BMR & TDEE Question

TheEffort

According to your ticker you only have about 8 lbs to lose. If so, you don't want to aim for 2lbs a week - that's too aggressive and would require too large a deficit.

A 15% cut from your TDEE would land you at about 1550+ cals a day, and even that might be pushing it with so little to lose. At this point you should focus less on the scale number and more on inches/fat lost, which this method is awesome at achieving.

Agreed.

rezrighter

To my understanding, you should ALWAYS stay above your BMR. Take 20% away from your TDEE (Divide your TDEE by 10, multiply that number by two, and then subtract it from your TDEE) and have that be your goal. You can choose to add back in exercise calories or not, I personally do.

You should never eat less then your BMR, thats called a starvation diet, and we all know how unhealthy those can be. It is possible with exercise and exertion to drop below your BMR. Some types of athelats do this regularly. Though I am not sure I would recomend this on a daily basis.

loubidy

Can I just say thank you for taking on board what people are telling you even though it's different from what you asked. It is so refreshing to see someone listen and not claim to being bullied.

You have your priorities in the right place.

allana1111

Can I just say thank you for taking on board what people are telling you even though it's different from what you asked. It is so refreshing to see someone listen and not claim to being bullied.

You have your priorities in the right place.

Appreciate it.. I'm actually aiming for 1500 today.. feels AWESOME not to be hungry. and still worked out!

auddii

so yes I am stressed

Stress is a beast. You'll be happier without it. Stress does not help you lose weight.

To reduce stress (and the hormones that get out of whack) get enough sleep. Make sure you're getting enough magnesium and Omega-3s. Laugh. Don't drink too much coffee or alcohol. But most importantly, to reduce stress, make sure you're eating enough to fuel your body. Seriously.

+1 the sleep, makes a huge impact on your cortisol levels.

1500 to 1600 calories would be a good goal as others have suggested. Adequate protein and fat are going to be crucial. Protein for maintaining muscle while losing and fat for proper nutrient absorption.

Yeah but I get 9-10 hours of sleep every night so that's not an issue for me lol love my sleep

Stress in general causes cortisol increases. You're planning a wedding, and we all know that is not stressful at all. Plus, you're calorie restricting, working out, and annoyed that you aren't losing since you have a timeline. All of those can cause you stress. Plus you have your job or school or whatever you do with your life.

Cortisol can cause water retention that can mask some weight differences, but again, I'd stop focusing on the scale. Try to measure success in different ways. I weigh myself, I take measurements weekly, I take pictures monthly, and I go by how my clothes are fitting me. Together, that gives me an ok picture of my success. Any one method gives me very skewed results (and that can be really frustrating).

The other thing to consider is that you may not need to lose weight. I think you've seen this before, but just to repeat, a lot of people who are looking to "lose that last few pounds" actually wants to "tone" or "tighten up". All of that usually translates to building muscle and losing a *little* bit of fat. Unfortunately, that goes pretty slowly.

Some things that could help:
Eat relatively high protein
Incorporate a progressive resistance program (weight training or body weight program with increasingly difficult exercises)
Ignore the scale.

Seriously. Ignore the scale. This is Staci; she is 11lbs heavier in the picture on the right:


You can read her entire story here:
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

allana1111

so yes I am stressed

Stress is a beast. You'll be happier without it. Stress does not help you lose weight.

To reduce stress (and the hormones that get out of whack) get enough sleep. Make sure you're getting enough magnesium and Omega-3s. Laugh. Don't drink too much coffee or alcohol. But most importantly, to reduce stress, make sure you're eating enough to fuel your body. Seriously.

+1 the sleep, makes a huge impact on your cortisol levels.

1500 to 1600 calories would be a good goal as others have suggested. Adequate protein and fat are going to be crucial. Protein for maintaining muscle while losing and fat for proper nutrient absorption.

Yeah but I get 9-10 hours of sleep every night so that's not an issue for me lol love my sleep

Stress in general causes cortisol increases. You're planning a wedding, and we all know that is not stressful at all. Plus, you're calorie restricting, working out, and annoyed that you aren't losing since you have a timeline. All of those can cause you stress. Plus you have your job or school or whatever you do with your life.

