I feel like an idiot.... :(

Lissette_Brooks

I am bashing my brains out trying to comprehend the way TDEE, BMR, and REE are used. I know this subject has been discussed several times, but it still is not making sense to me. I feel like an idiot beacuse I have been reading tons of posts on MFP, along with other sites as well. According to one of the many sites I've visited my BMR is 1587. It says my daily cal intake should be 2182. Does this mean that my calorie goal of 1200 a day on MFP is wrong? Should I be consuming 2182? That seems a bit high to me... I need help.

maddiedog22

The 2182 is I'm
Guessing a maintnence intake. To lose weight add a 300-500- cal deficit. U should eat ur bmr number, exercise then eat ur exercise cals back. I eat 1300 cals being 5'2 118lbs at a sedentary lifestyle so anything more active, higher weight or taller person should eat more

Lissette_Brooks

so if I eat my BMR of 1587. Why does it say suggested daily calorie intake is 2182?.. Also if I eat 1587 rather then MFP's suggested 1200, when I excersie I should replace the calories burned?.. I'm so confused. Sorry.

glassyo

The 2182 is your bmr times the activity indicator you chose which looks like lightly active. So 1587 * 1.375 = 2182. That's your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) or maintenance calories without exercise.

To lose weight, shave off 15-20% from your TDEE so 20% would be 2182 - 436 = 1746. Eat most, if not all, of your exercise calories back depending on how you calculate your exercise calories (try for all if using a hrm, 1/2 if using mfp, maybe 75% if using machines at the gym, etc). I say that because you probably aren't taking exercise calories into account when calculating your TDEE.

You most likely got 1200 from mfp because you picked either sedentary as your activity level or 1.5 or 2 lbs a week weight loss. How much do you have left to lose?

Lissette_Brooks

http://www.calorie.co/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/

Then I read this....

Lissette_Brooks

I want to lose 40 lbs...

cwatson1214

I am bashing my brains out trying to comprehend the way TDEE, BMR, and REE are used. I know this subject has been discussed several times, but it still is not making sense to me. I feel like an idiot beacuse I have been reading tons of posts on MFP, along with other sites as well. According to one of the many sites I've visited my BMR is 1587. It says my daily cal intake should be 2182. Does this mean that my calorie goal of 1200 a day on MFP is wrong? Should I be consuming 2182? That seems a bit high to me... I need help.

dont feel bad, i still dont get it either, even when it is explained to me. I just need someone to figure it out for me and tell me how to set mfp to this. i keep trying and it doesnt seem correct.

ggeise14

bump

Lissette_Brooks

Yeah I wasn't accounting for excersize. I don't feel like I do much of a workout because I only workout about 20 min a day to Jillian's Shred. I walk the treadmil and cycle at the gym Wednesday's and Saturday's..

mamamudbug

Have you checked out his group? They've got good info in the stickies and are helpful.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

aippolito1

Definitely do not eat 2000 calories unless you're burning like 600 calories a day!!! That would be a total including exercise. Or maintenance before exercise. I would try the 1200 calories MFP has you set for (I'm assuming that's to lose 1 lb per week?) and see how you do for a few weeks. You can always add calories if you're not losing, are too hungry, etc. but with exercise calories, you should be fine.

erickirb

The 2182 is your bmr times the activity indicator you chose which looks like lightly active. So 1587 * 1.375 = 2182. That's your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) or maintenance calories without exercise.

To lose weight, shave off 15-20% from your TDEE so 20% would be 2182 - 436 = 1746. Eat most, if not all, of your exercise calories back depending on how you calculate your exercise calories (try for all if using a hrm, 1/2 if using mfp, maybe 75% if using machines at the gym, etc). I say that because you probably aren't taking exercise calories into account when calculating your TDEE.

You most likely got 1200 from mfp because you picked either sedentary as your activity level or 1.5 or 2 lbs a week weight loss. How much do you have left to lose?

If you used fat2fit it tells you to eat the maintenance calories of your goal weight to lose weight. This is a fine approach but will most likely lead to weekly weight loss of 0.3 to 0.8lbs/week, and the loss will slow as you approach your goal weight. This intake also assumes you will not eat back exercise cals as exercise is included in your intake of 2100, whereas with MFP the 1200 ignores exercise so if you burn 700 cals you would eat 1900 (1200+700) on those days.

What I would suggest is 10% below your goal weight TDEE, so if that is 2182 in your case I would suggest eating 1964 (2182*.9) and don't eat back the cals you burn from exercise. Or follow MFP's intake but change your goal to lose 1lb/week at most and eat back all your exercise caloires.

_Bob_

The 2182 is I'm
Guessing a maintnence intake. To lose weight add a 300-500- cal deficit. U should eat ur bmr number, exercise then eat ur exercise cals back. I eat 1300 cals being 5'2 118lbs at a sedentary lifestyle so anything more active, higher weight or taller person should eat more

good to know. my wife is about your size, I'll pass this on since she's not on here

stacymay13

fat2fitradio.com and scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ have great calorie estimators. Check them out

meggonkgonk

The key to your MFP goal is largely the PACE at which you want to lose weight. If you say "2lbs a week" it will try to knock 1000 calories off your maintenance calories.

