BMR Help Please!

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SaintsGal
SaintsGal Posts: 62
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all,

I am very confused with BMR!

Can someone please tell me if I need to EAT my BMR (1570 calories) or NET it after exercise (usually burn 400 calories at the gym).

Any info would be extremely appreciated

xxx

Replies

  • SaintsGal
    SaintsGal Posts: 62
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    But my TDEE without exercise is 1935 so how many calories should I be netting as a 400 calorie deficit from my TDEE (to compensate exercise) would mean I was still netting below BMR?

    So confused by all of this at the moment lol
    x
  • 80Ben
    80Ben Posts: 119 Member
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    You shouldn't net below your BMR as it's the minimum amount of calories your body needs to function. Once you add the amount of energy you burn moving and working out, that gives you your TDEE. The TDEE is what you want to create a deficit on.

    This seems controversial as some will tell you they are constantly below BMR, and some will tell you your weightloss will stop if you're below BMR.
  • Jennacita
    Jennacita Posts: 116 Member
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    Hi. In general you should not eat below your BMR. Those are the calories your body wants and needs for everyday functions.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Can someone please tell me if I need to EAT my BMR (1570 calories) or NET it after exercise (usually burn 400 calories at the gym).

    None of the above. Your BMR is a (large) part of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). You lose weight by eating less than your TDEE.

    So if you have a BMR of 1570 and a sedentary job / lifestyle you use about 1900 calories a day plus the alleged 400 of exercise so 1900 on lazy days and 2300 on exercise days. You could eat for example 1600 every day to lose weight.
  • SaintsGal
    SaintsGal Posts: 62
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    In general I eat at my BMR on non workout days but on workout days I usually net around 1200 as I am simply not hungry to eat back those 400 calories burnt but by not eating them back I am netting below my BMR.

    What is TDEE?

    Could someone help me do some calculations to work out how many calories I should be eating?

    according to a calculator my TDEE (not including exercise) is 1934 so how do I work out my TDEE with exercise as I want to do it accurately as I always burn 400 calories at the gym, no more no less and the TDEE calculator does not give me the option to add my own calories burnt they are more general options.

    xx
  • SaintsGal
    SaintsGal Posts: 62
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    None of the above. Your BMR is a (large) part of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). You lose weight by eating less than your TDEE.

    So if you have a BMR of 1570 and a sedentary job / lifestyle you use about 1900 calories a day plus the alleged 400 of exercise so 1900 on lazy days and 2300 on exercise days. You could eat for example 1600 every day to lose weight.

    Thank you for your comment so how many calories should I be netting per day in your opinion?

    x
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    if the 400 is accurate then your TDEE with exercise is 1900 + 400 = 2300. You can take 20% of that, but other philosophies are available. 20% off 2300 is 1840 at which you would only lose on exercise days, so you may be better with say 1600 on non-exercise days.

    You will go mad trying to reconcile different approaches, pick one and stick to it.

    TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure - how much you use living, digesting, moving and exercising.

    Personally I would eat about 1500 and see what happens for a month.
  • SaintsGal
    SaintsGal Posts: 62
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    if the 400 is accurate then your TDEE with exercise is 1900 + 400 = 2300.

    it is accurate according to the machines at the gym (which I know are not the most accurate).
    20% off 2300 is 1840 at which you would only lose on exercise days, so you may be better with say 1600 on non-exercise days.

    Sorry what do you mean lose? And would I eat 1840 or net 1840?

    I have heard so many different things such as net your bmr, eat your bmr, eat 1200, net 1200 that my head is all over the place.

    Many thanks for all your help
  • SaintsGal
    SaintsGal Posts: 62
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    I have just worked out how many calories I need to lose weight according to my TDEE on the following website:

    http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/calories-required/

    The details I entered were:
    Gender: Female
    Weight: 175 lbs
    Height: 161 cm
    Activity Level: Moderate (I work out 4/5 times a week for about 30 - 40 mins - average burn of 300 - 400 calories)
    Aim: To lose 1kg in 2 weeks (will keep redoing this regularly if, and when, my goal is achieved)

    The website came back with:
    Results:
    (I'm guessing maintenance calories) of: 2331 and my weight currently as 79.38kg
    Week 1: my calories should be 1779 and my weight would be 173.53lbs
    Week 2: my calories should be 1773 and my weight would be 172.43

    So would my calories be 1779 before or after exercise as TDEE includes exercise? So should I not log my exercise or should I log it and eat extra calories?

    Hope my question makes sense
  • SaintsGal
    SaintsGal Posts: 62
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    Please tell me if I have got it wrong as I am really trying to understand

    x
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Go to Helloitsdan's first post in this thread and work through the calculations - he explains it perfectly:

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

    When doing it that way, you have a set calorie level for each day and don't have to concern yourself with eating back exercise calories.
  • SaintsGal
    SaintsGal Posts: 62
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    Hello AnvilHead,

    I believe I have already done this above haven't I?

    Sorry if I haven't but it looks similar to what helloitsdan's post.
  • SaintsGal
    SaintsGal Posts: 62
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    Anyone?
    x
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Hello AnvilHead,

    I believe I have already done this above haven't I?

    Sorry if I haven't but it looks similar to what helloitsdan's post.
    Not if you're still worrying about whether or not you should eat back exercise calories. Dan's method: Determine your BMR, figure your TDEE from that based upon your activity, take a 20-25% cut from TDEE and don't worry about exercise calories - they're already figured into your activity based upon TDEE.
  • SaintsGal
    SaintsGal Posts: 62
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    I think the website I used did this well that was the information I had to input and it mentioned activity level
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
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    You're right, exercise is already factored into your TDEE so you should eat 1700 (or whatever it was) total and not add back in exercise. If you add back in exercise calories, you are basically eating them twice.

    MFP is really the only place you will see the term "net calories". Everywhere else, calorie needs are based on average activity spread over the week and the recommendations given are for total calories eaten.

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