BMR.. TDEE.. so many acronyms!

Judas_Queen

But.. I think I've conquered it!! Yipee!!

Used two sites from one thread (I'm sorry, I shut the tab and I can't remember!!) to calculate my BMR and TDEE and they were both spot on within a few calories of each other.. so that tells me they are right (as much as they can be I guess!!)

My BMR (as a big ish girl) at 5ft 8 (or 5ft 7 - my measurements vary.. weird!!) is 1812.

My TDEE is 2810. Much better than the first calculation that told me it was 3300!! Shock Horror.. I realised after that i had clicked the wrong activity multiplier! Whoops!

I've looked at different ideas re eating TDEE to maintain, eating BMR which I could do but can be quite hard. I've toyed with different TDEE - **% and settled on TDEE - 25% which is, rounded down (from 2107!) 2100 kcals a day.

That gives me some room to play with calories if needs be, 1800 is never quite enough so eating to BMR would be difficult but eating to TDEE would be harder to do, without eating all the junk food under the sun!

So there we have it... that is my new daily goal.

I've set my macros up as best i can here.

Fat 20% @ 58g
Protein 35% at 184g
Carbs 45% @ 210g

I did toy with having fats higher as the thread i read was minimum of 1g per 1lb body weight, but 70cal of fat per day just seemed a little high. I'll regroup in a few weeks and see if i'm meeting my macros and switch up if need me.

I was going to aim for 150g protein as this was just about managable, but without scoffing my face full of bread and pasta soaked in olive oil that wouldnt have worked... so i'm going to have to try and hit 184g... probably time i had a protein shake every day anyway!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read my uber boring post!

x

tameko2

those seem like good targets overall - I'd say that if you find your protein a little tough, err on the side of more fat rather than more carbs.

I typically eat over 70g/day, and it helps me a lot because lean protein is very boring after a while, its nice to add in some salami or rib eye steak or a burger or things like that.

I think TDEE -25% is very appropriate for someone with 60lbs to lose, I'd just keep eating that amount until your loss slows way down or stops (say, 4 weeks iwht no loss or less than 2lbs of loss) and then you can adjust downward a bit.

Judas_Queen

those seem like good targets overall - I'd say that if you find your protein a little tough, err on the side of more fat rather than more carbs.

I typically eat over 70g/day, and it helps me a lot because lean protein is very boring after a while, its nice to add in some salami or rib eye steak or a burger or things like that.

I think TDEE -25% is very appropriate for someone with 60lbs to lose, I'd just keep eating that amount until your loss slows way down or stops (say, 4 weeks iwht no loss or less than 2lbs of loss) and then you can adjust downward a bit.

thanks for your comments. really helpful. It initially said 70g but I changed it. If i go over the 58 or whatever I'm not going to worry too much because I'm trying to eat more dairy (i hate the stuff!) and i too love salami and cured meats.. yum!

hadn't thought about the whole more fat rather than carbs thing but it makes sense. thanks.

tameko2

those seem like good targets overall - I'd say that if you find your protein a little tough, err on the side of more fat rather than more carbs.

I typically eat over 70g/day, and it helps me a lot because lean protein is very boring after a while, its nice to add in some salami or rib eye steak or a burger or things like that.

I think TDEE -25% is very appropriate for someone with 60lbs to lose, I'd just keep eating that amount until your loss slows way down or stops (say, 4 weeks iwht no loss or less than 2lbs of loss) and then you can adjust downward a bit.

thanks for your comments. really helpful. It initially said 70g but I changed it. If i go over the 58 or whatever I'm not going to worry too much because I'm trying to eat more dairy (i hate the stuff!) and i too love salami and cured meats.. yum!

hadn't thought about the whole more fat rather than carbs thing but it makes sense. thanks.

no need to force yourself to eat dairy if you don't like it, its just a handy way to get your protein in. I think most yogurt is gross, although I do like whole fat yogurt, I just don't like the weird grainyness of it when its been de-fatted. I eat very little dairy because I'm lactose intolerant so most of my protein comes from meat or legumes, or making substitutions like quinoa instead of rice, higher protein snacks over lower ones, etc.

xidia

hadn't thought about the whole more fat rather than carbs thing but it makes sense. thanks.

Trust me, this is a really tasty way to get calories in!

Judas_Queen

those seem like good targets overall - I'd say that if you find your protein a little tough, err on the side of more fat rather than more carbs.

I typically eat over 70g/day, and it helps me a lot because lean protein is very boring after a while, its nice to add in some salami or rib eye steak or a burger or things like that.

