BMR? TDEE? I'm new, help!

Ashers83

I keep seeing these acronyms. BMR and TDEE and that I should be calculating how many calories I eat from these things. MFP has me set at 1200 a day but I don't know about 'eating back' calories. I've never heard of that before. I'm on information overload!!!

AnvilHead

Read this thread, written by somebody who actually knows what he's talking about:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

davidr730

BMR and BEE are for all practical purposes the same. The represent the energy for normal body function if you never got out of bed. TDEE represents the calories you burn in total, that is to say your BEE plus the calories needed to cover your activity.

Make sure your intake of calories or nutrients are NOT below your BEE. (This is the minimum calories needed to sustain normal body function. ) The BEE is determined by using the Harris Benedict Equation. Once you have that as a base, you should NEVER drop below those calories unless under the advise of a physician. Adding your activity will give you additional calories based on how active and how frequently active you are. This is referred to as total calories. Any caloric intake that falls between the BEE and the total calories is safe for weight loss and will still allow for muscle gain provided your protein intake is adequate and contains all of your Essential amino acids.

Here is a link to determine your BEE and total calories.
http://healthylivingwithdestiny.com/harris-benedict-equation/

Also eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. Weight loss is as much about consistent sugar/insulin levels as calories. Drink lots of water to add volume in your stomach to help avoid that empty feeling.
Somebody on a 1500 calorie diet for example should eat 3 meals of 300 kcals each and 3 snacks of 100 kcals. each

Ashers83

I used a calculator and my BMR is 1555. My TDEE is 2401. Is 1200 calories a day ok? I think I'm over thinking all of this stuff. I never used to eat more calories if I had worked out but some would suggest that I do. I'm still confused.

cateyjo

bump

AnvilHead

The link I posted answers all of your questions in detail.

Ashers83

The article is very informative- I'm still feeling overwhelmed and a bit confused. I guess I will keep checking the boards and figure it out as I go.

mcarter99

I used a calculator and my BMR is 1555. My TDEE is 2401. Is 1200 calories a day ok? I think I'm over thinking all of this stuff. I never used to eat more calories if I had worked out but some would suggest that I do. I'm still confused.

Many people here believe that MFP is somehow wrong and 1200 is too low. I think 1200 is fine. Mayo Clinic thinks 1200 is fine.

If you want to use the MFP plan and you're happy with the weight loss speed it selected for you (if you're at 1200 that means it most likely set a slower goal than you yourself picked), then you can 'eat back' any exercise you didn't count into your 'activity level' (sedentary, lightly active, etc.). Obviously, not eating it back will give you faster losses.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-plateau/MY01152/NSECTIONGROUP=2

FrugalMomsRock75

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr

I checked out the Eat More to Weigh Less group on here and the way I understand it is that to lose, you take your TDEE and subract 15% that should be the calories to eat to lose, then you take your BMR and subtract it from your TDEE-15% once you have this number, when you eat back calories after a work out, you can only eat back the number of calories over the difference.

So in your case your TDEE-15% would be 2041, this is the number of cals you should eat per day.
Your TDEE-15% -BMR is (2041-1550) 491. So if you work out and burn, let's say 500 calories at a workout, the only calories that you can "eat back" are of those calories.

I am just starting to try this method of eating more to weigh less, as MFP said I should eat 1470 calories a day and eat back all my workout calories and I didn't lose anything in the three months I was doing that and I was constantly hungry. I can't say how this EM2WL is going to work as I'm only on my second week and nothing's happened yet other than that I'm not constantly starving anymore.

I hope this helps clear some things up for you. Good luck!

WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr

I checked out the Eat More to Weigh Less group on here and the way I understand it is that to lose, you take your TDEE and subract 15% that should be the calories to eat to lose, then you take your BMR and subtract it from your TDEE-15% once you have this number, when you eat back calories after a work out, you can only eat back the number of calories over the difference.

So in your case your TDEE-15% would be 2041, this is the number of cals you should eat per day.
Your TDEE-15% -BMR is (2041-1550) 491. So if you work out and burn, let's say 500 calories at a workout, the only calories that you can "eat back" are of those calories.

I am just starting to try this method of eating more to weigh less, as MFP said I should eat 1470 calories a day and eat back all my workout calories and I didn't lose anything in the three months I was doing that and I was constantly hungry. I can't say how this EM2WL is going to work as I'm only on my second week and nothing's happened yet other than that I'm not constantly starving anymore.

I hope this helps clear some things up for you. Good luck!

Oops, just saw that I missed the number of calories you can eat back in my example. It would be 500-491 or 9 calories that you can eat back.

rileysowner

I used a calculator and my BMR is 1555. My TDEE is 2401. Is 1200 calories a day ok? I think I'm over thinking all of this stuff. I never used to eat more calories if I had worked out but some would suggest that I do. I'm still confused.

Many people here believe that MFP is somehow wrong and 1200 is too low. I think 1200 is fine. Mayo Clinic thinks 1200 is fine.

If you want to use the MFP plan and you're happy with the weight loss speed it selected for you (if you're at 1200 that means it most likely set a slower goal than you yourself picked), then you can 'eat back' any exercise you didn't count into your 'activity level' (sedentary, lightly active, etc.). Obviously, not eating it back will give you faster losses.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-plateau/MY01152/NSECTIONGROUP=2

1200 is fine if you eat the calories you burn from exercise. This site does not include exercise in your calorie calculation. Every other site does. If you eat 1200 calories and exercise off 600 you are on an unhealthy 600 calorie a day diet.

To the original poster, let me make this easy for you. Eat what this site says you should eat, including the calories added for exercise. That is the way it is supposed to be used. If that does not work for you, then you can look at alternatives. Basically you are looking for that number stating how many calories you have remaining to be close to zero by the end of the day. As for the advise about eating many meals/snacks a day, that has no support in the studies that have been done on meal frequency. Eat at the pattern that works for you to get those calories remaining to close to zero. Ignore all the BMR/TDEE stuff for now. This site, used as designed, has worked for many many people. Keep it simple.

I don't know what your weight loss goal per week is set at, but again I would suggest following this sites recommendation of setting it at 1 pound per week. Unless you are obese, 2 pounds per week will be counter productive in the long run.

Ashers83

Thank you for you input, everyone. I have a better understanding of the BMR AND TDEE calcs. I think since I'm just starting out I will stick with the 1200 calories according to MFP. If I need to adjust, I will. Thanks!!!