I'm so lost about calorie intake

azerty1981
azerty1981 Posts: 10
in Getting Started
Hello,

I'm new here and really don't know what to eat.
I don't understand everything that's going on with TDEE and BMR and net calories and so on...

I'm a woman, 32 years old. 5.3ft, I work a desk job.
My weight is 157lbs. Goal weight: 125-127lbs.

Scooby calculator gives me a BMR of 1475 and a TDEE of 1770

I have a lot to lose and I don't want to starve. Cause I want enjoy eating for the rest of my life. Would that be ok to eat 1400 calories a day + calories burned.
I think that's called neting my BMR

I think that I'm not supposed to eat under my BMR but if I want to lose a pound a week I need to cut 500 calories a day from my TDEE, wich seems incompatible.
Can I eat 250 calories less and burn 250 calories but that would be neting less than BMR?!...

As you can see I'm lost and could use any help, advice. Anything a little bit clear.

I want to do things right as early as possible in the process

Cassidy

Replies

  • Azurite27
    Azurite27 Posts: 554 Member
    If you're just starting, you could try recording your normal calories for a week and then gradually reduce them week by week until you get to a weight-loss rate you're comfortable with. Just make sure you log everything.

    Or try taking MFP's recommendation and see how it works for you.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    The TDEE you came up with is only for sedentary so it's not including your exercise, that's why the math doesn't add up. If you included the 250 calories you burned as you should, that would be a TDEE of 2020 and 500 less than that would be 1520 which is pretty close to your BMR.

    You could try BMR plus exercise calories. I've been doing that for a few months and it works quite well when I stick with it.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    157-127 is only 30lbs. That's NOT a lot. That's a drop in the bucket to some people here. Things you need to know before getting frusterated, impatient and quitting: It won't come off over night, it will come off pretty darn slow (aim for 1lb/week right now, as you get closer to goal you may need to lessen the deficient), and eating less than your goal won't help.

    Ok, so. BMR 1475, TDEE 1770. If I was you, I'd eat at 1550 (don't eat back exercise calories) consistantly (I mean meet your goal everyday (not much over or under)) for 3 weeks and get back on the scale. In 3 weeks you should lose close to 3lbs. If you haven't, lessen that to 1500 and see what the results are. It's not an exact science, you won't lose 1lb every week, some weeks you won't lose anything, some 2lbs.

    If you increase your exercise intensity, or duration, later in the game, eat more.

    Try and reduce the amount of processed foods you eat and lessen the amount you eat out. I'm not saying stop doing either. I like the 80% whole foods/20% treats rule.

    Last thing. Nobody is perfect in this. You'll fall of and get back on thousands of times, but the aim is to get back on.

    Good luck!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    aim optimistically for 1550, try not to go over 1750. On days when you have a ridiculously intense workout, eat a couple hundred more. (like 200-300 - not 700)
  • bethanytowell
    bethanytowell Posts: 256 Member
    Hello,

    I'm new here and really don't know what to eat.
    I don't understand everything that's going on with TDEE and BMR and net calories and so on...

    I'm a woman, 32 years old. 5.3ft, I work a desk job.
    My weight is 157lbs. Goal weight: 125-127lbs.

    Scooby calculator gives me a BMR of 1475 and a TDEE of 1770

    I have a lot to lose and I don't want to starve. Cause I want enjoy eating for the rest of my life. Would that be ok to eat 1400 calories a day + calories burned.
    I think that's called neting my BMR

    I think that I'm not supposed to eat under my BMR but if I want to lose a pound a week I need to cut 500 calories a day from my TDEE, wich seems incompatible.
    Can I eat 250 calories less and burn 250 calories but that would be neting less than BMR?!...

    As you can see I'm lost and could use any help, advice. Anything a little bit clear.

    I want to do things right as early as possible in the process

    Cassidy

    You dont have to cut 500cal a day to lose weight. I am your height and weight and I eat 1450-1500 and lose 1-1.5lb per week when actively trying/logging.
  • SummerLovesPhil
    SummerLovesPhil Posts: 242 Member
    Despite all the fancy calculators that are out there, a lot of this process is going to be about trial and error. For the first week or so, I suggest eating the way you normally do and just tracking meticulously. That way you'll have a baseline and you can adjust from there. I've hit on 1755 as the sweet spot where I'm not too hungry but I'm still losing weight--oddly enough, that's just what MFP suggested.
  • azerty1981
    azerty1981 Posts: 10
    Thanks a lot to all of you!! It feels so conforting to know that people went through the same things as I do and had some success. It's kind of a big deal for me to start and take care of myself the right way.

    I'll just take a leap of faith and try. I'll correct what's needed, when needed, if needed.

    @Bethany: Do you eat 1450-1500 calories/day NET? Or do you eat that regardless of how active you day is?
    I'm sorry to pick on any detail but I really don't know anything about health and fitness...

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