BMR/TDEE...Too many Calories??? Please Help.

mlashay

I've been seeing a lot of the whole BMR and TDEE calorie calculation discussions. (sorry if you're tired of seeing this but I would love feedback)
I did my calculations on scoobysworkshop.com.

My calculations according to this calculator are:

BMR= 1949
TDEE= 3021
Daily Calorie goal based on a 20% calorie reduction(it says 25% is too dangerous???)= 2417

I just recently lost 15lbs in about 1 month/month and a half. I do strength training at least 3x per week and cardio at least 3x per week (Couch to 5k). I have been eating at around 1600 cals per day, burning anywhere from 400-600 calories with the above exercises. People would say that eating and exercising at this amount really puts me at only 1000 calories per day. I don't really know if I believe this as much. I fuel my body before and after a workout. I still put 1600 calories worth of food into my body.

My trainer says 1600-1700 and not eating back the exercise calories I burn, is a good range for me and I have seen great results from their other clients so I take what they say into great consideration. I am good at listening to my body, I only eat back calories if I feel like I am still hungry. I don't usually feel hungry at the end of a 1600 calorie day. I have improved my nutrition greatly in what I am putting into my body so I am not filling up on junk. (My diary is open if you'd like to take a look)

My concern with the BMR/TDEE calculation is that it is at such a high value. 2400 calories??? I have trouble sometimes eating all 1600 that I'm set at now. And I did lose weight fairly quickly at this level. I want to do this the right way and yes of course the quickest way, so any input or feedback on how maybe using your BMR/TDEE calculation worked for you or didnt work or how you adjusted them.

*******Any and all feedback is welcome but please keep negative or rude comments to yourself. I have seen on a lot of these forums people not using the amount of respect they should towards each other. We are all trying to better ourselves in one way or another. Everyone has their own opinion, own story or way of doing things. That doesn't mean that someone else is wrong because their answer is different than yours. We're all here to help each other as well as ourselves.*********

Cheers to being HAPPY AND HEALTHY!:happy:

kornmaiden

I found those calculators too high for me, get your metabolism tested and then you will know for sure.

MariaChele85

I'm curious to see any resonses too. I feel like my calculations are to high as well.

mlashay

How do you get your metabolism tested?

2hobbit1

If you followed the recommendations at this link correctly

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

then your activity and your deficit are both already factored in and you do not eat back you exercise calories. The -20% of TDEE is your daily target regardless of whether that day was a workout day or not. It allows your body enough calories and nutrients to rebuild after your hard work.
If you have too big of a deficit then you will loose muscle as you loose weight rather than holding on or even slowly building you lean muscle mass. The less muscle you have the harder it is to loose! I know it seems high, if you have been on the low cal kick. You will loose weight with the lower numbers but you will stall out rather than continuing to loose. Give it a try for a month and see if you feel better, have more energy and start to get a better body composition and shape.

2hobbit1

If you have trouble meeting you calorie goals go for calorie dense foods that have more calories for a smaller portion.
Almonds, cashews, peanuts.
avocado, olive oil
salmon, chicken, lean beef etc for protein

Sometimes drinking your calories doesn't seem as hard a eating - so try out green smoothies - you can get a lot into glass if you use protein powder, pumpkin, kale, spinach etc with frozen fruit. and nut butters , use skim milk, almond milk, yogurt instead of water.

cmriverside

BMR= 1949
TDEE= 3021

I don't know how you came up with 3021 as your TDEE - that is really high, even for a woman who exercises.

Usually people will hit a plateau if they are under eating and will stop losing weight for a long period of time.

I think 1600-1800 was working for you, why did you stop that?

The 1949 probably is your BMR, or close to it, since you are 100 pounds overweight. BUT since you are so overweight, you can easily eat below your BMR for quite a while - you will be living on your stored body fat. Just be sure to watch your nutrition, it is critical when you are eating below BMR.

This is the ONE TIME you are safe to under eat - when you are significantly over weight. The extra weight is your buffer.

Stick with the 1600-1800, don't eat back the exercise calories, and watch for the plateau (a month of no loss)...you should be good to go for at least another 50 lbs loss at this number.

cmriverside

If you followed the recommendations at this link correctly

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

then your activity and your deficit are both already factored in and you do not eat back you exercise calories. The -20% of TDEE is your daily target regardless of whether that day was a workout day or not. It allows your body enough calories and nutrients to rebuild after your hard work.
If you have too big of a deficit then you will loose muscle as you loose weight rather than holding on or even slowly building you lean muscle mass. The less muscle you have the harder it is to loose! I know it seems high, if you have been on the low cal kick. You will loose weight with the lower numbers but you will stall out rather than continuing to loose. Give it a try for a month and see if you feel better, have more energy and start to get a better body composition and shape.

