Should I net at BMR? Or slightly above?

rr85114

I've somehow managed to confuse myself. Quick info: 26 year old female, 5'9, 173lbs, 27% body fat. Work out 3-5 hours a week, burning an average of 2500-2700 calories a week through exercise.

TDEE is 2489. Cut is about 2110. BMR is 1610.

I'm just trying to work out my average daily deficit. On days where I have a higher than usual burn from my workout (in order to make up for rest days so my weekly average is consistent) I usually eat so that I net 100-200 calories over BMR (usually 1700-1800).

But all the calculations have confused me. I now have a question - should I net right on my BMR or is it OK to go slightly above? Will that mess with the intended deficit that's built into my TDEE cut?

rr85114

Which raises my next question - how do I calculate what my caloric deficit is?

rr85114

Hah. Spamming my own thread!

I just did a few calculations.

My TDEE, set to "little/no activity" is 1916.
Based on actual burns, I burn an average of 405 calories a day.

Does that mean my TDEE is actually more like 2321? Because in the fitness frog TDEE calculator, when I select "moderate exercise", it gives me a TDEE of 2489.

I've been eating an average of 2200 every day (on the basis that my "cut" according to fitness frog was 2110, plus extra calories when my net is below BMR due to a big workout).

I'm stressing out. If my TDEE is actually 2321, and I'm eating 2200, my deficit is only 121 per day, as opposed to 280 according to fitness frog.

Help! I'm so confused! Should I decrease my daily cals to 85% of 2321?

Raynn1

Pick the TDEE level for which is right for you. Dont confuse yourself by jumbling around picking little/no activity and trying to work out the math.. its too much!!

If you are moderate, then select moderate and eat whatever that amount is for your Cut daily. The only time you have to concern yourself with eating back cals is if you burn enough cals to take your NET below your BMR..

So your cut is 2110.. your BMR is 1610. SO that means if you burn over 500 calories that day in exercise, then you eat back enough cals to Net your bmr... even if its only 50 cals.

Your TDEE takes into account your average weekly deficit based on the level of activity you selected. So dont confuse yourself further by trying to work out any other details:)... Eat whatever your cut is based on the correct activity level you selected.

If you are finding your weight loss is stalling and you are not gaining, then INCREASE your cals by about a 100 or so until you find that magic number. The calculators are great, but they are just estimates so sometimes you have to play around with them a bit to see what works for you.

rr85114

You're a lifesaver! Thank you!

I do a 23-min Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred 6 days a week, as well as 20-30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. Is that "moderate"?

You're right - Im confusing myself by trying to be my own calculator.

Can I ask - you said that if my weight loss stalls, I should increase my cals - why is that? Couldnt stalled weight loss at 2100cals a day possibly mean that I'm actually maintaining?

Pick the TDEE level for which is right for you. Dont confuse yourself by jumbling around picking little/no activity and trying to work out the math.. its too much!!

If you are moderate, then select moderate and eat whatever that amount is for your Cut daily. The only time you have to concern yourself with eating back cals is if you burn enough cals to take your NET below your BMR..

So your cut is 2110.. your BMR is 1610. SO that means if you burn over 500 calories that day in exercise, then you eat back enough cals to Net your bmr... even if its only 50 cals.

Your TDEE takes into account your average weekly deficit based on the level of activity you selected. So dont confuse yourself further by trying to work out any other details:)... Eat whatever your cut is based on the correct activity level you selected.

If you are finding your weight loss is stalling and you are not gaining, then INCREASE your cals by about a 100 or so until you find that magic number. The calculators are great, but they are just estimates so sometimes you have to play around with them a bit to see what works for you.

Raynn1

You're a lifesaver! Thank you!

I do a 23-min Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred 6 days a week, as well as 20-30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. Is that "moderate"?

You're right - Im confusing myself by trying to be my own calculator.

Can I ask - you said that if my weight loss stalls, I should increase my cals - why is that? Couldnt stalled weight loss at 2100cals a day possibly mean that I'm actually maintaining?

Pick the TDEE level for which is right for you. Dont confuse yourself by jumbling around picking little/no activity and trying to work out the math.. its too much!!

If you are moderate, then select moderate and eat whatever that amount is for your Cut daily. The only time you have to concern yourself with eating back cals is if you burn enough cals to take your NET below your BMR..

So your cut is 2110.. your BMR is 1610. SO that means if you burn over 500 calories that day in exercise, then you eat back enough cals to Net your bmr... even if its only 50 cals.

Your TDEE takes into account your average weekly deficit based on the level of activity you selected. So dont confuse yourself further by trying to work out any other details:)... Eat whatever your cut is based on the correct activity level you selected.

If you are finding your weight loss is stalling and you are not gaining, then INCREASE your cals by about a 100 or so until you find that magic number. The calculators are great, but they are just estimates so sometimes you have to play around with them a bit to see what works for you.

I would classify you as moderate. We tend to think we are less active than we actually are. Most people are moderate without even trying to be:)
If you have weight loss eating at your current level and then after a few weeks it stalls, it usually means you need more food. We are programmed to believe that stalls on the scale means we are eating too much, when in fact its the opposite. Its a reason why when people hit plateaus, the first thing suggested is for them to eat more cals. Even in here, we recommend every so often to jump yourself up to TDEE for a week or two so your body doesnt get accostomed to eating your Cut value all the time and then that becomes your "new" TDEE.. make sense?

rr85114

Makes perfect sense. You are wonderful. Thank you so much!

Last question - if I don't lose any weight (just finishing week 2) then should I still increase?

You're a lifesaver! Thank you!

I do a 23-min Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred 6 days a week, as well as 20-30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. Is that "moderate"?

You're right - Im confusing myself by trying to be my own calculator.

Can I ask - you said that if my weight loss stalls, I should increase my cals - why is that? Couldnt stalled weight loss at 2100cals a day possibly mean that I'm actually maintaining?

Pick the TDEE level for which is right for you. Dont confuse yourself by jumbling around picking little/no activity and trying to work out the math.. its too much!!

If you are moderate, then select moderate and eat whatever that amount is for your Cut daily. The only time you have to concern yourself with eating back cals is if you burn enough cals to take your NET below your BMR..

So your cut is 2110.. your BMR is 1610. SO that means if you burn over 500 calories that day in exercise, then you eat back enough cals to Net your bmr... even if its only 50 cals.

Your TDEE takes into account your average weekly deficit based on the level of activity you selected. So dont confuse yourself further by trying to work out any other details:)... Eat whatever your cut is based on the correct activity level you selected.

If you are finding your weight loss is stalling and you are not gaining, then INCREASE your cals by about a 100 or so until you find that magic number. The calculators are great, but they are just estimates so sometimes you have to play around with them a bit to see what works for you.

I would classify you as moderate. We tend to think we are less active than we actually are. Most people are moderate without even trying to be:)
If you have weight loss eating at your current level and then after a few weeks it stalls, it usually means you need more food. We are programmed to believe that stalls on the scale means we are eating too much, when in fact its the opposite. Its a reason why when people hit plateaus, the first thing suggested is for them to eat more cals. Even in here, we recommend every so often to jump yourself up to TDEE for a week or two so your body doesnt get accostomed to eating your Cut value all the time and then that becomes your "new" TDEE.. make sense?