BMR & TDEE - So confused

CM9178
CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I posted this in the middle of another thread but I thought it might be easier to start a new one:

Ok, I've been confused about this since Day 1, for some reason, I'm just not getting it. I've read all of the stuff on here and I'm still not getting it.

I am 5'2", 34 y/o, CW is 180, GW is 135. Body fat is 41.9%

If I input those numbers into the calculator on fat2fitradio.com, I get BMR: 1401, TDEE at sedentary: 1649.
If I use my CW as my GW, it gives me a TDEE of 1884 to maintain. So to lose 1 lb per week, should I be eating 1384?

It seems I only lose any weight if I average around 1200 calories per day.
Someone please clearly explain this to me. Thanks!

Replies

  • dianefisher47
    dianefisher47 Posts: 224 Member
    I am doing TDEE - minus 20% apparently it works I just started this 2 days ago...I have checked my TDEE on

    Scoobyworkshop.com/calorie-calculator I find this one better...I did check Fit2radio :flowerforyou:
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    I am doing TDEE - minus 20% apparently it works I just started this 2 days ago...I have checked my TDEE on

    Scoobyworkshop.com/calorie-calculator I find this one better...I did check Fit2radio :flowerforyou:
    Are you using the TDEE based on your CW as your GW? Or your real GW?
    Also, that doesn't appear to be a valid website.
  • justicekenny
    justicekenny Posts: 80
    these are "estimation" / "ballpark" numbers .. (In my opinion) .. you just gotta monitor, and find that sweet spot for you .. for example my "20% below tdee" zone is 2300 at light activity, and 2641 at moderate activity .. Im playing around 2400 to 2500 to really get a feel for which "activity" level I should truly use .. I do have a desk job, but go hard at the gym .. the 21st will be my 3 week experiment with this, and will weigh in .. see if its been working .... good luck
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    these are "estimation" / "ballpark" numbers .. (In my opinion) .. you just gotta monitor, and find that sweet spot for you .. for example my "20% below tdee" zone is 2300 at light activity, and 2641 at moderate activity .. Im playing around 2400 to 2500 to really get a feel for which "activity" level I should truly use .. I do have a desk job, but go hard at the gym .. the 21st will be my 3 week experiment with this, and will weigh in .. see if its been working .... good luck
    Yeah, I get that, I guess my issue is that it says my BMR is 1401, yet I gain weight/don't lose at that level! Does that mean I should eat even MORE than that? Again, it only seems that I lose if I eat under 1300.
  • LB2LL
    LB2LL Posts: 240 Member
    I'd try for more. You really shouldn't eat less than your BMR. I upped a bit and I was scared and although it wasn't a huge scale victory there was improvement.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    I'd try for more. You really shouldn't eat less than your BMR. I upped a bit and I was scared and although it wasn't a huge scale victory there was improvement.
    I think the issue is that I'm not exercising, so in order to reach my goal and lose 1 lb per week, I'd have to eat less than my BMR number, which you aren't supposed to do. I've been trying to get an answer to this forever and it seems nobody can give me a clear answer of how many calories I should be eating in order to lose 1 lb per week, and NOT be below my BMR number. I just don't think it is possible without exercise.
    *UPDATE*
    I just checked MFP, if I change my lifestyle to ACTIVE, it gives me 1640, which is higher than my BMR. At lightly active, it still only gives me like 1400. So I think I've answered my own question - to lose 1 lb per week and eat above my BMR, I'd have to be ACTIVE, which I'm not.
    Soo.... if I eat at 1401 (at BMR), I should lose about 1/2 lb per week, because that is about a 250 calorie deficit. And If I want to lose faster than that, I will have to exercise.
  • Weezoh
    Weezoh Posts: 171 Member
    I am doing TDEE - minus 20% apparently it works I just started this 2 days ago...I have checked my TDEE on

    Scoobyworkshop.com/calorie-calculator I find this one better...I did check Fit2radio :flowerforyou:
    Are you using the TDEE based on your CW as your GW? Or your real GW?
    Also, that doesn't appear to be a valid website.
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ is the address you probably want to use. You might need to set your goals to TDEE - 10 or 15% rather than 20%. Although when you have a lot of weight to lose, going under your BMR isn't (IMO and IANAD) as bad as it would be if you were at your goal weight and had no reserves to draw on.
  • spramn
    spramn Posts: 67 Member
    I did a long post here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/814913-things-i-wish-i-was-told-when-i-started-my-journey

    Think it may help you =)
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Fat to Fit is based on the theory that if you eat the amount of calories that would be your TDEE at your goal weight, you will eventually get to that goal weight. So, you would eat 1649. This is a calorie deficit of 235 from your current weight TDEE, or about half a pound a week, but then if you also burn 250 calories a day, this would make it about 1 pound a week.

    Or you can do it the other way. Figure out your TDEE at current weight and then take a 20% cut from that to get your amount to eat.

