Can Someone Offer a Little Help with BMR/TDEE?

Ploogy
Ploogy Posts: 115 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,
I’ve been reading up on BMR/TDEE calculation and wanted a little help in making sure that I understand it correctly. Based on Jyska's Post (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/680246-tdee-bmr-what-they-are-and-what-to-do-with-them?hl=TDEE), I headed over to this site (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator) to calculate my BMR, TDEE and Suggested Daily Calorie Intake.

With a current weight of 252 lbs, height of 70 inches, 37 Years Old, Activity Level of Moderate, and 20% Caloric Reduction, I am told that my BMR is 2272, TDEE is 3521 and my Suggested Caloric Intake is 2817.

Now my question is: Why the heck is MFP suggesting that I eat 1800 calories a day?! Where the heck does that number even come from? It is so far below what these numbers suggest I’ve been following it to the T for a week and was shocked to read about BMR/TDEE and how drastically different it is from MFP’s recommended suggestion!

I am really unnerved as I am at a loss as to what to follow, and could use some help.

Thanks so much.

Replies

  • jaxxie
    jaxxie Posts: 576 Member
    The calculations you have from Scooby include your exercise cals....MFP doesn't...so you eat your exercise cals back with MFP's calculations! Hope this helps some!
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
    My understanding is that MFP sets you at a deficit from your BMR.....and then you are supposed to eat your exercise calories back.

    MFP also sets your calorie deficit based on how much weight you say you want to lose per week....faster weight loss, higher calorie deficit.

    I started using the tdee - 20% method. That way I don't need to worry about logging exercise....just getting it. With TDEE you make sure you get your exercise and eat up to your tdee limit.
  • mel090170
    mel090170 Posts: 13 Member
    My stats are almost exactly the same as yours. I am older and an inch shorter. MFP also told me 1800 and I have been losing when I sick to it. My Dr told me I could go down to 1000 a day but I lost MUCH slower and then seemed to stop altogether.
    So I think everyone is different. How did you feel at 1800? Eat till you are satisfied and exercise till you are tired and I think you will lose. Counting my calories does help and some days I am just not very hungry and am way over. On other days when I am hungry I eat more calories. Listen to your body. Nobody knows it as well as you do. Consider those charts guidelines.
  • Ploogy
    Ploogy Posts: 115 Member
    The calculations you have from Scooby include your exercise cals....MFP doesn't...so you eat your exercise cals back with MFP's calculations! Hope this helps some!

    This does help, but TDEE seems counter-intuitive to me. Since I am accurately tracking the calories burned from working out, why would I go through the roundabout (and possibly more inaccurate) hoop that TDEE seems to be, which is to bake in a guestimated activity level, as opposed to using the BMR and adding back in exercise calories? And if BMR is so incredibly important to not eat below, why is MFP suggesting a deficit from it?

    I think I'm missing something and I"m not sure what it is :(
  • Ploogy
    Ploogy Posts: 115 Member
    Eat till you are satisfied

    This is what has gotten me to be so overweight in the first place :)
  • Amy62575
    Amy62575 Posts: 422 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
    The calculations you have from Scooby include your exercise cals....MFP doesn't...so you eat your exercise cals back with MFP's calculations! Hope this helps some!

    This does help, but TDEE seems counter-intuitive to me. Since I am accurately tracking the calories burned from working out, why would I go through the roundabout (and possibly more inaccurate) hoop that TDEE seems to be, which is to bake in a guestimated activity level, as opposed to using the BMR and adding back in exercise calories? And if BMR is so incredibly important to not eat below, why is MFP suggesting a deficit from it?

    I think I'm missing something and I"m not sure what it is :(
    Because MFP gives people a sense that they need to be under their calories every day, and they stress about it if their exercise patterns vary and they go over on a day. With TDEE-20% approach you are saying hey, my activity level is X, and I will get that one way or another during the week. BUT, your calorie target for any given day remains the same, so you're not eating a whole lot more on hard workout days, and vice versa.

    BTW - You may be tracking calories burned from working out, but the accuracy of that process is not guaranteed.
  • Ploogy
    Ploogy Posts: 115 Member
    Because MFP gives people a sense that they need to be under their calories every day, and they stress about it if their exercise patterns vary and they go over on a day. With TDEE-20% approach you are saying hey, my activity level is X, and I will get that one way or another during the week. BUT, your calorie target for any given day remains the same, so you're not eating a whole lot more on hard workout days, and vice versa.

    BTW - You may be tracking calories burned from working out, but the accuracy of that process is not guaranteed.

    This makes sense. So that I can calculate a useful TDEE, what activity level would you suggest to indicate, given that I am at a desk job, but am able to burn 500 or so calories each day during my workout? Is that, in fact, moderate?

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