Help! TDEE/BMR does not allow for a 500 calorie deficit per day
MSQUARED7
Posts: 19 Member
Hi, TDEE is 1844 and BMR is 1533. I know that BMR is the measurement that is used to keep me alive regarding calories. But to lose a pound at a 500 calorie deficit per day, I will be going below my BMR and I have read not to do that. So guess what? Now I am confused as to exactly what my caloric intake should be. Thank you in advance for your help.
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Replies
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The closer to your goal you are, the smaller your deficit should be. 1 lb/week may just bee too aggressive for your current stats and goal. Perhaps you should aim for .5 lbs/week (250 cal deficit) instead.0
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Thank you for your reply. I am just starting out and am 50 pounds overweight. So as it appears that I am getting closer to my weight, I have a lot to go.0
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Do not use an arbitrary number of calories to set a calorie deficit. Instead use a percentage of your TDEE. For example, the most aggressive deficit you should set is TDEE - 20%. The least aggressive deficit is usually TDEE - 10%. Many people choose TDEE - 15%, it's really up to you.0
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Thank you for your reply. I am just starting out and am 50 pounds overweight. So as it appears that I am getting closer to my weight, I have a lot to go.
Then I would go with the above advice and try a 15 % deficit, which would put you at 1567 calories. Try that and adjust accordingly as you go along. If you increase your activity then your calories will increase as well (BMR will stay the same).0 -
I have heard of this. Is this what you did and you found success?0
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It makes sense as I was losing 1 pound a week for the 5 weeks then nothing for 2 weeks. Yikes!0
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Awesome! I read not to eat below my BMR and I had a feeling that I wasn't eating enough.0
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I have a scale, but was "eyeballing" portions. Good idea to dust it off. I eat pretty clean too. 2 weeks of working hard with zero results calls for an adjustment. Thank you both so much for your help! Let's see what happens...0
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Shouldn't your tdee be higher than that just because your 50lb over weight? How did ou calculate your bmr and tdee?
Also could you try being more active? That would increase your tdee and allow you to have a 500 deficit with out dropping below your bmr.0 -
I'm 5 ft 2, 120-122lbs and I have a very sedentary job - despite my 4 workout's per week, my TDEE averages at around 1750 per day. If I aimed to lose 2lb per week, I'd have to eat 750 calories a day give or take. Not good. If I aimed to lose 1lb, I'd still only be able to have 1250 give or take. Again, not an option for me. Not realistic and not sustainable and not fair on my body! I'm on maintenance now but occasionally I'll cut back after christmas or a big week of 'events' but I limit myself to a 0.5 lb per week loss - 1500 cals per day. Much more realistic and I'm much happier in the process!
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I have a scale, but was "eyeballing" portions. Good idea to dust it off. I eat pretty clean too. 2 weeks of working hard with zero results calls for an adjustment. Thank you both so much for your help! Let's see what happens...
You've received good advice, so I'm not actually going to add anything regarding deficit. I will say, however, that weight loss isn't linear. Not losing for two weeks doesn't really call for an adjustment. You may want to look at your logging and see if you can tighten it up, but it's not a reason to make major adjustments. If you're not losing for more like 4 - 6 weeks, then it's time to make adjustments. I just see thinking in your comment about not losing for two weeks "yikes!" that could potentially lead you to a lot of unnecessary frustration if you don't adjust your expectations a bit.0 -
Ignore BMR, it is only a tool for calculating NEAT or TDEE. If you eat less than BMR or more than BMR has no bearing on the healthiness of your weight loss. The eat below BMR thing seems to be an arbitrary internet forum thing with no scientific backing. Even TDEE-20% doesn't always make sense. Using activity level to determine maximum weight loss is faulty, as someone who is in peak condition and extremely active shouldn't be losing 1-1.5lb/week and someone who is obese and sedentary shouldn't be restricted to losing 0.5-1lb/week.
At 50lb overweight you have tons of energy stored in fat to fuel your day. You could have a 1000 calorie deficit and the fat will cover the energy needs, the problem is that you might not get the nutrients your body needs, so don't go eating 800 calories/day.
