Need calorie advice based on my BMR

blondx7
blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
Good morning party people.

I just calculated my BMR at 1344. Does this mean 1200 calories is too little for me? What percentage above my BMR should I be eating?

For the past 3 days I haven't eaten enough, but please don't judge me for that. There is a medical reason for it and today I will make sure to get to 1200 at minimum. My appetite is slowly coming back. I do not want to kill my metabolism or be unable to run several miles at a time, I am NOT trying for a VLCD. I've only undereaten for 3 days, and it was not intentional or something I feel good about. I feel like it needs to be corrected stat, which is why I'm seeking advice here.
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Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    BMR isn't especially relevant. You should eat at a deficit based on your daily calorie burn.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    TDEE is a easier number to know for weight loss more than BMR.
  • blondx7
    blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
    My understanding is that BMR is very relevant because you can't calculate your daily calorie burn without knowing your individual BMR.
  • blondx7
    blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
    what is TDEE?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    BMR is not relevant. TDEE is total daily energy expenditure: your daily calorie burn.
  • blondx7
    blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
    Isn't that BMR + exercise cals?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    More or less. What's important is a deficit based on the total, not BMR.

    A perfect clone of you who sat at home all day and one who ran twenty miles a day would have fairly similar BMR and totally different caloric needs.
  • blondx7
    blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
    I think my TDEE is ~2100. I just utilized an online calculator. Does that mean NET 1200 is too low, if I'm eating 100% of my exercise calories back?
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    More or less. What's important is a deficit based on the total, not BMR.

    A perfect clone of you who sat at home all day and one who ran twenty miles a day would have fairly similar BMR and totally different caloric needs.
    This.

    Take the BMR to figure out your TDEE, but then subtract off of the TDEE. At most around 20% is recommended.
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    blondx7 wrote: »
    I think my TDEE is ~2100. I just utilized an online calculator. Does that mean NET 1200 is too low, if I'm eating 100% of my exercise calories back?

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/

    use this site to calculate TDEE.
  • blondx7
    blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
    OK, it looks like my goal should be around 1600 calories.

    thank you all so much!!
  • albone
    albone Posts: 21 Member
    BMR and TDEE Explained for Those Needing a Guide
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/931670

    BMR/TDEE is how I roll.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Yes, imo, 1200 is way too low for a TDEE of around 2100. A 20% deficit from TDEE is considered pretty aggressive, depending on how much weight you have to lose. A 10% deficit -- 1890 -- would put you at losing not quite half a pound a week, for example.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Your TDEE is your BMR plus energy expended from normal day to day activities plus exercise. TDEE is a better way to look at things when wanting to lose weight, there are plenty of online sites which will help you calculate yours, try scoobyworkshop for one example. Then depending on how much you need to lose you eat at 5-20% deficit of that TDEE amount. It works :smiley: as does the MFP method where you eat back (most) of your exercise calories.
  • juleszephyr
    juleszephyr Posts: 442 Member
    If your TDEE is 2100 and you Net 1200 you have a calorie deficit of 900 per day, which would equate to about a 2lb a week loss (1000 cal deficit per day = 2 lbs a week). Your TDEE is similar to mine and I tend to aim for around 1550 a day average which is my 1200 plus 50% exercise cals. I tend to lost approx. 1 lb a week on this at the moment.
  • blondx7
    blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
    It looks like 1600-1700 will be my sweet spot at 20% deficit. Thank you all!
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    blondx7 wrote: »
    It looks like 1600-1700 will be my sweet spot at 20% deficit. Thank you all!

    Every ten pounds or so reconfigure your stats numbers. They drop as you lose weight.
  • blondx7
    blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
    OK, thank you!! I only need to lose 20-25 pounds.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    Alan Aragon has a pretty straight forward TDEE formula...

    Goal weight x (hours of exercise + 9.5)
  • blondx7
    blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
    That puts the number at 1425.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    edited June 2015
    Remember it's all a guess to put you within a range... An educated guess.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Alan Aragon has a pretty straight forward TDEE formula...

    Goal weight x (hours of exercise + 9.5)

    that include weight training and cardio?
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Alan Aragon has a pretty straight forward TDEE formula...

    Goal weight x (hours of exercise + 9.5)

    that include weight training and cardio?
    I believe so...
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Alan Aragon has a pretty straight forward TDEE formula...

    Goal weight x (hours of exercise + 9.5)

    that include weight training and cardio?
    I believe so...

    I would think Alan would need to specify which exercise for that equation.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Alan Aragon has a pretty straight forward TDEE formula...

    Goal weight x (hours of exercise + 9.5)

    that include weight training and cardio?
    I believe so...

    I would think Alan would need to specify which exercise for that equation.
    Don't over-think it...
  • tephanies1234
    tephanies1234 Posts: 299 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Alan Aragon has a pretty straight forward TDEE formula...

    Goal weight x (hours of exercise + 9.5)

    hmmm...I calculated for me and I would be losing about .8 lb per week on that.
  • blondx7
    blondx7 Posts: 1,683 Member
    Even still, 1420-1680 is a big difference from 1200, so all this information has been very helpful to me for maintaining my health.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    edited June 2015
    blondx7 wrote: »
    Even still, 1420-1680 is a big difference from 1200, so all this information has been very helpful to me for maintaining my health.
    Exactly...
    Use multiple formulas to get an adequate range to work from and experiment.

  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    blondx7 wrote: »
    Even still, 1420-1680 is a big difference from 1200, so all this information has been very helpful to me for maintaining my health.

    Keep in mind that if you use TDEE, you don't eat back exercise calories as it's already included in your target number.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Alan Aragon has a pretty straight forward TDEE formula...

    Goal weight x (hours of exercise + 9.5)

    hmmm...I calculated for me and I would be losing about .8 lb per week on that.
    Unfortunately fat-loss is not that linear...