BMR/TDEE - Can't work out how many calories to eat

maddieftaylor

Hi all,

I am new to the world the BMR and TDEE - I used to just go by eating 1200 a day and eating back some of the cals I burn. I am 5 foot 4 and fluctuate anywhere between 127 - 133 - my goal is to be 119 for holiday (which is in about 8 weeks time). My MFP goal is set to lose 2 pounds a week, but I have seen a lot of posts from people in the same position who have stuck to 1200 and not lost any weight.

I have a desk job but I walk around a lot from office to office at work and also do a fitness dvd each day at least (currently the 30 day shred). Can anyone help me out with how much I should be eating please? I know this question has been asked a million times but I am so confused!

vismal

2 lbs a week is far to aggressive for someone your height and weight. It's difficult to lose 2 lbs a week when you're male, tall, and 50 lbs overweight. For a Female @ 5'4 with about 10 to lose it's just not a good idea. I'd be happy with 0.5-1 lb a week. As far as tdee and bmr, no matter what calculator you use to get your numbers it's going to be an estimate. You simply need to go with a number, eat that number, and adjust it based on results. I'd start a bit higher then 1200 so you have some wiggle room if you need to lower it. More importantly is that you count and track your calories accurately. MANY MANY people think they are eating 1200 but are actually eating WAY more then that. If you have a once a week cheat day where you eat 3000 and then eat 1200 for the other 6 days its the exact same as eating 1450 every day. If you estimate portion sizes or use measuring cups for solid foods you will also have a big margin of error. I recommend using a food scale to weigh EVERYTHING you eat.

4legsRbetterthan2

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

this is a great calorie calculator that explains BMR and TDEE for you.

2/lbs per week weight loss is way too aggressive considering your current state and probably impossible unless you get into unhealthy methods. MFP bottoms out at 1200 calories (meaning is it as low as it will set anybody reguardless of what their goal is) and most likely you will not lose 2 lbs a week without going below that wich you SHOULD NOT do. These are also some great posts for beginners. Take your time and stay healthy, you will see good changes in your body even if you are not moving as fast as you would like.

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

beastmode_kitty

2 lbs a week is far to aggressive for someone your height and weight. It's difficult to lose 2 lbs a week when you're male, tall, and 50 lbs overweight. For a Female @ 5'4 with about 10 to lose it's just not a good idea. I'd be happy with 0.5-1 lb a week. As far as tdee and bmr, no matter what calculator you use to get your numbers it's going to be an estimate. You simply need to go with a number, eat that number, and adjust it based on results. I'd start a bit higher then 1200 so you have some wiggle room if you need to lower it. More importantly is that you count and track your calories accurately. MANY MANY people think they are eating 1200 but are actually eating WAY more then that. If you have a once a week cheat day where you eat 3000 and then eat 1200 for the other 6 days its the exact same as eating 1450 every day. If you estimate portion sizes or use measuring cups for solid foods you will also have a big margin of error. I recommend using a food scale to weigh EVERYTHING you eat.

^^this

I've been doing this for awhile now and it really has been working for me. It took me awhile to get used to eating more than 1200 calories, but I managed to work through it. Your body will thank you, trust me.