I think TDEE -25% is very appropriate for someone with 60lbs to lose, I'd just keep eating that amount until your loss slows way down or stops (say, 4 weeks iwht no loss or less than 2lbs of loss) and then you can adjust downward a bit.

thanks for your comments. really helpful. It initially said 70g but I changed it. If i go over the 58 or whatever I'm not going to worry too much because I'm trying to eat more dairy (i hate the stuff!) and i too love salami and cured meats.. yum!

hadn't thought about the whole more fat rather than carbs thing but it makes sense. thanks.

no need to force yourself to eat dairy if you don't like it, its just a handy way to get your protein in. I think most yogurt is gross, although I do like whole fat yogurt, I just don't like the weird grainyness of it when its been de-fatted. I eat very little dairy because I'm lactose intolerant so most of my protein comes from meat or legumes, or making substitutions like quinoa instead of rice, higher protein snacks over lower ones, etc.

i hate milk and cream and i DETEST eggs.. i honestly wish i didn't hate eggs because I would eat them every day!

I like yoghurt.. not all.. i like the new Danone Danio "high protein" ones. they are so thick and creamy. 12g of protein too as opposed to the Oykos Greek yoghurt which has like 3.5g.

I've eaten quinoa for the first time this week and enjoyed it, had some soybeans too which were fine. so will definitely eat those again.

I was whinging last night about how many calories I had to eat because I actually don't eat that much.. karma came a'knocking today and I'm way over and only about 60% of the protein i wanted to be eating. But.. tomorrow is another day and things can only get better!

kirabob

I agree, those numbers look really good. It's going to be a real challenge to get that much protein in - but definitely fill in the gaps with healthy fats (for me that means non-processed - so lard, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, bacon grease, etc.)

I have actually been going in every 5 lbs. and checking my BMR and TDEE using measurements - which is a good thing, because my BMR actually went up a bit (hopefully from some new muscle mass), and eating at the new number is much easier and gives me enough fuel to make it through the workouts - that's the biggest thing, I think, when eating at a deficit - if I start to boink lifting or doing cardio, it's almost always because I'm not eating enough.

If you do add in a protein powder, watch out for an upset tummy - some people have a lot of trouble with whey. Personally I like a raw, whole foods based bean protein - it's not as much protein per gram as soy or whey, but my body processes it much better. If you already have one you like, rock on - if not, find a store that sells the packets, and try a whole bunch of them (this is how I figured out which worked best for me).

Good luck!

tameko2

I agree, those numbers look really good. It's going to be a real challenge to get that much protein in - but definitely fill in the gaps with healthy fats (for me that means non-processed - so lard, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, bacon grease, etc.)

I have actually been going in every 5 lbs. and checking my BMR and TDEE using measurements - which is a good thing, because my BMR actually went up a bit (hopefully from some new muscle mass), and eating at the new number is much easier and gives me enough fuel to make it through the workouts - that's the biggest thing, I think, when eating at a deficit - if I start to boink lifting or doing cardio, it's almost always because I'm not eating enough.

If you do add in a protein powder, watch out for an upset tummy - some people have a lot of trouble with whey. Personally I like a raw, whole foods based bean protein - it's not as much protein per gram as soy or whey, but my body processes it much better. If you already have one you like, rock on - if not, find a store that sells the packets, and try a whole bunch of them (this is how I figured out which worked best for me).

Good luck!

O_o non processed fats as opposed to? I mean you said coconut oil and grass fed butter both of which require a certain amount of processing, just as much as any other kind of oil or regular butter. I would consider those 'processed' and foods like avocado and nuts to be 'non-processed'

But all of them are fine additions to any diet.

Judas_Queen

I agree I am going to struggle to get that much protein but i will try to get as near as possible and toy with new foods until i can find the best way to get close to the target. I think thats how i need to play things for now.

Protein powder is fine. I have had an upset tummy recently and thought it could be that, but I was using it before with no problems so it possibly is just something else.

I think if i can get to 150 protein and then just up my fats i will be happy. I'm not going to faff around with MFP goals again because it is so time consuming, but i have my own excel spreadsheet that i can log etc so i might try that.

My lifts are still going well thankfully, finished week 3 today and no stalls as yet although i can defo feel one on the horizon with both OHP and rows... damn 40kg is hard on a row!!

Thanks for all the helpful comments guys It's nice to actually get a response to things and see that I am on the right track (on paper).

Now just to put it into practise!

kirabob

I agree, those numbers look really good. It's going to be a real challenge to get that much protein in - but definitely fill in the gaps with healthy fats (for me that means non-processed - so lard, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, bacon grease, etc.)

I have actually been going in every 5 lbs. and checking my BMR and TDEE using measurements - which is a good thing, because my BMR actually went up a bit (hopefully from some new muscle mass), and eating at the new number is much easier and gives me enough fuel to make it through the workouts - that's the biggest thing, I think, when eating at a deficit - if I start to boink lifting or doing cardio, it's almost always because I'm not eating enough.

