Calculating BMR and TDEE

ranmalih

When calculating BMR and TDEE, do you use current weight or goal weight? I've been eating what MFP gives me, which is 1200/day + some exercise cals... but there is a function to calculate BMR on MFP as well and it puts my current BMR at 1550. Am I undereating?
Stats: 5ft 6ins, 80kg, 28y/o F.

misnomer1

BMR and tdee is with current weight. Mfp doesn't give tdee but NEAT. Tdee includes intentional exercise, NEAT doesn't.

Your BMR at 1550 seems right. Your NEAT should be 1850 or higher depending on your job and general activity levels. Add intentional exercise calories on top of NEAT to get TDEE.

I believe very few people are actually 'sedentary' as per mfp settings. So I'm assuming you are at least 'lightly active'. That would put your NEAT around 2000-2200. So at 1200 you would be losing around 2 lbs a week which seems fine for now but this deficit would have to reduce as you drop weight.
You can still eat at 1500-1600 and lose weight, albeit slower.

Of course, the above calculations consider that you eat exercise calories back.

dwilliamca

You use your current weight. What did you choose for your activity level and how many pounds did you say you want to lose per week? Multiply your BMR by your activity level (sedentary 1.25/lightly active 1.37/active 1.55) and then subtract the appropriate number of calories per day (500 for a pound a week and 1000 for 2 pounds). If you chose sedentary or lightly active and 2 lbs. per week it will put you at the lowest level of 1200. If that seems low for you, you might want to adjust.

meganpettigrew86

https://www.caloriesecrets.net/how-many-calories-should-i-burn-a-day-to-lose-weight/#bmr-calculator
This is what I use

sijomial

This site works by calculating your current maintenance needs but ignores your exercise.
You then select a desired rate of weight loss and it takes off calories at a rate 500 cals/day for each 1lb of weight loss per week selected.

Do choose the correct activity setting.
Don't automatically choose the fastest rate of loss without thinking very carefully if that's appropriate and sustainable.
Do account for your exercise, depending on what your exercise is will influence the best way for getting a reasonable estimate.

At 80kg you could lose weight at a far higher calorie allowance than 1200 + exercise calories.

ranmalih

Thanks everyone, that was really helpful!

tinkerbellang83