Here's a quick breakdown:

Maintenance: Calories you can eat and not gain or lose any weight- takes into account height, weight, age, gender and activity level. Does not account for active exercise.

Deficit- Amount of pounds you want to lose x 500. (Each pound per week is 3500 calories, spread over 7 days this is 500 calories per pound).

MFP Goal: Maintenance - Deficit. So if you would maintain at 2000, and want to lose 1 lb per week, your goal would be 1500

BMR- Amount of calories you would burn if you were in a coma. A good baseline for minimum amount of calories once you are within about 10lbs of healthy BMI.

jobro6

http://www.calorie.co/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/

Then I read this....

^^^This^^^ I think I actually 'get it' now - after reading this! Thank you!

love9705

Don't feel bad I was the same way. Please join this group it really helped me.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

I was at 1200 when I first started MFP and I did lose weight at first but then it just stopped after joining the group above I learned about BMR & TDEE.

You should definitely eat your BMR calories eating 1200 is not enough and your body will go into starvation mode. You can subtract 300-500 from your TDEE and this will give you the deficit needed to lose weight. I do sometimes eat my exercise calories back but thats up to you. Hopefully this will help and this website is another great help to figure out your numbers http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ . Use the Military Body Fat Calculator first then go from there with the rest of the calculators.

Good luck!

Lissette_Brooks

http://www.calorie.co/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/

Then I read this....

^^^This^^^ I think I actually 'get it' now - after reading this! Thank you!

This along with everyone else's info helped make sense of this a lot more.

Lissette_Brooks

Thanks so much for the info everyone. I think I get it now! Here's hoping. lol

grimm1974

Just for some simple explanations:

TDEE = Maintenance calories. If you eat at it, your weight should stay the same. If you eat below it, you lose weight. If you eat above it, you gain weight.

BMR - Generally this is your minimum number of calories you need to reach for healthy weightloss. You will get differing opinions on it, but many will tell you to at least net this. If your exercise takes you below that number, then eat back to at least that number. Most people report plateaus after prolonged eating below this number.

Fat2Fitradio.com has a really good calculator.

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

Linda_Darlene

so if I eat my BMR of 1587. Why does it say suggested daily calorie intake is 2182?.. Also if I eat 1587 rather then MFP's suggested 1200, when I excersie I should replace the calories burned?.. I'm so confused. Sorry.

Is it basing it on your activity level? I have a desk job, so I'm pretty sedentary. If I entered that I'm active (and really was) mine number would be a LOT higher!

BMR is the calories burned resting. It is the amount of calories you would need to stay alive if you were laying in bed all day. Never eat below your BMR! A day here and there happens now and then (like when you are in the middle of a killer flu or stranded on a desert island before you find food) but other than that, it is not recommended to eat below your BMR.

cgsr

It can get confusing...don't feel like and indiot, and good luck (you've gotten all the avice and more that I would have offered)

Lissette_Brooks

Just for some simple explanations:

TDEE = Maintenance calories. If you eat at it, your weight should stay the same. If you eat below it, you lose weight. If you eat above it, you gain weight.

BMR - Generally this is your minimum number of calories you need to reach for healthy weightloss. You will get differing opinions on it, but many will tell you to at least net this. If your exercise takes you below that number, then eat back to at least that number. Most people report plateaus after prolonged eating below this number.

Fat2Fitradio.com has a really good calculator.

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

This site was very helpful to. Thank you

Lissette_Brooks

fat2fitradio.com and scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ have great calorie estimators. Check them out

Thanks, I liked the fat2fit site a lot.

Lissette_Brooks

so if I eat my BMR of 1587. Why does it say suggested daily calorie intake is 2182?.. Also if I eat 1587 rather then MFP's suggested 1200, when I excersie I should replace the calories burned?.. I'm so confused. Sorry.

Is it basing it on your activity level? I have a desk job, so I'm pretty sedentary. If I entered that I'm active (and really was) mine number would be a LOT higher!

BMR is the calories burned resting. It is the amount of calories you would need to stay alive if you were laying in bed all day. Never eat below your BMR! A day here and there happens now and then (like when you are in the middle of a killer flu or stranded on a desert island before you find food) but other than that, it is not recommended to eat below your BMR.

That makes sense. I don't know why I found this so difficult to comprehend, but it's actually making sense now!

ArtemisMoon

This drove me crazy as well. I finally simplified it this way:


TDEE (Highest your calories should go to maintain - For example, mine is roughly 2800)


(You aim for your daily calories to fall somewhere in between, usually 15-20% below TDEE)


BMR (Lowest you can go without screwing up your metabolism - For example, mine is roughly 2000)

Lissette_Brooks

THANKS. THIS MAKES SENSE TO!

This drove me crazy as well. I finally simplified it this way:


TDEE (Highest your calories should go to maintain - For example, mine is roughly 2800)


(You aim for your daily calories to fall somewhere in between, usually 15-20% below TDEE)


BMR (Lowest you can go without screwing up your metabolism - For example, mine is roughly 2000)