BMF... TDEE - 20%

Fiesty1006

I know that I am probably way overcomplicating this in my mind... But I need a sanity check, please.

I love my BMF... and knowing what my TDEE is. But I'm not sure what to do with the numbers with regard to calorie intake.

Tested RMR: 1950
BMF Weekly Average: 2532
TDEE-20%: 2032
Currently eating 2000 calories a day.... not including exercise calories.

The BMF weekly average includes StrongLifts 3x/week and occasionally some light cardio (walking 2.5mph or stationary bike) a few times a week.

Is 2000 calories a day good? Or should I be eating back some of my exercise calories? I'm mostly concerned whether or not my NET calories fall below my RMR. Thoughts?

heybales

I'd suggest the BMF may not be giving you good TDEE estimate based on it's inability to read movements for lifting bike ride, and calorie burn.

If you look at a session of time on BMF daily calorie burn, what is the total burn during a workout time for lifting and bike?

For that type of lifting, 0.039 calories x your weight x minutes including normal short rests = total calories burned. That estimate and what MFP gives for Strength training averaged together is good indication if the BMF is anywhere near right.
For the bike, same thing would be interesting to see.

Of course, if SL is only 90 min a week, then that's only 0.89% if your weekly time, so not bad at all.

So assuming the BMF is right, you'll normally have to unsync it, because the syncing is expecting that MFP has your non-exercise daily activity to compare to, and eating level with no exercise included, but you just changed that method with a manual goal that includes exercise.

Though, you may luck out and MFP's levels will meet your TDEE, in which case you can keep syncing it, and eat more when needed.

Take your 2532 / MFP BMR = multiplier

Change your MFP activity level to whatever is closest multiplier.
Sedentary - 1.25
Lightly Active - 1.35
Active - 1.45
Very Active - 1.55.

So say 2532 / BMR = 1.36 for you.

Select MFP Activity level of Lightly Active, and weight loss goal to Maintain.

Now go set your net daily eating goal to indeed 2032, change macros to what you want.

Now if the MFP TDEE is over MFP's total, you'll be given more to eat over your 2032.
If less, nothing happens.
Just the way it should be.

Since you just included exercise in MFP daily maintenance figure when they aren't expecting it, I think if you want to log workouts, it must be 1 calorie or it will mess up the math, because that workout is already included.

Fiesty1006

If you look at a session of time on BMF daily calorie burn, what is the total burn during a workout time for lifting and bike?

For SLs, my BMF says around 100 - 150. The calculation indicates 259. MFP says 152. Averaged: 206. So, BMF does appear to be a little lower. Which makes one wonder... Is BMF wrong? Or am I truly not burning much - which would be a little disheartening? I know no consumer available technology can be 100% accurate in measuring this type of thing... But, I like to get as close as I can.

When BMF adds the calorie difference, I just delete it... I only have them synced for ease of transferring calories consumed back to BMF.

Interestingly enough, MFP set as Sedentary is almost dead on with what my BMF showed for a day when I did basically nothing most of the day (9 hour car ride and then lazy evening). When I move to the other settings though, not so much.

Anyway... 2532/1950 (RMR)=1.29ish... Or 2532/2110 (MFP BMR)=1.2... So, Sedentary is close either way... MFP sets my goal at 2110.

If I understood your response correctly, set MFP to 2032 - and if BMF is over that, eat more? I know BMF will mostly be over that... Aside from the low day mentioned above, BMF rarely says below 2300.

I know I have to be overcomplicating this in my head.... and in this post.

heybales

If you look at a session of time on BMF daily calorie burn, what is the total burn during a workout time for lifting and bike?

For SLs, my BMF says around 100 - 150. The calculation indicates 259. MFP says 152. Averaged: 206. So, BMF does appear to be a little lower. Which makes one wonder... Is BMF wrong? Or am I truly not burning much - which would be a little disheartening? I know no consumer available technology can be 100% accurate in measuring this type of thing... But, I like to get as close as I can.

When BMF adds the calorie difference, I just delete it... I only have them synced for ease of transferring calories consumed back to BMF.

Interestingly enough, MFP set as Sedentary is almost dead on with what my BMF showed for a day when I did basically nothing most of the day (9 hour car ride and then lazy evening). When I move to the other settings though, not so much.

Anyway... 2532/1950 (RMR)=1.29ish... Or 2532/2110 (MFP BMR)=1.2... So, Sedentary is close either way... MFP sets my goal at 2110.

If I understood your response correctly, set MFP to 2032 - and if BMF is over that, eat more? I know BMF will mostly be over that... Aside from the low day mentioned above, BMF rarely says below 2300.

I know I have to be overcomplicating this in my head.... and in this post.

Yes, BMF is wrong on many exercises. BMF is measuring steps and estimating pace for calorie burn for moving. It has no formula's for bike riding and lifting and more intense running. And it will be really inflated if you did a hand cycle machine with arms moving for instance.

Your MFP BMR is probably not 2110, not if it set the eating goal there with you selecting Maintain.
That was probably the daily maintenance figure since you said it gave you that as goal.

The BMR would be lower than your test RMR likely.

MFP - Apps - BMR Calc.

Do that 2532 / BMR now. I'll bet Lightly Active.

And you don't want to compare to your least active non-normal day that happens once a month of sitting in car for that long, unless that is a typical non-exercise day, which I'll bet it isn't.

Fiesty1006

Yes, BMF is wrong on many exercises. BMF is measuring steps and estimating pace for calorie burn for moving. It has no formula's for bike riding and lifting and more intense running. And it will be really inflated if you did a hand cycle machine with arms moving for instance.

Your MFP BMR is probably not 2110, not if it set the eating goal there with you selecting Maintain.
That was probably the daily maintenance figure since you said it gave you that as goal.

The BMR would be lower than your test RMR likely.

MFP - Apps - BMR Calc.

Do that 2532 / BMR now. I'll bet Lightly Active.

And you don't want to compare to your least active non-normal day that happens once a month of sitting in car for that long, unless that is a typical non-exercise day, which I'll bet it isn't.

If I use the MFP calculator, it indicates my BMR as 1690.... 260 less than my RMR. 2532/1690=1.49822. Active puts me at 2450. Very Active puts me at 2620. Are you suggesting that I enter one of those numbers at eat to them? Or only eat the difference between that number and what BMF says if it exceeds that number?

heybales

If I use the MFP calculator, it indicates my BMR as 1690.... 260 less than my RMR. 2532/1690=1.49822. Active puts me at 2450. Very Active puts me at 2620. Are you suggesting that I enter one of those numbers at eat to them? Or only eat the difference between that number and what BMF says if it exceeds that number?

So BMR is less than RMR, though that sounds tad big difference, so you have better RMR than expected - that's great.

So you set Activity Level to Very Active.
Set Weight loss goal to Maintain.
MFP sets your daily maintenance to 2620. (and your eating goal, but doesn't matter)

Which is as close as you'll get to what your BMF is reporting your TDEE to be at 2532 on avg.

Now go manually set your eating goal to 2032 and change your macros.

Now, even with exercise, only if you have a more eventful day then TDEE 2620 coming from your BMF, will you receive extra cal's burned credit to eat more, normally you will not.
Which you know you should probably eat those back, because that means it was indeed a very big day.

But your daily goal will be 2032 normally, except when you get credit.

You will NOT log exercise, as it's already included in your MFP daily maintenance level. It wasn't intended for normal exercise-included TDEE, but you just made it work.

Fiesty1006

Now I am crystal clear! Thank you so so so much! :-)