Eating less than your TDEE dangerous, or just less than BMR?

amandakev88

i have no idea why, but tonight all the pennies are dropping and im getting all paranoid.

i know if i eat less than likw 1200 calories a day i get dizzy and feel weird. i know that the solution to weight loss is to create a deficit. but there are no dangers to eating less than your tdee, are there?

I'm aware this sounds ridiculous, but i just wanted to know if maybe eating less than my TDEE could be harmful in some way--not hugely less, but about 500 cals less. Basically, i want to know if I'm going to start feeling faint, or feel better as i lose.

i read this in another thread, and its partly why im confused.
"What is TDEE?
TDEE is the common abbreviation for Total Daily Energy Expenditure which is a metric to calculate the amount of calories your body needs to function in a day. " I thought BMR was what the body 'needs', minimum, just to function, and tdee is what the body burns

so if i eat less than my TDEE, does that mean my body will be unable to function?

editorgrrl

TDEE is your maintenance calories, the number if calories at which your weight stabilizes. If you eat above TDEE, you gain. To lose weight, you must eat less than TDEE. A deficit of 500 calories per day will result in a loss of approximately 1 lb. per week.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

amandakev88

TDEE is your maintenance calories, the number if calories at which your weight stabilizes. If you eat above TDEE, you gain. To lose weight, you must eat less than TDEE. A deficit of 500 calories per day will result in a loss of approximately 1 lb. per week.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

thank you. the 'maintenance' bit was helpful.
ive read that a hundred times, its super helpful, but it never addresses safety or sluggishness. but i figure if everybody else does it, and you're all alive, its fine, right?
also, you're TDEE and BMR will change as you lose, correct?

yarwell

also, you're TDEE and BMR will change as you lose, correct?

BMR may reduce slightly, couple of hundred calories perhaps. TDEE depends on your activity level too so not necessarily.

editorgrrl

Everybody's different, and it will take trial & error to find what works for you.

BMR gets lower as you lose, but if you become more active your TDEE goes up. The moral of the story: move more!

Have you talked to a doctor about your dizziness, sluggishness & worries?

amandakev88

Everybody's different, and it will take trial & error to find what works for you.

BMR gets lower as you lose, but if you become more active your TDEE goes up. The moral of the story: move more!

Have you talked to a doctor about your dizziness, sluggishness & worries?

i have. they ran blood tests. never found anything wrong with my, physically. and as far as i know, the weight loss methods drs prescribe is the same as this sites prescription--cutting calories [some put patients on a 1500, 1700, 1800 calorie a day diet], and they also say the cure for any illness is usually a 'lifestyle change', so yeah... i think im just being ridiculous [i have an anxiety disorder] but i saw somebody say TDEE is what your body needs to function.. then i saw another [million] say its BMR that your body needs to function. so i worried and posted here.
i just want to make sure im eating enough to survive, and be healthy.