If you do add in a protein powder, watch out for an upset tummy - some people have a lot of trouble with whey. Personally I like a raw, whole foods based bean protein - it's not as much protein per gram as soy or whey, but my body processes it much better. If you already have one you like, rock on - if not, find a store that sells the packets, and try a whole bunch of them (this is how I figured out which worked best for me).

Good luck!

O_o non processed fats as opposed to? I mean you said coconut oil and grass fed butter both of which require a certain amount of processing, just as much as any other kind of oil or regular butter. I would consider those 'processed' and foods like avocado and nuts to be 'non-processed'

But all of them are fine additions to any diet.

Great point. Maybe I should have said "non-hydrogenated". I like coconut oil, because even though it undergoes a lot of processing, it is more stable at higher temps. And I make my own lard from pastured pigs, so I feel like that is about as close to the source as I can get. Okay, siderail over.

Fittreelol

Grassfed butter has those CLA's. Omnomnomnom

xidia

If you liked soy, give tempeh a go. It's fermented soya beans, and can be fried, baked, grilled, used instead of ground/minced meat.

I tried it for the first time this week and it makes a nice change.

Judas_Queen

If you liked soy, give tempeh a go. It's fermented soya beans, and can be fried, baked, grilled, used instead of ground/minced meat.

I tried it for the first time this week and it makes a nice change.

what are the macros in comparison to similar amounts of ground meat like turkey for example?

BikerGirlElaine

I've set my macros up as best i can here.

Fat 20% @ 58g
Protein 35% at 184g
Carbs 45% @ 210g

I did toy with having fats higher as the thread i read was minimum of 1g per 1lb body weight, but 70cal of fat per day just seemed a little high. I'll regroup in a few weeks and see if i'm meeting my macros and switch up if need me.

I was going to aim for 150g protein as this was just about managable, but without scoffing my face full of bread and pasta soaked in olive oil that wouldnt have worked... so i'm going to have to try and hit 184g... probably time i had a protein shake every day anyway!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read my uber boring post!

x

Terrific work! It looks like you have a great plan now.

Just to clarify... It's at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass (I think 1.2 is the minimum if your are lifting but I just made that up), and .35 grams of protein per pound of total body weight. I weigh 207, which I think is close to what you weigh, my LBM is about 110. My protein minimum (using 1.2) is 132g and my fat minimum is 72g. But those are *minimums*, you can go over however you want, in whatever ways make your food enjoyable for you.

I know you aren't in the US so you have to convert those numbers but what you have looks good.

So far as getting protein in, I still think meat -- beef, pork, poultry, fish -- is the best. RAWWWRRR MEAT :bigsmile:

tameko2

If you liked soy, give tempeh a go. It's fermented soya beans, and can be fried, baked, grilled, used instead of ground/minced meat.

I tried it for the first time this week and it makes a nice change.

what are the macros in comparison to similar amounts of ground meat like turkey for example?

Its more carbs, less fat than most ground meats (although sometimes turkey is very lean), and less protein -- nothing is quite as protein dense as just MEAT is.

Also the protein calculation is 1.4g per kg of bodyweight at the minimum, if that helps.

Judas_Queen

If you liked soy, give tempeh a go. It's fermented soya beans, and can be fried, baked, grilled, used instead of ground/minced meat.

I tried it for the first time this week and it makes a nice change.

what are the macros in comparison to similar amounts of ground meat like turkey for example?

Its more carbs, less fat than most ground meats (although sometimes turkey is very lean), and less protein -- nothing is quite as protein dense as just MEAT is.

Also the protein calculation is 1.4g per kg of bodyweight at the minimum, if that helps.

Thanks for this.

I've come across so may different protein calculations which seem to vary.. a lot!

By that one its something like 140g protein per day, some calculations give me about 100g others 200g... i have no idea which one is right. I think I'm going to aim for 140-150g so I'm going to have another play around with my macros today.

I'm cutting out my whey this week because I'm still having tummy issues and I think that may be what is causing it after all of this faffing around so I'm going to have to be super meaty this week! I'm going to switch to a non whey based protein powder because I can't reach my targets without some form of supp! Not sure which to go for though.

As far as things like tofu and beancurd and other meat subsitutes.. which do people use and how do you cook them?

So much to think about and not enough time in the day!

kirabob

I put tofu in my smoothies - and spinach! 2 cups of frozen spinach has 9 g of protein. Throw in some fruit to make it tasty, and you've got a lot of protein!

I prefer tempeh over tofu when cooking - I just toast it in my cast iron skillet and sprinkle it with salt - we used it in our bi bim bap last night, and it was super tasty!

If you don't have any gluten issues, you could try seitan (it's basically ALL gluten - so lots of protein, but carbs too) - it is chewy and takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it in.

I am very wary of anything that contains soy protein isolate (which includes pretty much all processed soy foods and protein powders) for reasons I will go into if anyone is curious. But fermented soy - that's some good stuff!