How do you calculate how many KCAL you need per day?

Sawjer
Sawjer Posts: 229 Member
in Food and Nutrition
After research I have found 101 different ways to calculate how many KCAL i should be consuming everyday just to maintain my current bodyweight. I dont have a clue which one is correct, accurate or which one I should be following.. Is it as simple as (one off the 100s) BMR calculator?

What method do you use? BMR, Other calculations? Just what MFP says? TDEE? RMR? COA? TEF?

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,206 Member
    Originally, many years ago my Dr. who is a nutritional nerd, and appreciated by me another nerd told me to record what I eat, exactly and make adjustments to those calories where I don't lose or gain for a week or two, then divide by the total days. It's called our TDEE....online calculators and the acronym BMR has caused brain damage for the vast majority of people...j/k.
  • Sawjer
    Sawjer Posts: 229 Member
    KCAL = Calories
    BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate
    MFP = My Fitness Pal
    TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure
    RMR = Resting Metabolic Rate
    COA = Cost of Activity
    TEF = Thermic Effect of Food

    Sorry to confuse you.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,206 Member
    lol.
  • Sawjer
    Sawjer Posts: 229 Member
    Bump ^^ For a chance someone might have an answer!
  • eathealthytrainhard6
    eathealthytrainhard6 Posts: 8 Member
    I lost most of my weight using TDEE and BMR. I calculated my BMR and multiplied it by my activity level to get my TDEE, then I set my calories at TDEE - 20%. Once I plateaued, I increased it to 25% etc. Doing this as well as changing my macros around (this is different for everybody obviously, after a few months of testing I found 40/30/30 works best for me) helped me lose ten pounds in 3 months. This wasn't recommended to me by a nutritionist or anything, but the science seems sound and from my experience its been working great. I've just been googling "BMR calculator" and using the first link.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    The short answer is: it doesn't matter what method you use to calculate your intake needs.

    The slightly longer answer is that is doesn't matter, because all of them are only estimates. The only way to know for sure is to pick a reasonable-looking intake level, and try it on for 2-4 weeks. Track your food carefully, monitor your weight/measurements/mirror/photographs during that time. At the end of this "trial" period, you should have a better idea of whether your intake needs to be increased or reduced.

    Personally, I like a TDEE -X% method, just 'cause it's easy. There are many online tools that will give you an estimate of your TDEE, and most provide a pretty good ballpark starting point IMO.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Originally, many years ago my Dr. who is a nutritional nerd, and appreciated by me another nerd told me to record what I eat, exactly and make adjustments to those calories where I don't lose or gain for a week or two, then divide by the total days. It's called our TDEE....online calculators and the acronym BMR has caused brain damage for the vast majority of people...j/k.

    I think this actually is the best answer. Pick a number eat that number. See what your weight does. You can log two weeks, record the weight change and that will show you your deficit/surplus amount.

    Considering water weight, it's likely to not be that exact, but I'd still just pick a number and see what happens. You stay the same, knock off 100 calories. Weight start to fall off? Keep at it. Any method you pick is going to be an estimation.
  • Sawjer
    Sawjer Posts: 229 Member
    ~Cheers for the replies, much appreciated~

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