STILL Confused...

barbcouperus

Hi all,

I just joined this group and have just started trying to eat this way, but I am so confused. I just read through Lucia's very well written explanation of what the BMR/TDEE calcs are for and how to use them, but I am still not getting it.

I've tried to lose weight for years, have done so much research on it on the best way to do it and this seems to be the best. I've been stuck at this weight for about 5 years and I am SICK of no matter what I do, I can't get ahead. I seem to lose and gain the same 2-3 lbs every week.

I'm 37, female, 5'9", current weight is 199, goal weight is 175 (which seemed to be inline with one of these calulators for goal weight - it came in at 176). I figured my BMR was 1685, but my TDEE seems to be 2451 (desk job, work out 5 days/week). I was doing cardio 3 days and weights/strength 2 days, but just this week have decided to try flipping that = 3 days weights and 2 days cardio, weekends are rest days. I try to keep my protein intake high (usually it's higher than what MFP recommends), carbs are balanced, I think. Fats and sugars are also good, I cook 95% of my own food, so I'm aware of sodium intake etc etc...

I still don't know how many calories I am supposed to be eating. yesterday for example...my MFP goal is 1550, I exercised for 839 calories (according to MFP, but I think they overestimate the kickboxing calories burned - I don't have an HRM yet), I ate for 2000 calories, but the net shows I barely reached 1200, which I know isn't enough.

SO, all that to say...how many actual calories am I supposed to be eating??? Do I go by the exercise calories added or the net?

I'm also not understanding what the cut values are? 15%? 20%?

Sorry, I know this has been explained really well, and I keep reading online about it, but I just.do.not.get.it.

Any help you could give would be great.

thanks so much and sorry for the long message....

bsinno

I PLUGGED YOUR INFO IN TO scoobys and set your activity to moderate at 15 % cut and got:

BMR - 1665
TDEE - 2581
Tdee -15% - 2194

if you choose the right activity level, you don't have to pay any attention to exercise calories UNLESS you burn SO MUCH you dip below your BMR (1665)

15%, 20% are just percentage cuts from your TDEE calories. I'm sure someone else can explain the reasoning between choosing one or the other.

hope that helps a little?

knowak82

You should be eating 2084 calories EVERY DAY. That is your "cut" value (TDEE-15%). The 15% is recommended for optimal weight loss without losing muscle, I believe. Since you only have about 25 lbs to use, I wouldn't recommended going below the 15% cut for weightloss.

The only time you should eat MORE than the 2084 is if you exercise and your "burn" is over 400 calories (because burning over 400 calories would put you below your BMR: 2084-400=1684--that's your BMR). If you burn over 400 calories exercising, you should eat more to get you back to a NET of your BMR (1684). I would highly suggest getting some sort of HRM, Fitbit, or BMF to track your exercise calories burned, because from my PERSONAL experience, I found that the burns given here on MFP and even on my elliptical/treadmill at home are way high compared to what I get from my HRM...

Lastly, if you find yourself consistanty having to eat back some exercise calories to net your BMR, you may want to adjust up to the next activity level...

Hope this helps, and good luck!

rherington

Go here http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/. Enter your stats and choose 35 hours of moderate exercise and also choose lose fat - 15% calorie reduction.

Here is what I got when I put your stats in

BMR = 1665 (This is calories burned if you just laid in bed for 24 hours.)
TDEE = 2581 (this is the amount of calories you should eat per day to maintain your current weight with your current exercise,)
Daily calories based on what was chosen in step 6 = 2194 (this is the "cut rate" It simply means your take your TDEE X.15= calories you are going to reduce your TDEE by. So 2581 x .15= 387 so TDEE 2581 - 387 = 2194)

So the plan is you eat 2,194 calories per day and exercise the way you have been exercising. You only need to eat more if you burn off enough calories so your net is less than BMR (1665)

example:
I eat 2194 calories today
I burn 500 calories exercising.

2194 - 500 = 1694 NET calories

So you are done for the day!

Example 2
eat 2194
exercise 1000 calories
2194 - 1000 = 1194 NET calories

So 1665 (BMR) - 1194(NET calories = 471 calories BELOW BMR

The plan here is never NET less than BMR......so you need to eat an additional 471 calories that day.

At least this is the way I interpret the way it works.