Ok. How much do I need to eat? (BMR Related)

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tpfoodie
tpfoodie Posts: 148 Member
in Food and Nutrition
When I first joined MFP, ate 1200. Failed.

Got the great advice to look up BMR. Did it. Set my eating to 100 calories more than BMR. Lost 5-6 lbs quickly.

Then plateaued.

So I decided to look up my BMR again. And got three different responses from three different calculators.
MFP - 1540
BMI Calc.net - 1630
Muscle and Strength.com - 1951

Uh. That's confusing.

So now I'm trying to figure out A) which I should follow and B) how to much to eat ABOVE the BMR I select.

I would love any recommendations on this.
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Replies

  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
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    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ I've found this to be pretty accurate (well it's worked out right for me)
  • hnsaunde
    hnsaunde Posts: 757 Member
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    Try this link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    Lots of great info there!
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    The link above or....

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
  • imhungry2012
    imhungry2012 Posts: 240 Member
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    I would suggest you use your TDEE and subtract 10-20% from that, here is the link I like best: http://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator
  • MelStren
    MelStren Posts: 457 Member
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    bump
  • isaac_20
    isaac_20 Posts: 6
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    If you are trying to maintain wait then you probably might eat at least 4 times a day.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    100 over BMR is good but requires you to eat your exercise calories back over top of that.

    The Scooby's Workshop calculator is also good, but then you don't add exercise calories. I'm not sure if the Muscle & Strength one is with or without exercise. MFP's calculation is without exercise; that's why it adds exercise calories to your target each day you earn them.
  • MissLuana
    MissLuana Posts: 356
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    I would suggest you use your TDEE and subtract 10-20% from that, here is the link I like best: http://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator

    She still needs to know her correct BMR to use the TDEE formula :huh:
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    Wait, those are different BMR calculations?! That's messed up. Where on MFP are you getting a BMR calculation?
  • Lucyk00
    Lucyk00 Posts: 63 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator
  • Routerninja
    Routerninja Posts: 201
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    My BMR came in about 3744 and I've been +/- 10% of that each day and I've been losing, but I am also WAY over what most normal people need to lose, so I can get away with coming close to or under my BMR since I have 205 pounds to lose.
  • kah68
    kah68 Posts: 1,515 Member
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    The link above or....

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

    This. I did an RMR assessment and have found the recommendation here is closest to the results of my assessment.
  • imhungry2012
    imhungry2012 Posts: 240 Member
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    I would suggest you use your TDEE and subtract 10-20% from that, here is the link I like best: http://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator

    She still needs to know her correct BMR to use the TDEE formula :huh:

    No you don't...but BMR is also on the site...:grumble:
  • newhabit
    newhabit Posts: 426 Member
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    I like this one as well: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator

    has always been pretty accurate for me.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    So I decided to look up my BMR again. And got three different responses from three different calculators.
    MFP - 1540
    BMI Calc.net - 1630
    Muscle and Strength.com - 1951

    Forget BMI methods, not intended for individuals but groups. Other one was combo BMR/TDEE thrown together.

    MFP Mifflin BMR 5% more accurate than Harris BMR from fat2fit site. Both are inflated when overweight.

    Katch going to be best bet, if you can get decent estimate of bodyfat%.

    http://www.gymgoal.com/dtools.html

    Bodyfat, then BMR.

    Still need to get TDEE on top of that though. Starting at bottom level can work, as mentioned 100 or 200 more than BMR, then you need to eat back your exercise calories, all of them.

    Scooby good for TDEE estimate too of course, find link for Most Accurate so you can select to use the Katch BMR, in case it's 200-400 different than Mifflin.

    Or all in one place, along with logging, and better activity calc.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones
  • FitBeto
    FitBeto Posts: 2,121 Member
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    freedieting.com

    Better then sex with a coral reef
  • cbart2818
    cbart2818 Posts: 188 Member
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    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ I've found this to be pretty accurate (well it's worked out right for me)

    I used this one and have been losing weight at a nice pace now.
    You do not need to know your BMR first to calculate your TDEE. The information you plug in calculates that for you.

    I have a desk job, doing NROL4W 3x week, plus little cardio here and there. I chose Moderate Exercise for my activity level and TDEE - 15% and that works for me.

    My estimates from the site are:
    BMR = 1569
    TDEE = 2433
    TDEE -15% = 2068

    I don't eat back from workout calories burned unless my net falls below my estimated BMR and I ensure I don't eat over my TDEE every single day. My daily goal is set to around 2000 and I just eat within my means. I have been feeling great and the weight is slowly coming off.

    I hope you find something that works for you!
  • breajohnson
    breajohnson Posts: 109 Member
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    bump
  • lisahaug9
    lisahaug9 Posts: 23
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    I don't understand this at all (which is probably why I'm not losing weight)

    According to the calculations my BMR is right around 1600 - MFP gave me a calorie goal of 1200 but then I exercise and it increases my calories to 1600-1700 which is right at my BMR. So am I supposed to just eat the 1200 (which I have been) or do I follow the math and eat the higher calories.

    Please don't laugh at me :-(
  • tpfoodie
    tpfoodie Posts: 148 Member
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    Ok, so now I have a new challenge.

    I think I'm going to up my calories to 1700. This is the inbetween point of my -20% of TDEE (around 1760) and my recommended calories from another site that considered BMR (1665).

    But now I have a new problem. I'm not hungry enough to eat all of these calories. And I'm not saying that to be all "omg I'm SOOO good at eating under my calories." I'm just literally not that hungry. I'm not quite sure what to do. I already eat breakfast every morning (300 - 400 calories) have a mid-sized lunch (500 -600 cals) and then eat whatever's around for dinner... normally I cap out at 1400 unless I force myself to eat some snacks like bananas or a smoothie.

    And on days like today when I miss breakfast, well... I had a HUGE lunch and only at 750 cals. Geez. :( Any recommendations for hitting my necessary cals?

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