Question about BMR/daily calorie requirement calculator

michael300891

Ive got no problems calculating my BMR, but have a little question with the next step calculating total daily calorie needs...

Below is the formula ive seen on one calculator:

Harris Benedict Formula

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9


IF I were to use, for example, the lightly active calculation - do I then add my daily exercise activity onto my diary and eat back the calories? (on my workout days - equivalent to the calories burnt?)

Or do I not re-eat the calories burnt because their already included in my total daily calorie needs by using the lightly active formula?

Id currently class myself as sedentary (exam time =( ) - so would I then eat back extra calories for any walking (E.g. to library =( ) or do I just use whats already been calculated in the formula?



I know that the equations are just a guide and that I need to see what calorie level works for me but just wondering if theres any theoretically "correct" way of using the formula as obviously if im doing it wrong could make quite a big difference.

Thanks

Pebble321

You're making it too hard here, keep it simple:

Enter your data into MFP, choose a realistic weight loss goal (ie. if you don't have much to lose, don't pick 2 pounds a week), choose an activity level that reflects your regular day without exercise.
Eat the calories MFP recommends plus any extras that you burn off exercising.

It really is easy. And it works!

MelanieAG05

Personally, I use the sedentary calculation and (BMR x 1.2) and eat back my exercise calories (not all of them all the time - depends on what kind of day i'm having!). This seems to fit best with how MFP is set up.

michael300891

You're making it too hard here, keep it simple:

Enter your data into MFP, choose a realistic weight loss goal (ie. if you don't have much to lose, don't pick 2 pounds a week), choose an activity level that reflects your regular day without exercise.
Eat the calories MFP recommends plus any extras that you burn off exercising.

It really is easy. And it works!

Im not really worried about whether I use MFP's daily calorie counter or a different one there all pretty much the same concept and I quite like having a little play around with the external ones and working out all my macros myself (maybe im really sad haha). Am i right in that your suggesting the activity level then additional exercise route?

What Im trying to ask is, if my typical day includes running for an hour, but the rest of my day im sitting at a desk, would I chose my activity to be sedentary or lightly active?

Is the activity section entirely aimed at my lifestyle (NEAT???) as opposed to my intended additional exercise?


As for Melanies response thats pretty much what ive been doing at minute but was a bit worried that I could be undereating if the exercise was supposed to be included in both the activity section and in additional exercise - it seems the best approach to me - but just thought id check what other people thought.

MelanieAG05

You're making it too hard here, keep it simple:

Enter your data into MFP, choose a realistic weight loss goal (ie. if you don't have much to lose, don't pick 2 pounds a week), choose an activity level that reflects your regular day without exercise.
Eat the calories MFP recommends plus any extras that you burn off exercising.

It really is easy. And it works!

Im not really worried about whether I use MFP's daily calorie counter or a different one there all pretty much the same concept and I quite like having a little play around with the external ones and working out all my macros myself (maybe im really sad haha). Am i right in that your suggesting the activity level then additional exercise route?

What Im trying to ask is, if my typical day includes running for an hour, but the rest of my day im sitting at a desk, would I chose my activity to be sedentary or lightly active?

Is the activity section entirely aimed at my lifestyle (NEAT???) as opposed to my intended additional exercise?


As for Melanies response thats pretty much what ive been doing at minute but was a bit worried that I could be undereating if the exercise was supposed to be included in both the activity section and in additional exercise - it seems the best approach to me - but just thought id check what other people thought.

The MFP calculation only calculates activity based on your job.....it doesn't include any exercise.

The other calculations you mention (multiplying your BMR and activity level) does include exercise. If you think you are lightly active according to these calculations then you wouldn't eat any exercise cals back. That's why I use the sedentary calculation so that I can more accurately "eat back" calories from exercise I have done.

Hope this helps!!

AlexzKT

I've wondered the same thing, and I think that those numbers take exercise into account. I usually eat around 2200 calories on days that I work out a lot, and that's about where the "exercise 6-7 days" puts me when I've done those calculations in the past. That being said, I have my activity on MFP set at sedentary because I'm a student who sits in the same classroom for 8 hours a day - so I never move until I get my butt to the gym. (: