TDEE minus 1000 = less than BMR?

29_adjacent
29_adjacent Posts: 104 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

So at the moment I am using MFP to calculate my daily calorie allowance but I was curious about the TDEE method so I checked what mine is and also what my BMR is.

My TDEE is approx 2400 and my BMR is approx 1700.

However, when I take away 1000 cals from my TDEE to allow for 2lb per week loss it equals appox 1400 which is obviously less than my BMR. From what I can gather I should be eating AT LEAST my BMR but if I do does that mean I won't be able to lose 2lb per week?

Even when I aim for 1.5lbs per week I'm getting 1650 which is STILL less than my BMR. So basically I'm confused! How many calories should I be eating??

I've been on approx 1200 cals a day so far but I lost 4lb this week, which I'm led to believe is far too much in one week? I've also come to realise that 1200 cals a day is probably not going to be sustainable in the long term (even though I have easily been under that goal on several days).

I want to up my calories but still lose at least 1.5lbs per week but I'm worried that eating less than my BMR is going to be bad for me in the long run. Will it? Or should I ignore that and just eat the 1400/1650 per day? Please can someone advise me what to do?

My stats are as follows:

30 year old female
5ft 7
222 lbs
goal weight: 160 lbs
desk job and pretty sendentary but I have been trying to walk (approx 2.5 miles p/h) at least 30 mins a day 3 days a week

Replies

  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    I put your info into the Scooby site (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) and put you in for a 1.5 lb per week loss (25% difference) and this is what I got (I put you at 1-3 hrs per week of light exercise.

    BMR: 1789
    TDEE: 2459
    What you should eat to lose 1.5 lb per week: 1844.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I put your info into the Scooby site (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) and put you in for a 1.5 lb per week loss (25% difference) and this is what I got (I put you at 1-3 hrs per week of light exercise.

    BMR: 1789
    TDEE: 2459
    What you should eat to lose 1.5 lb per week: 1844.

    1.5 hour at 2.5 mph isn't really light exercise though. It's probably somewhere between sedentary and light exercise.

    I'd either increase your exercise or decrease your deficit, or just eat at BMR.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    I am just gonna leave this here.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I don't subscribe to the "don't eat below your BMR" theory, especially when we have a lot of weight to lose and are sedentary because our NEAT and TDEE are the same and very close to our BMR until you start working out and working out regularly

    If you don't eat below your BMR in these instances we would never be able to set a reasonable deficit.

    That being said, with 62 lbs to lose I would tend to go for a 1.5 lb per week loss and not 2 lb
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    My TDEE is approx 2400 and my BMR is approx 1700
    ....
    30 year old female
    5ft 7
    222 lbs
    goal weight: 160 lbs

    I get 1500ish for your BMR, at which point your problem basically goes away.

    To get 1700ish, I have to use a calculation method that doesn't account for your high body fat percentage.

    Use 1500ish.
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
    wrong thread
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Don't get caught up with calculators and estimators. You have a goal in mind and you have a rate at which you want to lose weight. Pick any reasonable number at all to start with. Say for example you pick 2000. Eat that many calories for a few weeks. If you don't lose weight, decrease calories by 10% and give it a few more weeks. If you gain weight drop the number by 20%. If you drop weight but not as fast as you like, reduce by 5% and give it a few more weeks. Any time you stall or weight loss slows repeat this process. Note that you must give 2-3 weeks before you can be sure you are actually stalled. Don't freak after 3 or 4 days and lower calories. In the off chance you lose weight faster then you want simply raise calories. Also note that your first 2 weeks of dieting don't alter your calories no matter what because you are likely to lose lots of water weight.
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    If you've just started, it's expected to drop over 2 lb. in the first week. Most people would need to eat under their BMR to eat at TDEE - 1000. I'd recommend a weight loss rate of 1.5 lb/week; you can make up the extra 50 calories by increasing your exercise.
  • Hannah_Hopes
    Hannah_Hopes Posts: 273 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    I am just gonna leave this here.

    ^ read this
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
    You can eat below you BMR. I am large, therefore my BMR is high. MFP targets are less than my BMR set at a 2lb loss per week. It just depends on your situation.
  • ravenmiss
    ravenmiss Posts: 384 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    I am just gonna leave this here.

    Deffo read this.

    I have to eat under my BMR or I wouldn't lose weight.
  • 29_adjacent
    29_adjacent Posts: 104 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    I am just gonna leave this here.

    Thanks, that really helped me understand it all. Good to know I don't need to worry about eating below my estimated BMR. Think I will just change my goal to 1.5 lbs per week and go with what MFP tells me to eat for now. Depending on results I may up/lower my cals again in a few weeks.

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