Bmr and TDEE - What to do with them?

aminakhan1980
aminakhan1980 Posts: 105 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am in a plateau for almost a month now. So I am just trying to figure this all out. l know I should do something with my BMR and TDEE, but I dont know what. Theres so many threads on it, its just overwhealming. Isn't there a guide or something to explain what to do with these numbers? So far I calculated my BMR at 1671 and one website figured my TDEE as 1915. So now what? Is that enough info to figure out how many calories I should eat to loose weight? I'm sorry if theres already too many posts on this, but I just get so confused with all these numbers and I need someone to explain in Lehmans terms. Thanks.

Replies

  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    Me too my BMR is 1285 & TDEE is 1543. I have 10lbs to go. Is there a "MFP for dummies" cause I sure need info
  • jessicaoliver79
    jessicaoliver79 Posts: 28 Member
    Ugh, I am in the same boat! its all confusing!
  • Hernandeak11
    Hernandeak11 Posts: 351 Member
    bump
  • beachdiva2010
    beachdiva2010 Posts: 180 Member
    I used fitnessfrog.com to calculate my numbers. My understanding is that you subtract 15% from your TDEE to eat daily, set your macro's to 40/30/30, and never eat (NET) below your BMR. The scale started moving for me once I adjusted to this method.

    Good luck!!
  • FirewifeCarrie
    FirewifeCarrie Posts: 118
    I just recently had a great friend of mine help me with this. You should eat below your TDEE but above your BMR. I don't have a set number anymore but a 'range' of calories. The closer I am to my BMR the more weight I can lose (I'm assuming) but I don't necessarily believe in drastically cutting my calories. I just listen to my body and if I'm hungry I eat. I always try to get my daily calories above my BMR though.
    Don't know if this helps because I'm still learning it myself! :)
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
    Essentially BMR equals the number of calories you would need to stay alive if you were in a coma - for basic life functions like circulation, digestion, etc.

    TDEE is the total number of calories you burn in a day from all your activity (work, walking thru stores, etc)

    From what I understand, you don't want to eat less than your BMR because your organs and muscles will suffer, but you need to eat less than your TDEE to lose weight.

    Your margin is pretty small, so you would have to weigh, measure, and log everything.

    You can increase your TDEE by moving more (exercise and/or just general activity like mowing yard, playing with the kids, etc) and create a larger deficit.
  • Larry0445
    Larry0445 Posts: 204 Member
    I am in a plateau for almost a month now. So I am just trying to figure this all out. l know I should do something with my BMR and TDEE, but I dont know what. Theres so many threads on it, its just overwhealming. Isn't there a guide or something to explain what to do with these numbers? So far I calculated my BMR at 1671 and one website figured my TDEE as 1915. So now what? Is that enough info to figure out how many calories I should eat to loose weight? I'm sorry if theres already too many posts on this, but I just get so confused with all these numbers and I need someone to explain in Lehmans terms. Thanks.

    Eat your BMR and you will start losing weight. You have a deficit from your TDEE so that will cause the weight loss. By looking at your diary,your sodium intake is through the roof. Sodium is a big hinderence to losing weight. You need to get that under control,if you want to lose.
    Also,if you exercise,try to eat back at least part of your calories. I am no expert,but I have lost 24 lbs since March 1st,doing just this plan.
  • baribeau375
    baribeau375 Posts: 13 Member
    Yes, on the presumption that your BMR and TDEE are accurate, consume 1415 calories/day and you should loose 1 pound/week. The TDEE you cite is 256 higher than your BMR because of the activity you decribed in the TDEE calculator. With no additonal exercise, the 500 cal/day deficit will produce, over the long run, a 3500 calorie (1 pound/week) per week deficit. Your body will ultimately respond. If, in the meantime, you experience a plateau, it could be a fluctuation in water retention if your sodium intake is elevated.

    Of course, as you loose weight your BMR and TDEE decrease and the calories your are alotted to maintain the new baseline weight will similarly be reduced, thus reducing your permissible intake to sustain the 500 calories deficit. But, be mindful of the 1200 calorie minimum should your -500 applied to your TDEE approaches 1200 calories/day.
  • lelea00
    lelea00 Posts: 11
    I'm new, What is TDEE? Please?
  • jenniejengin
    jenniejengin Posts: 784 Member
    subscribe
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    I am going through the same thing at the moment. My BMR is a little over 1600 and my TDEE is 2252.

    I have just upped my cals from 1400 to 1700, I so hope I don't put on. My deficit will be 23% below my TDEE.

