TDEE Question

ashleycde

So it seems to be standard to calculate your daily calorie intake based on your TDEE -500 calories. I am currently eating 1200 calories daily, plus I eat back my workout calories. I calculated my TDEE based on the Mifflin-St Jeor formula (set as sedentary, as I work in an office and prefer to add my calories burned through working out seperately) and got 1668 (which is only 1168 after subtracting 500). For reference, by BMR is 1390. So, I guess what I'm asking is, are my net calories supposed to total 1168? I currently eat 1500-1800 based on how much I burn working out, but net 1200. I know 32 calories less doesn't seem like much to cut out, but I just want to know if that how much I'm supposed to be netting? I read so much on here about how anything less than 1200 calories consumed is bad, but it that total or net? I feel like I need a mathematician to work all this out! Also, if I'm totally off-base here and should be eating more, I can appreciate that as well, I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around all the numbers.

My numbers:
TDEE 1668
BMR 1390
Net calories: 1200
Consumed calories: 1500-1800 (depending on exercise)
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 136 lbs
Goal weight: 120-125 lbs (or, when I feel my weight fits my small frame again. The exact weight is irrelevant to me.)

TeaBea

Your BMR is more telling...........this is more likely the least you should be eating. This number is based upon your height, weight, age, etc.

MFP will not go below 1200.....ever. That's just how MFP is designed. 1200 is based upon nutrition....not your size. You tell MFP "I want to lose XX pounds per week" and MFP does math.

A daily deficit of 500 calories is 1 pound.......well, because your BMR is greater than 1168 (or 1200) .......that says that 1 pound a week is an agressive goal. As you get smaller, and smaller, weight loss goals should get smaller too. Large deficits increase lean muscle loss.

bradXdale

Net above your BMR.

Do not net more than your TDEE.

Eat anywhere between those two numbers and you'll be fine.

If you eat closer to your BMR you'll lose quicker (in theory). If you eat closer to your TDEE you'll lose slower (in theory).

ashleycde

So would 1390 or say 1400 be an ideal goal for daily net calories for myself?

J72FIT

How often and how intense do you exercise?

ashleycde

Insanity 6 days a week (though I missed 2 of the workouts this week) and spinning 30-45 minutes 6-7 days a week.

J72FIT

Wow that is a lot of training! I would up the cals. I'll get back to you in a bit with some numbers...

brianpperkins

So would 1390 or say 1400 be an ideal goal for daily net calories for myself?

I'd recommend ... yeah more math coming ..... average out your your weekly caloric burn, add that to the 1668 TDEE (not including workouts) then subtract your weekly loss goal.

(AVG EXERCISE + 1668) - (500 cal per lb weekly loss goal) = average daily intake goal. 3500 cal per week deficit is approx one pound of fat worth of calories.


Adjust as needed based on progress.

J72FIT

Insanity 6 days a week (though I missed 2 of the workouts this week) and spinning 30-45 minutes 6-7 days a week.

BMR = 1390 x 1.725 (train 6-7 days per week) = 2395 (TDEE) - 500 (deficit) = 1895

I know it sounds high but you train a lot and do not have much weight to lose...

ashleycde

I found that exercising and eating healthy has been helping more with my mood than when I was on medication, so that's why I make sure to always keep up my spinning. Sometimes I'll just jump on the bike if I'm feeling bored or depressed (I have a stationary one at home). My boyfriend is doing Insanity and I'm trying to stay on the program with him but end up only doing it when I'm home while he's doing it because it's hard to stick to doing it by myself as I don't enjoy it like I do spinning, and we have dissimilar work schedules.

ashleycde

Thanks for the math help guys!

Mischievous_Rascal

Insanity 6 days a week (though I missed 2 of the workouts this week) and spinning 30-45 minutes 6-7 days a week.

BMR = 1390 x 1.725 (train 6-7 days per week) = 2395 (TDEE) - 500 (deficit) = 1895

I know it sounds high but you train a lot and do not have much weight to lose...

Agreed. Our stats, including BMR are close, but you workout more than me, and I eat 2500 (I lost my last 10 lbs with a 200 cal/day deficit.) I don't count my exercise, though, but I probably average around 200-300ish/day, so I'm netting around 2200+.) Since you're close to goal, you're deficit should be smaller, too, say 10% max. You need to fuel those high burns.