Keep weight loss under 1% of your body weight per week, get sufficient protein and fat, do some resistance training (to preserve muscle) and try to get at least 1200 calories of healthy food per day.0 -
I eat below my bmr because I'm lazy lol. I've steadily lost weight and had no negative ramifications of eating below bmr. I need to exercise and plan to start but that is about as far as I've gotten. Like I said, I'm lazy.0
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I eat below my own BMR. The important thing is to take in enough calories to sustain healthy bodily functions and energy, and to eat enough to take in the right amounts of macro- and micronutrients. Anything after that is gravy! The advice to take TDEE-15% or 20% is solid, though, and you might be a lot more comfortable using that formula. It really just comes down to what's healthy and sustainable.0
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People who are sedentary frequently won't have 500 calories between TDEE and BMR. But BMR doesn't matter anyway except in calculating TDEE -- this idea that you should not eat below BMR is a myth. What is important is to avoid an overly aggressive deficit, but 500 off TDEE if you have 50 to lose and are still over 1200 isn't overly aggressive.
If you aren't sedentary, you may have a mistake in the calculation of the TDEE.0 -
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nordlead2005 wrote: »Ignore BMR, it is only a tool for calculating NEAT or TDEE. If you eat less than BMR or more than BMR has no bearing on the healthiness of your weight loss. The eat below BMR thing seems to be an arbitrary internet forum thing with no scientific backing. Even TDEE-20% doesn't always make sense. Using activity level to determine maximum weight loss is faulty, as someone who is in peak condition and extremely active shouldn't be losing 1-1.5lb/week and someone who is obese and sedentary shouldn't be restricted to losing 0.5-1lb/week.
At 50lb overweight you have tons of energy stored in fat to fuel your day. You could have a 1000 calorie deficit and the fat will cover the energy needs, the problem is that you might not get the nutrients your body needs, so don't go eating 800 calories/day.
Keep weight loss under 1% of your body weight per week, get sufficient protein and fat, do some resistance training (to preserve muscle) and try to get at least 1200 calories of healthy food per day.
^Truth. I love this post.0 -
Thank you all so much for posting, I had my daily caloric intake at 1400 and decided to pop it up to 1475 for the 20% TDEE deficit. The 1400 is very sustainable for me for my weight loss goal. I just don't want to be starving my body of nutrients nor put my body in starvation mode. My schedule is not allowing me to exercise yet, but I will eventually get into strength training in the future. So glad the BMR rule is not one to adhere too. There is such a fine line of eating enough to lose weight, but not too little to keep it on...0
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the weight, that is.0
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If one is 5'4", 21 years old and 200lbs and female, estimated BMR would be 1727. That would be the amount of calories needed to SUSTAIN that weight if there were no physical movement involved. Even if we added say 300 calories of very light activity, subtracting 500 calories from that would result in eating under BMR and WELL within safe parameters.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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First off, welcome to MFP.MSQUARED7 wrote:TDEE is 1844 and BMR is 1533.
... to lose a pound at a 500 calorie deficit per day, I will be going below my BMR and I have read not to do that.
So guess what? Now I am confused as to exactly what my caloric intake should be.
...
I just don't want to be starving my body of nutrients nor put my body in starvation mode.
Secondly, while starvation is a real thing, it's hard to get there - takes a long time of malnutrition.
Most people in the First World (which I'm assuming you're in because you have a computer) won't ever be there.
Starvation is when your body starts consuming vital tissue such as muscles & organs in a desperate attempt to
stay alive long enough for you to find & eat food.
Third, what most people refer to as "starvation mode" isn't a real thing.
(Some people think that if they don't eat enough, their body will magically stop burning calories to live and instead
somehow make fat so they'll gain weight. This defies thermodynamics as well as common sense.)
If that's what you were referring to, read this: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
Then read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2015-07-29-starvation-mode-757847
Fourth, here are some more helpful posts. Definitely read sexypants
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-dont-complicate-it/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/872212/youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read/p1
Fifth, here's a post I did about goal setting, including weight, calories, and macros.
It has links to calculators.
The one I like best is in the last section, and it's from the Baylor College of Medicine.
It takes into account your weight, height, age, & activity level to tell you a calorie goal. It also tells you how many
servings of the food groups you should be eating. Put in your healthy goal weight, eat what it says. Don't eat back
exercise calories; they're a bonus toward weight loss, but important for overall health.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-setting-goals-667045
Sixth, unless you're going _very_ low, don't worry about eating below your BMR.
I did it for months and my doctors were perfectly happy with my health, as well as my gradual weight loss.
Generally, I was 300-500 cal/day below BMR.
If you're concerned, check with your doctor.
And as others have said, the less you need to lose to get to a healthy weight/BMI, the more slowly you should/will
be losing, and the smaller a deficit you will have.0 -
Thank you so much for posting all this fabulous information! I am a research nerd so will be diving right in!!!0
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