Please understand that she is 100 pounds over weight. Your mileage may vary.

mlashay

If you have trouble meeting you calorie goals go for calorie dense foods that have more calories for a smaller portion.
Almonds, cashews, peanuts.
avocado, olive oil
salmon, chicken, lean beef etc for protein

Sometimes drinking your calories doesn't seem as hard a eating - so try out green smoothies - you can get a lot into glass if you use protein powder, pumpkin, kale, spinach etc with frozen fruit. and nut butters , use skim milk, almond milk, yogurt instead of water.

I already do all of these above things to the T lol. And I feel great with everything I have done, I have tons of energy, I've lost inches, I've lost weight. I do strength training which is where I think the majority of my progress is coming from. I feel uncomfortable jumping up to such a high caloric amount after what I have been at the last couple months. I've read its a bad idea to drop your calories quickly, is it the same to increase? Would maybe increasing by 200 or so calories at a time show a difference? Or would it be best to just try and jump right in to a high amount?

ctumbarello

I am new to the message board and see people mention TDEE. I hate to sound stupid, but what does this acronym stand for? thanks up front for the response.

bradthemedic

Just note, never NET blow your BMR. If you've exercised like crazy just eat back enough calories to get over BMR.

mlashay

I am new to the message board and see people mention TDEE. I hate to sound stupid, but what does this acronym stand for? thanks up front for the response.

Total daily energy expenditure. It's what your body uses for you to do just day to day activities I believe.

ponyfan81

I am new to the message board and see people mention TDEE. I hate to sound stupid, but what does this acronym stand for? thanks up front for the response.

See link: http://bit.ly/MNOD5d

KaidaKantri

If you have trouble meeting you calorie goals go for calorie dense foods that have more calories for a smaller portion.
Almonds, cashews, peanuts.
avocado, olive oil
salmon, chicken, lean beef etc for protein

Sometimes drinking your calories doesn't seem as hard a eating - so try out green smoothies - you can get a lot into glass if you use protein powder, pumpkin, kale, spinach etc with frozen fruit. and nut butters , use skim milk, almond milk, yogurt instead of water.

I already do all of these above things to the T lol. And I feel great with everything I have done, I have tons of energy, I've lost inches, I've lost weight. I do strength training which is where I think the majority of my progress is coming from. I feel uncomfortable jumping up to such a high caloric amount after what I have been at the last couple months. I've read its a bad idea to drop your calories quickly, is it the same to increase? Would maybe increasing by 200 or so calories at a time show a difference? Or would it be best to just try and jump right in to a high amount?

I would think that you should stick to what you were doing, because it obviously is working. Your not eating too little calories, and your eating healthy. Why change that, when it's working?

2hobbit1

I am new to the message board and see people mention TDEE. I hate to sound stupid, but what does this acronym stand for? thanks up front for the response.

check out this link as well

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

cmriverside

Just note, never NET blow your BMR. If you've exercised like crazy just eat back enough calories to get over BMR.

Again, she is 100 pounds over weight. It's perfectly safe to eat below BMR at this point. As a matter of fact, it is so unhealthy to be this much over weight, that it would be preferable by far for her to get this weight off as soon as possible.

Please take the individual into account before making blanket one-size-fits-all recommendations.

mlashay

BMR= 1949
TDEE= 3021

I don't know how you came up with 3021 as your TDEE - that is really high, even for a woman who exercises.

Usually people will hit a plateau if they are under eating and will stop losing weight for a long period of time.

I think 1600-1800 was working for you, why did you stop that?

The 1949 probably is your BMR, or close to it, since you are 100 pounds overweight. BUT since you are so overweight, you can easily eat below your BMR for quite a while - you will be living on your stored body fat. Just be sure to watch your nutrition, it is critical when you are eating below BMR.

This is the ONE TIME you are safe to under eat - when you are significantly over weight. The extra weight is your buffer.

Stick with the 1600-1800, don't eat back the exercise calories, and watch for the plateau (a month of no loss)...you should be good to go for at least another 50 lbs loss at this number.

I haven't stopped my calorie level I am still eating around 1600calories. I was just considering these calculations and wondering if I should up them. I got the TDEE from the calculator on the website I listed, that is putting my activity level at 3-5 hours of moderate exercise per week and that is the number it gave me.

But I like that you took into account the amount I am trying to lose. I have heard that the more overweight you are then there is a difference for calorie intake and that the body can use that fat storage, but then people say its not the fat you're losing it's the lean muscle because the fat is not as easily accessible?

Just note, never NET blow your BMR. If you've exercised like crazy just eat back enough calories to get over BMR.

