Thanks so much everyone! I feel less overwhelmed and more prepared to start this journey!