BMR/TDEE questions

Beckym1205
Beckym1205 Posts: 217 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been looking at TDEE and BMR calculators recently and depending on the site my BMR is between 1669 and 1729. I'm 5'5, 29, and roughly 208 lbs. I have my calorie goal on MFP set at 1500. I checked my calories over the past few months and I only went over that in net calories 3 times (twice was barely over and I had one huge overage one day). Most days my gross calorie intake is between 1400 and 1800. I've been exercising regularly (5-6 days a week).

Calculating TDEE for light exercise 1-3 days a week (or one site just says exercise 3 days) I get a TDEE between 2298 and 2377 depending on the site. So my question is, should I always be eating at lease the calories indicated by my BMR and under the calories indicated by my TDEE? So for me, somewhere between 1669 and 2377? And of course, since TDEE factors in exercise I would base this off of gross calories not net calories so I would not eat back my exercise calories. My TDEE seems really high to me and I have a hard time thinking I'll ever lose weight if I eat 1800-2000 calories a day. And, if I calculate my TDEE based on moderate activity 3-5 days a week it equals 2664 calories.

Any advise would be appreciated. I think I'm over-thinking things but I'm sick of the weight roller coaster caused by eating too few calories then when I can't take it anymore I eat WAY too many calories and undo all my progress (and then some). I'm really trying to figure out how to be healthy AND lose weight.

Replies

  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
    I have your BMR figured at 1723 calories per day. At 3 days per week exercise I have your TDEE at 2369 calories per day. It looks like you have 60 lbs to lose. If that is correct you can carry a pretty large deficit IMO so 1500 - 1600 calories per day seems right to me. Make sure you some resistance training not lose muscle mass and also, as you get leaner your deficit will have to get smaller... since there will be less of you (fat) to be used as a fuel source to make up your TDEE.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    I have my calorie goal on MFP set at 1500. I checked my calories over the past few months and I only went over that in net calories 3 times (twice was barely over and I had one huge overage one day). Most days my gross calorie intake is between 1400 and 1800. I've been exercising regularly (5-6 days a week).

    How much weight did you lose during those past few months when you ate a gross of 1400 to 1800 calories?
  • emiy1988
    emiy1988 Posts: 24 Member
    Which calculator do you use to calculate your BMR and TDEE?
  • Beckym1205
    Beckym1205 Posts: 217 Member
    I have my calorie goal on MFP set at 1500. I checked my calories over the past few months and I only went over that in net calories 3 times (twice was barely over and I had one huge overage one day). Most days my gross calorie intake is between 1400 and 1800. I've been exercising regularly (5-6 days a week).

    How much weight did you lose during those past few months when you ate a gross of 1400 to 1800 calories?

    I had some days that I didn't log (so maybe I went over on those days) but I did get up to 214 (just didn't log that gain on MFP) and right now I'm hovering around 208 (weighed in at 207.4 on Monday, 208.8 yesterday, 208 today). So, I've lost about 6 lbs.
  • Beckym1205
    Beckym1205 Posts: 217 Member
    Which calculator do you use to calculate your BMR and TDEE?

    I did a bunch of them. Basically I did a google search for BMR calculator and another search for TDEE calculator and used the first 3-5 calculator sites that came up. Here's a few of the ones I used:

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    http://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html

    http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

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