I have not ONCE netted above or very close to my BMR, if it is truly 1949.
I find the whole net calorie thing to be weird. If I take in 1600 calories worth of food, I fuel my body properly before and after exercise but if I burn 600 calories I still need to eat another almost 1000 calories? I have never felt like this has put any stress on my body or anything netting below. Is there supposed to be a significant body response saying that this is bad?

mlashay

I would think that you should stick to what you were doing, because it obviously is working. Your not eating too little calories, and your eating healthy. Why change that, when it's working?

That was my debate. I felt like it was okay but almost everything I was seeing from others said differently.

2hobbit1

One thing to factor in - what is your body comp doing? have you been looking at your body fat% and lean body mass over time? If you have recorded your measurements along with your weight you can go back and look at those metrics as well for comparison. If your BF%is dropping and your lean mass is increasing then I probably would not change until I plateaued. If your BF% is dropping and you lean mass is dropping as well I would up the cals to help hold onto and rebuild my lean muscle mass.

kornmaiden

How do you get your metabolism tested?

I got mine done at the gym at my local comm college. Look up Body Gem - that is the device they used. It cost me $39 to get it done.

mlashay

One thing to factor in - what is your body comp doing? have you been looking at your body fat% and lean body mass over time? If you have recorded your measurements along with your weight you can go back and look at those metrics as well for comparison. If your BF%is dropping and your lean mass is increasing then I probably would not change until I plateaued. If your BF% is dropping and you lean mass is dropping as well I would up the cals to help hold onto and rebuild my lean muscle mass.

I honestly have not tested my body fat% and will be doing so soon.

mlashay

I got mine done at the gym at my local comm college. Look up Body Gem - that is the device they used. It cost me $39 to get it done.

And it is accurate? What is the information it gives you?

2hobbit1

if you have your prior measurements and weights you can use this to see where you have been.
There is a range between the methods - most people use the military method. I would use your current measurments to see where you are now. Then you can use the BF% in your TDEE calculation for a better result.

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

SusanDDuncan1

One thing to factor in - what is your body comp doing? have you been looking at your body fat% and lean body mass over time? If you have recorded your measurements along with your weight you can go back and look at those metrics as well for comparison. If your BF%is dropping and your lean mass is increasing then I probably would not change until I plateaued. If your BF% is dropping and you lean mass is dropping as well I would up the cals to help hold onto and rebuild my lean muscle mass.

I agree. There is a website I looked at that calculated the goal based on the current body fat %. I can't find it, but it was less than MFP came up with. As long as you are covering your lean mass, you can go lower. 2 trainers told me not to eat back the exercise calories as long as I was eating nutritiously. I am actually over the protein MFP goal and under the carbs based on my nutrition plan.

I think you are doing it the right way by eating more when you feel the need. I have a higher carb level every 4 days.

SusanDDuncan1

If someone can test your body fat using calipers and the calculations, that is the the most accurate way.

Shannon2714

I personally follow my TDEE - 600....it has worked GREAT for me!

bethad5

I would do your TDEE -20%. Just make sure you recalculate every 5 pounds (the more you weigh, the more you need to eat - as you lose weight you'll need to eat less).

1600 calories is working for you right now, but you'll plateau. Also what a pp said about losing muscle mass - you don't want to do that, either. 2400 may seem like a lot but you will get used to it eat that amount everyday but don't eat back exercise cals (they're already factored in). When you first increase your cals you may experience bloating, etc, and see a 'gain' on the scale - but it's just water weight and it will go away.

If you want this weight loss to be forever, you need a lifestyle change and not a diet. Do you want to eat 1600 calories for the rest of your life? Doubt it Try TDEE -20% (and check out the eat more to weigh less group here at MFP, full of people cutting from their TDEE and seeing fabulous results)

70davis

Bump

MissLoniKay

I would agree if it ain't broke why fix it kinda thing. If you are good at listening to your body, it is probably being honest with you:-) But at the same time, checking with your doctors opinion on the matter seems prudent. We all have great ideas and suggestions but I would guess most of us are not dietitians or nutritionist.

Good luck and keep up the good work!

postrockandcats

I don't know how you came up with 3021 as your TDEE - that is really high, even for a woman who exercises.

I regularly do this if not more on a workout day. My TDEE is 2500 on a normal day. If the OP is a nurse or someone who's on their feet all day, it's not an improbable number.

mlashay

I don't know how you came up with 3021 as your TDEE - that is really high, even for a woman who exercises.

I regularly do this if not more on a workout day. My TDEE is 2500 on a normal day. If the OP is a nurse or someone who's on their feet all day, it's not an improbable number.

Well I put my activity level as 3-5hrs of exercise per week. But I am also quite overweight so as a higher weight wouldn't it calculate that as burning even more calories than say someone who was lighter?