Check my Calories?

runfreddyrun

There are a number of different calculators to figure out BMR. I used the calculator that uses BF% (linked to in the "in place of roadmap 2.0' post). By that calculator, my BMR is 1380.

Height: 5'4
CW: 200
BF%49

I am hoping that because I have right at about 60lbs to lose that I can get away with a little higher deficit than normal. So my daily calories are 1450. MFP tells me that I will lose 1lb a week eating this amount of calories.

In addition, I exercise 3x a week doing strength training. I wear a polar HRM and for the most part burn between 500-650 calories (this includes 20 minutes of elliptical before lifting).

On these days, I usually eat back half, but not all of my exercise calories, so I usually am up to 1600 or 1700 (sometimes a little more).

Am I eating enough?

Thanks for all your feedback.

runfreddyrun

i wouldn't normally bump my own post but it's already buried on page 5 with no response!

bump

alpine1994

My opinion is to try it and see if it works out for you. I've tried a bunch of different things (eating more, eating less, exercising more, exercising less, etc) and it took a while to figure out what works for me. As far as numbers go, it looks good to me! Good luck

ErinRibbens

That sounds good. I agree, give it a try for a month or so and see how it works for you.

SarahofTwins

My opinion is to try it and see if it works out for you. I've tried a bunch of different things (eating more, eating less, exercising more, exercising less, etc) and it took a while to figure out what works for me. As far as numbers go, it looks good to me! Good luck

I agree...try out different ways and see what works. Ive done both and personally if there's a plateau I change up foods or eat more/less.

ggcat

I think your BMR should be higher than that....

dawnemjh

What do you get for TDEE? what is your activity level? Have you been losing so far? what are you currently eating.

pwittek10

Food is chemistry It is not just the calories but
WHAT your eating.

2hobbit1

What did the TDEE calculation show you for your level of activity? You should be able to safely take a 30% cut from your TDEE.

You want to eat more than your BMR and less than you TDEE. if your lifting and doing cardio on the same day 3x a week you are moderatly active so your base TDEE is 2539 and your 30% cut would give you 1777 calorie a day.

This is your daily target - your net will cycle up and down depending on whether it is a workout day or a recovery day

Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1966
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2252
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2539
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2826
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 3112

prokomds

1450 (+ some exercise calories) is probably not a bad starting place. Use your common sense, though. If after a few weeks you find yourself kind of down and hungry a lot, considering adding back another 100 or so. I found that for me, about 150 calories is the difference between me being happy and losing and miserable and losing. Maybe the rate was faster when I was eating less, but what's the use if you don't feel good? Just have some patience, you won't be able to tell much of anything on how it's working for a few weeks. Good luck!

runfreddyrun

i've set my activity level at the lowest setting - sedentary - since i sit at a desk all day.

this is the part that i don't understand. i know i am supposed to eat above my BMR, which is 1379 (katch-mcardle formula). my TDEE based on a sedentary activity level (x1.2) is 1655.

i've seen how you can eat at a deficit of TDEE minus 20%, which puts me back at 1324, below my BMR.

so is this what i should be eating at, plus most of my exercise calories?

fyi - i'm using that XLS spreadsheet that has been going around.

2hobbit1

There are a number of different calculators to figure out BMR. I used the calculator that uses BF% (linked to in the "in place of roadmap 2.0' post). By that calculator, my BMR is 1380.

Height: 5'4
CW: 200
BF%49



In addition, I exercise 3x a week doing strength training. I wear a polar HRM and for the most part burn between 500-650 calories (this includes 20 minutes of elliptical before lifting).

.

This puts you in the moderate activity level - your TDEE is based on you BMR + your work activity + your exercise activity.

Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2539

So your base TDEE is 2539 and your 30% cut would give you 1777 calorie a day which is higher than your BMR of 1380.

Your daily target would be 1777 and while you can log your exercise so you can track it you do NOT eat your calories back since they are already built to your TDEE.