    I still have another 18 kg or more to lose.
  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    You subtract 15% from your TDEE, and eat at that level. for 3 weeks, if you lose no weight, then you subtract another 10%, that's all there is to it.

    I've got 10lbs to go, my friend suggested I do 60 carbs, 97 protein. I just don't know what to do about all the other. I work out 6 days a week & have set my total cal at 1285 & eat back calories from w/o but decided to just eat 25-50% next week and see what happens. I just seem to stay at the same place.
  • Nopedotjpeg
    Nopedotjpeg Posts: 1,805 Member
    Eat less than your TDEE, but at or above your BMR.
  • sniperzzzz
    sniperzzzz Posts: 282 Member
    I am going through the same thing at the moment. My BMR is a little over 1600 and my TDEE is 2252.

    I have just upped my cals from 1400 to 1700, I so hope I don't put on. My deficit will be 23% below my TDEE.

    I still have another 18 kg or more to lose.

    Mads your deficit is totally fine, don't worry about it :wink:
  • aminakhan1980
    aminakhan1980 Posts: 105 Member
    But, MFP tells me to eat 1200 calories a week to loose 2 lbs a week. I have at least 40 lbs to loose. So now I am supposed to eat at least my bmr which is 1600? That seems like a big difference. How do I know which is right. Also, lets say I eat 1600 calories a day and burn 400 at the gym. Then am I supposed to eat 2000 or still 1600? Still confused...
  • aminakhan1980
    aminakhan1980 Posts: 105 Member
    I am in a plateau for almost a month now. So I am just trying to figure this all out. l know I should do something with my BMR and TDEE, but I dont know what. Theres so many threads on it, its just overwhealming. Isn't there a guide or something to explain what to do with these numbers? So far I calculated my BMR at 1671 and one website figured my TDEE as 1915. So now what? Is that enough info to figure out how many calories I should eat to loose weight? I'm sorry if theres already too many posts on this, but I just get so confused with all these numbers and I need someone to explain in Lehmans terms. Thanks.

    Eat your BMR and you will start losing weight. You have a deficit from your TDEE so that will cause the weight loss. By looking at your diary,your sodium intake is through the roof. Sodium is a big hinderence to losing weight. You need to get that under control,if you want to lose.
    Also,if you exercise,try to eat back at least part of your calories. I am no expert,but I have lost 24 lbs since March 1st,doing just this plan.



    Plus, I've heard that sodium doesn't necessarily cause weight (fat) gain, as much as it causes water retention. Is this true?
  • mahjohweeee
    mahjohweeee Posts: 58 Member
    bump
  • baribeau375
    baribeau375 Posts: 13 Member
    1200 is the nutritional minimum that MFP allocates to "insure" the daily intake nutrients are provided for health. For those of us who are/were significantly overweight, our bodies have sufficient stores of energy in the form of the FAT we have succeeded in storing. While it will provide us with enegy to power us, it doesn't embody the nutrients required to sustain good health. And, too be sure, for someone who is trying to achieve a loss rate, say 1-2 pounds/week, that drives a daily intake down approaching the 1200 calorie minimum, care has to be taken to manage food consumption in a way that fats, carbs, and protein are such that essential vitamins and minerals are provided. So, getting this all done requires careful planning of the constituents of the daily diet. At 1200 calories, there is NO MARGIN for the consumption of empty non-nutritious calories.

    I started at 300 pounds and am now at 234. Initially, I was allocated 1720 calories a day and that resulted in 1.5 - 2 pounds per week loss. Generally, I wasn't constantly hungry, but, I can say that there were days when sheer will overcame some urges to splurge. But, not that many times since last August. Maybe 6 times. As I lost weight, though, and my allotment dropped to 1520, the lower amount was a challenge, indeed. So, 200 calories makes a big appetite difference to me. I found that by walking a mile+ on the treadmill for 20 minutes was just enough to restore 100+ of the 200 calories that MFP took away; and this, without making me any hungrier because I did the exercise. For this reason, I know that my 6' 2" body would not tolerate a 1200 calorie limit even if I succeeded in achieving the theoretically balanced amount of nutrients.
  • Kmsnomaha
    Kmsnomaha Posts: 167 Member
    But, MFP tells me to eat 1200 calories a week to loose 2 lbs a week. I have at least 40 lbs to loose. So now I am supposed to eat at least my bmr which is 1600? That seems like a big difference. How do I know which is right. Also, lets say I eat 1600 calories a day and burn 400 at the gym. Then am I supposed to eat 2000 or still 1600? Still confused...

    I have this same question.....

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