Quick Question on BMR, calories, and losing weight

michaelklaj
michaelklaj Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey - So browsing these forums has made me extremely confused and I just need some help figuring things out.
I have always had problems trying to lose weight. Much of this has been my fault, and I need to get back on track. After looking at some calculations about BMR and TDEE, I found my BMR to be about 2000 calories. I am 5' 11" and arouind 260 pounds, but I have a really strange body composition. I have a heavily muscled upper body due to competitive tennis for about eight years, but I have a gut, and leg and groin fat.
I'm really just confused. How the hell am I supposed to figure this out? I don't want to starve myself, but I have no idea how to accurately measure the amount I should eat. If someone could view my diary and help me out that'd be great!
P.S. - I changed it back to the MFP recommended calories. Just so you know!

Replies

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    If your BMR is 2000, then that's not including any exercise or activity. Activity would be another 400-600 depending on your lifestyle, what happens during your usual day. And exercise. With 260 pounds as your 'now' you should be able to aim for 1-2 pounds per week. Eating at your BMR of 2000 should put you at a 1-2 pound deficit, depending of course on your particular activity level & exercise. If you find its not enough, add 250.

    Do you weigh, measure everything you consume?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Ps-can't look at your diary, its not open.
  • JennyJ2015
    JennyJ2015 Posts: 154 Member
    hey i had this problem too about how much i should eat but the daily goal the mfp sets for you is without eating any of the exercise cals back the bmr is what you can eat with eating with eating some exercise cals back but dont go over that and the tdee is what you burn every day just doing what you normally do without exercise
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    TDEE is total daily expenditure. It considers bmr + activity + exercise.

    BMR is just what your body burns to sustain itself. Bodily functions and the like. MFP asks you to indicate an activity level (sedentary, lightly active, etc.) and estimates your total daily WITHOUT exercise between BMR + regular activity. MFP then uses your goal and deducts calories. Such as if your BMR + activity is 2600, and you set MFP up to lose 1 pound per week, MFP tells you to eat 2100 per day. (2600 - 500 = 2100) You then log your exercise, cardio affects burn while strength doesn't necessarily, and should consider eating some of your exercise calories.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    Hey - So browsing these forums has made me extremely confused and I just need some help figuring things out.
    I have always had problems trying to lose weight. Much of this has been my fault, and I need to get back on track. After looking at some calculations about BMR and TDEE, I found my BMR to be about 2000 calories. I am 5' 11" and arouind 260 pounds, but I have a really strange body composition. I have a heavily muscled upper body due to competitive tennis for about eight years, but I have a gut, and leg and groin fat.
    I'm really just confused. How the hell am I supposed to figure this out? I don't want to starve myself, but I have no idea how to accurately measure the amount I should eat. If someone could view my diary and help me out that'd be great!
    P.S. - I changed it back to the MFP recommended calories. Just so you know!

    19 yr old, M, 75 ish pounds to lose. Your diary is closed.

    What is your goal? Do you want to develop the lower body to match the upper or do you just want to lose weight? That's going to affect your intake. How active are you? Do you work in an office??

    If it were me, I would set your intake to about 2400 cals and start logging. It will take about 1 month to see any 'accurate' results. If you lose more than 2 lbs / week then up it by 100 cals the next week until you get to about 2. If you don't lose then drop it by 100 until you do. It takes a little playing around.

    OR, just set MFP to 1.5/ week and try that out for a while to see how it works. Do NOT set it to 2lbs/week - it's way innacurate and it will cut you way too far to start out.

    Once you get the calories worked out you can start adding some weights. You can do it right away but its harder to get accurate TDEE when you are adding activities.
  • michaelklaj
    michaelklaj Posts: 3
    Sorry! Just opened my diary, someone take a look. I'm hitting macros every day, but I am worried about the calories.
    Eating over 2000 calories makes me feel egregiously lethargic, like I'm in a funk. I am super alert at 1800. Is this bad?

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