Confused about BMR and TDEE?

jackiecamarena
jackiecamarena Posts: 290 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Can someone please break these down for me in a way that I can understand?
I have a BMR of 1673 according to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/, but MFP suggests I eat 1200 calories a day.

How do I know which is correct and how often should I recalculate my BMR?
Also, I am not very clear on what TDEE is?

Replies

  • wthhappened14
    wthhappened14 Posts: 3 Member
    I'm confused too! Hope someone answers this! I just joined today and was shocked to see 1200 calories as my daily allowance.
  • jackiecamarena
    jackiecamarena Posts: 290 Member
    I agree! I am just trying to be healthy. I feel like 1200 may be too low. This is all new to me. First time in my life trying to do things right.
  • terijoestoes
    terijoestoes Posts: 205 Member
    You control the calories count mfp gives you by what you put in the profile. Change your activity level and that gives you a little wiggle room
  • CINNAMON77_00
    CINNAMON77_00 Posts: 50 Member
    Here is a place to start... if you search TDEE and BMR in community you will be inundated with information....this post is pretty thorough...

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

    best of luck!!! if you have other questions, I will TRY to help, but I am learning too! :)
  • CINNAMON77_00
    CINNAMON77_00 Posts: 50 Member
    and 1200 is WAAAYYYY too low.
  • jackiecamarena
    jackiecamarena Posts: 290 Member
    Here is a place to start... if you search TDEE and BMR in community you will be inundated with information....this post is pretty thorough...

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

    best of luck!!! if you have other questions, I will TRY to help, but I am learning too! :)

    Thanks a bunch!
  • CassieReannan
    CassieReannan Posts: 1,479 Member
    TDEE is total daily energy expenditure. This is the calorie amount your body burns in an entire day including your activity. BMR is the amount of calories you burn just to exist (eg. you are in a coma so the doctor would liquid feed you 1600 calories to maintain your weight). Eating -20% of your TDEE gives you a decent deficit without starving your body.

    Eg. My TDEE is on average 2300 a day and my BMR is 1750. -20% is 1900 calories and I eat this everyday regardless if I exercise or not. I also don't eat back exercise calories unless it nets me below my BMR of 1750.
  • Donnarose82
    Donnarose82 Posts: 71
    Here is a place to start... if you search TDEE and BMR in community you will be inundated with information....this post is pretty thorough...

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

    ^^This..
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    1200 is well below the BMR for most people. Quite frankly, I'd like it if MFP had a warning as such and had a warning that the 2Lb per week plan should be done with extreme caution. I really like the scooby calculator and have found it to be very accurate as I continue to lose roughly 1 Lb per week doing TDEE - 20%. Scooby calculator will give you a warning that anything more than 20% is potentially dangerous. Minimally, you should be eating at or very near your BMR. Going a little below isn't usually too big a deal because the BMR method that most calculators use (I can't remember the name) don't take into account your lean body mass...when you take into account your LBS, BMR is usually a tad lower than if you don't..by a tad I'm talking maybe 100 calories.

    The real decision to be made is your input for TDEE. Some people include exercise in their TDEE when they utilize the TDEE method (i.e. road map). I myself still keep myself at sedentary because of the work I do and log exercise separately. I'm considering changing that as it would pretty much net out if I just did lightly active...but I'm still pretty new to exercise and don't want to lapse or miss a workout and forget to eat less. The more of this I do though, the more confident I am that this is all going to stick and exercise is just becoming a part of my daily life just like taking a shower or brushing my teeth.
  • Nana920
    Nana920 Posts: 51 Member
    Bump
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Can someone please break these down for me in a way that I can understand?
    I have a BMR of 1673 according to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/, but MFP suggests I eat 1200 calories a day.

    How do I know which is correct and how often should I recalculate my BMR?
    Also, I am not very clear on what TDEE is?
    by joejvcca71 in this thread:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/510406-tdee-is-everything

    1. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).

    2. NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working). ie: INCIDENTAL EXERCISE! It is something that everyone has a good amount of control over & it is the MOST important factor in your energy expenditure. It is what helps keep 'constitutionally lean' people LEAN (they fidget)!

    3. EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise. Unless someone is doing a whole heap of exercise (eg: two or more hrs training a day) it usually doesn't add a stack of calories to your requirements (30 minutes of 'elliptical training isn't going to do it')

    4. TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. REGARDLESS of what myths you have been told - this is NOT dependent on MEAL FREQUENCY. It is a % of TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED (and 15% of 3 x 600 cal meals is the same as 15% of 6 x 300 cal meals). It varies according to MACRONUTRIENT content and FIBER content. For most mixed diets, it is something around 15%. Protein is higher (up to 25%), carbs are variable (between 5-25%), and fats are low (usually less than 5%). So -> More protein and more carbs and more fiber = HIGHER TEF. More FAT = LOWER TEF.

    5. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture): Total calories burned. BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF = TDEE

    There's the terms.

    As for which to choose... MFP can only do the calculations. It's not "smart" enough to know if the numbers end up being realistic, if you are choosing reasonable/healthy goals, etc.
  • Razzy43
    Razzy43 Posts: 32
    BMR are the calories you would need to keep the body healthy with no activities or very minimal.

    TDEE is the BMR, plus your daily activities to maintain your current physical heatlh.

    I too use Scooby's website for my calculations and guidance, very good.

    Example for me

    BMR = 1800
    TDEE = 2300 based on my average daily activities (Light daily activities) having a desk job

    Using this website, I have seen as my daily activities go up, working the treadmill and lifting weights, my TDEE might be 3100 for that day and rest days 2300. Your TDEE will change depending on what your activity level is for that day, so I would recommend logging your activities on this site to give you a more accurate count of calories per that day.

    Assuming
    Looking at your data, the 1200 looks to be coming from your BMR of 1600 - 500 for losing a pound a week goal, if that is what it is. This would be feasible by diet alone. As you add in your workouts and daily activity, MFP will adjust your calorie intake by what you total TDEE for that day, minus the 500. So your 1200 for a day of doing nothing vs. a day in the gym, could be 1500 or 1700, depending on what you did. Theoretically, for a one pound weekly weight loss, it is your daily TDEE calories - 500 calories.

    Hopes this makes sense.
  • Razzy43
    Razzy43 Posts: 32
    Another way of looking at this.

    BMR is the number of calories for the avg person at your weight and height would need to keep your body alive or healthy, with no activiities. Kind of a constant

    TDEE is BMR, plus all the extra calories your burn daily (chores, walking, exercise etc) to maintain your weight at your height. Fluctuates daily.

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