Cortisol can cause water retention that can mask some weight differences, but again, I'd stop focusing on the scale. Try to measure success in different ways. I weigh myself, I take measurements weekly, I take pictures monthly, and I go by how my clothes are fitting me. Together, that gives me an ok picture of my success. Any one method gives me very skewed results (and that can be really frustrating).

The other thing to consider is that you may not need to lose weight. I think you've seen this before, but just to repeat, a lot of people who are looking to "lose that last few pounds" actually wants to "tone" or "tighten up". All of that usually translates to building muscle and losing a *little* bit of fat. Unfortunately, that goes pretty slowly.

Some things that could help:
Eat relatively high protein
Incorporate a progressive resistance program (weight training or body weight program with increasingly difficult exercises)
Ignore the scale.

Seriously. Ignore the scale. This is Staci; she is 11lbs heavier in the picture on the right:


You can read her entire story here:
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

thank you! I have seen that before and keep it in mind a lot when I get frustrated. I have been weightlifting since beginning of January. I have seen some changes, however, not enough that I'm satisfied completely YET. I'm wondering if I'm gaining muscle because I am focusing on getting enough protein and weightlifting.. with cardio too. But I know I can't build muscle without a calorie surplus so I don't think that's it?

auddii

thank you! I have seen that before and keep it in mind a lot when I get frustrated. I have been weightlifting since beginning of January. I have seen some changes, however, not enough that I'm satisfied completely YET. I'm wondering if I'm gaining muscle because I am focusing on getting enough protein and weightlifting.. with cardio too. But I know I can't build muscle without a calorie surplus so I don't think that's it?

Honestly, it's a waste of time trying to explain what we see on the scale. I'm convinced mine is possessed. Or it hates me. I see some changes during the month, but on progress picture day, it's always just about the same. But the pictures are different. Progress is progress, and even though you aren't satisfied, you're better than when you started. I'd suggest keeping at the lifting, make sure you get enough protein, and aim for 1500-1600 calories a day. And stick with it. Don't change something every two weeks if you don't see changes. It will get you where you need to be, but it might take a little while.

Also, I work with a wedding photographer, so I spend a lot of time with brides. They are all super nervous about how they look and they stress about everything. Up front and before the wedding. During the wedding, you are going to care less. You will be the best dressed woman in the room and no matter what you think you look like, your fiance knows you are the most beautiful person he's ever seen. And everyone else will think you are beautiful too. Smile and enjoy your day. Your personality shining through will make far more of an impact than a few pounds difference. Honestly, the only bride I ever thought were ugly were when they were being horribly rude (and luckily that didn't last all day).

allana1111

thank you! I have seen that before and keep it in mind a lot when I get frustrated. I have been weightlifting since beginning of January. I have seen some changes, however, not enough that I'm satisfied completely YET. I'm wondering if I'm gaining muscle because I am focusing on getting enough protein and weightlifting.. with cardio too. But I know I can't build muscle without a calorie surplus so I don't think that's it?

Honestly, it's a waste of time trying to explain what we see on the scale. I'm convinced mine is possessed. Or it hates me. I see some changes during the month, but on progress picture day, it's always just about the same. But the pictures are different. Progress is progress, and even though you aren't satisfied, you're better than when you started. I'd suggest keeping at the lifting, make sure you get enough protein, and aim for 1500-1600 calories a day. And stick with it. Don't change something every two weeks if you don't see changes. It will get you where you need to be, but it might take a little while.

Also, I work with a wedding photographer, so I spend a lot of time with brides. They are all super nervous about how they look and they stress about everything. Up front and before the wedding. During the wedding, you are going to care less. You will be the best dressed woman in the room and no matter what you think you look like, your fiance knows you are the most beautiful person he's ever seen. And everyone else will think you are beautiful too. Smile and enjoy your day. Your personality shining through will make far more of an impact than a few pounds difference. Honestly, the only bride I ever thought were ugly were when they were being horribly rude (and luckily that didn't last all day).

thank you very much