    With either of these methods you would not eat any exercise calories back.

    Editing to add: MFP sets your calorie goal so low so that you would lose the weight without doing any exercise, then when you do exercise you need to eat extra calories for fuel. If MFP set you at 1400, then you exercised 250 calories a day, you would still have to be eating 1650.
  • spramn
    spramn Posts: 67 Member
    Or you can do it the other way. Figure out your TDEE at current weight and then take a 20% cut from that to get your amount to eat.
    FYI thats about 0.9LB a week =)
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Or you can do it the other way. Figure out your TDEE at current weight and then take a 20% cut from that to get your amount to eat.
    FYI thats about 0.9LB a week =)

    Yes, close enough. She wanted an explanation of the concept, I was rounding up.
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    .
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    I'd try for more. You really shouldn't eat less than your BMR. I upped a bit and I was scared and although it wasn't a huge scale victory there was improvement.
    I think the issue is that I'm not exercising, so in order to reach my goal and lose 1 lb per week, I'd have to eat less than my BMR number, which you aren't supposed to do. I've been trying to get an answer to this forever and it seems nobody can give me a clear answer of how many calories I should be eating in order to lose 1 lb per week, and NOT be below my BMR number. I just don't think it is possible without exercise.
    *UPDATE*
    I just checked MFP, if I change my lifestyle to ACTIVE, it gives me 1640, which is higher than my BMR. At lightly active, it still only gives me like 1400. So I think I've answered my own question - to lose 1 lb per week and eat above my BMR, I'd have to be ACTIVE, which I'm not.
    Soo.... if I eat at 1401 (at BMR), I should lose about 1/2 lb per week, because that is about a 250 calorie deficit. And If I want to lose faster than that, I will have to exercise.

    Funny how increasing one's activity level the the solution to so many problems.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    I am doing TDEE - minus 20% apparently it works I just started this 2 days ago...I have checked my TDEE on

    Scoobyworkshop.com/calorie-calculator I find this one better...I did check Fit2radio :flowerforyou:
    Are you using the TDEE based on your CW as your GW? Or your real GW?
    Also, that doesn't appear to be a valid website.
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ is the address you probably want to use. You might need to set your goals to TDEE - 10 or 15% rather than 20%. Although when you have a lot of weight to lose, going under your BMR isn't (IMO and IANAD) as bad as it would be if you were at your goal weight and had no reserves to draw on.
    Thanks.. I guess the thing that confuses me is nobody ever says - you can't eat above your BMR and lose weight unless you exercise. If you are sedentary you will most likely HAVE to eat below BMR to lose any weight.
  • cmccorma
    cmccorma Posts: 203 Member
    I am doing TDEE - minus 20% apparently it works I just started this 2 days ago...I have checked my TDEE on

    Scoobyworkshop.com/calorie-calculator I find this one better...I did check Fit2radio :flowerforyou:
    Are you using the TDEE based on your CW as your GW? Or your real GW?
    Also, that doesn't appear to be a valid website.
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ is the address you probably want to use. You might need to set your goals to TDEE - 10 or 15% rather than 20%. Although when you have a lot of weight to lose, going under your BMR isn't (IMO and IANAD) as bad as it would be if you were at your goal weight and had no reserves to draw on.
    Thanks.. I guess the thing that confuses me is nobody ever says - you can't eat above your BMR and lose weight unless you exercise. If you are sedentary you will most likely HAVE to eat below BMR to lose any weight.

    Well no one is going to say "you can't" because that might not apply for everyone. You really have to see what works for you. Also from your ticker you have lost quite a few pounds. I found that after losing 27, I got stuck for a while and only started to lose again after a few months and after I really cracked down on the weekends ( I was splurging a bit)
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    I posted this in the middle of another thread but I thought it might be easier to start a new one:

    Ok, I've been confused about this since Day 1, for some reason, I'm just not getting it. I've read all of the stuff on here and I'm still not getting it.

    I am 5'2", 34 y/o, CW is 180, GW is 135. Body fat is 41.9%

    If I input those numbers into the calculator on fat2fitradio.com, I get BMR: 1401, TDEE at sedentary: 1649.
    If I use my CW as my GW, it gives me a TDEE of 1884 to maintain. So to lose 1 lb per week, should I be eating 1384?

    It seems I only lose any weight if I average around 1200 calories per day.
    Someone please clearly explain this to me. Thanks!

    My stats are so close we are body twins (5'2" CW: 182 GW: 135 body fat at 42%) but I am a menopausal 46 year old. My BMR is about 1420. My TDEE at sedentary is over 2,100 so I think that 1649 has the deficient in to lose a pound a week. Presently I am netting 1,500 due to being very sedentary and I eat my exercise calories. I was losing on 1,200 and then plateaued after upping my calories I started losing again.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member

    Thanks.. I guess the thing that confuses me is nobody ever says - you can't eat above your BMR and lose weight unless you exercise. If you are sedentary you will most likely HAVE to eat below BMR to lose any weight.

