TDEE and LEAN BODY MASS

beaches61

I am confused about this because I have read conflicting things, so I would like to hear opinions.

When you determine your TDEE, do you base the weight you input on lean body mass weight or total body mass weight?

My total body weight is about 173, after losing 10 pounds. I'm 5-9, which puts me at just a few pounds over a healthy BMI.

However, according to various body fat percentage things I have seen my body fat percentage ranges from like 36 percent to 39 percent. Yea, obese. I am not happy about this and I know I need to change it.

I am 52.

Here are the things I already KNOW, so you don't need to tell me.

-- I KNOW I have to lift weights and do resistance training to change my body fat percentage.

-- I KNOW that BMI is an outdated formula for weight. But it's the most commonly used formula.

-- I also KNOW there is a difference between BMI and body fat percentage, you can be a healthy BMI and still have a high body fat percentage.

What i NEED to KNOW is when you determine TDEE, do you use your total body weight or lean body mass?

yarwell

When you determine your TDEE, do you base the weight you input on lean body mass weight or total body mass weight?

Most calculators work off body weight.

Katch-McArdle equation uses lean body mass however you enter body weight and % fat into most calculators.

Some places use the concept of the "ideal you" to calculate the TDEE for you at goal weight.

I haven't seen a calculator that asks only for the input of lean body mass.

yarwell

-- I KNOW I have to lift weights and do resistance training to change my body fat percentage.

you don't, you reduce your body hat percentage by losing weight and the majority of what you lose will be fat.

deksgrl

TDEE is total daily energy expenditure for your entire body. You use your total body weight.

TDEE is calculated from BMR. One BMR formula that I know of uses body fat % in its calculation, that is the Katch McCardle formula. Mifflin St. Jeor and Harris Benedict formulas do not use body fat %.

_JPunky

-- I KNOW I have to lift weights and do resistance training to change my body fat percentage.

you don't, you reduce your body hat percentage by losing weight and the majority of what you lose will be fat.

Not entirely true. You will lose A LOT of lean muscle if you simply stick to cardio. I did months at just cardio...lost 30 pounds...and had a 40% body fat percentage.

LIFT.

beaches61

wouldn't the fact that I don't appear to have a lot of lean body weight affect that -- that my body fat percentage is on the high side?

yarwell

Not entirely true. You will lose A LOT of lean muscle if you simply stick to cardio. I did months at just cardio...lost 30 pounds...and had a 40% body fat percentage.

weight loss without exercise is more effective than cardio then, if that's true.

Losing 30 lbs and ending up at 40% BF doesn't shed any light TBH.

yarwell

wouldn't the fact that I don't appear to have a lot of lean body weight affect that -- that my body fat percentage is on the high side?

173 and 38% for a woman - LBM = 107 lbs. At 20% BF weight = 134 lbs. Doesn't seem out of order ?

deksgrl

wouldn't the fact that I don't appear to have a lot of lean body weight affect that -- that my body fat percentage is on the high side?

The purpose of lifting is to preserve the lean body mass while you lose weight. So you don't end up as "squishy" at the lower weight as you did at the higher weight.

SezxyStef

Not entirely true. You will lose A LOT of lean muscle if you simply stick to cardio. I did months at just cardio...lost 30 pounds...and had a 40% body fat percentage.

weight loss without exercise is more effective than cardio then, if that's true.

Losing 30 lbs and ending up at 40% BF doesn't shed any light TBH.

No weight loss without cardio is as effective as diet and cardio for fat loss

If you want to perserve muscle cardio isn't going to do that...resistence training and enough protien does...

Cardio is good for heart/lung health, building endurance and getting extra calories.

But if you want to lose fat and minimize muscle loss you do resistence training.

beaches61

wouldn't the fact that I don't appear to have a lot of lean body weight affect that -- that my body fat percentage is on the high side?

The purpose of lifting is to preserve the lean body mass while you lose weight. So you don't end up as "squishy" at the lower weight as you did at the higher weight.

Yes, I know that. Thanks

deksgrl

wouldn't the fact that I don't appear to have a lot of lean body weight affect that -- that my body fat percentage is on the high side?

The purpose of lifting is to preserve the lean body mass while you lose weight. So you don't end up as "squishy" at the lower weight as you did at the higher weight.

Yes, I know that. Thanks

I wasn't sure who you were responding to with that question, so I took a guess.

yarwell

if weight loss is 75% fat ( see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2016490 as a random example ) then your % fat will come down as your weight comes down if you're about 38% fat to start with.

djeffreys10

if weight loss is 75% fat ( see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2016490 as a random example ) then your % fat will come down as your weight comes down if you're about 38% fat to start with.

While that is a factual statement, 75% is a number that was pulled out of someones backside. The percentage weight lost that will be fat varies due to several factors. To maximize the percentage of weight lost that is fat and minimize the percentage that is lean body mass, resistance training and adequate protein intake is required. If one does cardio without resistance training, a much smaller percentage of the weight lost will be actual fat.