    Not true. It's all in the numbers. You lose weight by creating a calorie deficit. However, if you eat below BMR, your body releases cortisol which is a stress hormone, it also affects other hormones relating to hunger. These affect your weight loss. After a while you will reach a plateau and you won't lose any more weight. You are already eating low calories, and you can't cut more cals. In order to fix this, you have to eat more to reset your hormones to a normal level, and eat at a smaller calorie deficit than before. Weight will come off slower when you get closer to your goal than when you have a lot of weight to lose.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member

    Thanks.. I guess the thing that confuses me is nobody ever says - you can't eat above your BMR and lose weight unless you exercise. If you are sedentary you will most likely HAVE to eat below BMR to lose any weight.

    Not true. It's all in the numbers. You lose weight by creating a calorie deficit. However, if you eat below BMR, your body releases cortisol which is a stress hormone, it also affects other hormones relating to hunger. These affect your weight loss. After a while you will reach a plateau and you won't lose any more weight. You are already eating low calories, and you can't cut more cals. In order to fix this, you have to eat more to reset your hormones to a normal level, and eat at a smaller calorie deficit than before. Weight will come off slower when you get closer to your goal than when you have a lot of weight to lose.
    You are not understanding what I'm saying so I'll say it again:
    MY BMR is : 1401
    TDEE at sedentary: 1649

    If I do not work out, and want to lose 1 lb per week (500 calorie deficit), I'd have to eat 1149 calories which is not only below my BMR, but below 1200 calories as well. I can do .5 lb per week (-250) and eat 1344. This is all without any additional exercise.

    As a happy medium for now, I've been eating around 1250 per week and losing an average of .8 lbs per week.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Your TDEE number of 1649 is not for your current weight. You got the number from Fat2Fit radio, right? That goes by calculating your TDEE for you GOAL weight, and this would be the total number of calories you would eat in a day to lose weight now, and when you get to your goal weight, that is the number you would continue to eat for maintenance. It's called "eating for the future you" method.

    You likely would lose .4 pounds a week with that method.

    Your TDEE at your current weight is 1884. Subtract 500 cals from that and you get 1384 to lose 1 pound a week. However, keep in mind when you get to your last 10-15 pounds to lose, then you aren't going to be able to cut much more, and for maintenance you are going to have to go up to 1649.
  • Gabbie0214
    Gabbie0214 Posts: 12 Member
    Look up Eat More To Weigh Less group on here. I lost a good amount of weight on 1200 calories, then stopped losing. Yet I kept reading that I should be able to eat 2000+ calories to be able to maintain, but anytime I went over 1200 I gained.... It all makes sense to me after joining the group and reading everything I could. Your metabolism is has most likely been suppressed due to being on a very low calorie diet for some time. You will probably need to reset your metabolism to get it back to where you will be able to eat your TDEE and NOT GAIN ANY WEIGHT! Then, subtract 10-20% of your TDEE and you will lose the weight you have left to lose. Look it up, hope it helps!
  • zoeyjane138
    zoeyjane138 Posts: 14
    im confused to lol..i have hypthroidism, and have had trouble loosing weight. i had my labs done, and my meds have evened out my thyroid for now, my dr told me to eat 1200 a day, that my1600 was too many calories, he said he doesnt even eat 1600 a day to maintain his weight.... my bmr is calculated at 1770. i dont want to eat 1200 for the rest of my life, but i also dont want to eat that, then have my body get use to that, and then gain everything back because i cant stick to 1200 calories.... i dont know what to do about this... it shouldnt be that hard...
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    im confused to lol..i have hypthroidism, and have had trouble loosing weight. i had my labs done, and my meds have evened out my thyroid for now, my dr told me to eat 1200 a day, that my1600 was too many calories, he said he doesnt even eat 1600 a day to maintain his weight.... my bmr is calculated at 1770. i dont want to eat 1200 for the rest of my life, but i also dont want to eat that, then have my body get use to that, and then gain everything back because i cant stick to 1200 calories.... i dont know what to do about this... it shouldnt be that hard...

    Your doctor must be a midget if he doesn't even eat 1600 to maintain. That is insane.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    If you don't exercise, don't include exercise in your TDEE calculation.

    Eat either the maintenance TDEE for your goal, or your CURRENT TDEE - 20%.

    Simples.

    If you're hypothyroid, the calculators will be wrong anyway, unless you get a BMR test done professionally.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    If you don't exercise, don't include exercise in your TDEE calculation.

    Eat either the maintenance TDEE for your goal, or your CURRENT TDEE - 20%.

    Simples.

    If you're hypothyroid, the calculators will be wrong anyway, unless you get a BMR test done professionally.

    I AM IRONANIMAL AND I HAVE A BIG THUMB!
    Meds.

    Take them Pu.

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