Second Guessing a Calorie Goal

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Ay_Rene
Ay_Rene Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Aloha Friends!

So ever since I started my new healthy lifestyle of fitness and happiness, I have noticed that I am very tired all the time, and that I am not really seeing results. I know that I haven't been super strict of my diet, but I always try to make up for it with a very high burn workout. A friend told me that I might not be eating enough to keep up with my drastic increase of activity. I read a few things and watched a few clips about BMR vs. TDEE and what my calorie deficit should be. Many sources stress to never eat below BMR... but what happens when TDEE-20% < BMR???

Calories Limit from MFP when set at Sedentary=1330
BMR=1537
TDEE=1845
TDEE-20%=1476

I am so lost and I really don't want to go in the other direction, especially since I was not seeing results eating at 1330 and working out! Any advice? Please help educate this young grasshopper!

Replies

  • mapnerd2005
    mapnerd2005 Posts: 363
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    You didn't calculate your TDEE or BMR correctly if TDEE is below BMR. BMR is what your body would burn to keep you alive if you were to literally stay in bed all day.

    edited: Recalculate your BMR first. What is your "goal" loss? If you are trying to lose 2 pounds per week, then MFP is calculating your daily calorie burn to be at 2300+ with a 1000 cal/day deficit.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
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    Were you actually eating 1330? If you aren't eating back your exercise calories then yes, you probably need to be eating more. The 1330 that MFP puts you at already has a calorie deficit to help you lose weight without exercise. If you exercise on top of the 1330 calories you need to replace the calories you burned off.
  • aleyjewell
    aleyjewell Posts: 65 Member
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    You should choose either what your TDEE-20% or MFp calorie goal. With TDEE-20% you shouldn't be sedentary id you workout hard thus increasing your numbers and you don't eat back exercise calories.
    If you use MFP, then record your exercise adn eat back those calories so you net 1330.
  • Ay_Rene
    Ay_Rene Posts: 32 Member
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    You didn't calculate your TDEE or BMR correctly if TDEE is below BMR. BMR is what your body would burn to keep you alive if you were to literally stay in bed all day.

    edited: Recalculate your BMR first. What is your "goal" loss? If you are trying to lose 2 pounds per week, then MFP is calculating your daily calorie burn to be at 2300+ with a 1000 cal/day deficit.

    No no...

    BMR=1537
    TDEE=1845
    TDEE-20%=1476

    Its my goal (TDEE-20%) is less than my BMR, not my total TDEE.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    why not stick to a range looks about 1500-1800?
  • mapnerd2005
    mapnerd2005 Posts: 363
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    Ooops, sorry, missed that part.
  • melissab6968
    melissab6968 Posts: 56 Member
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    I do not understand any of this!
  • aleyjewell
    aleyjewell Posts: 65 Member
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    This is what everyone on here seems to use to get calulations.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
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    Aloha Friends!

    So ever since I started my new healthy lifestyle of fitness and happiness, I have noticed that I am very tired all the time, and that I am not really seeing results. I know that I haven't been super strict of my diet, but I always try to make up for it with a very high burn workout. A friend told me that I might not be eating enough to keep up with my drastic increase of activity. I read a few things and watched a few clips about BMR vs. TDEE and what my calorie deficit should be. Many sources stress to never eat below BMR... but what happens when TDEE-20% < BMR???

    Calories Limit from MFP when set at Sedentary=1330
    BMR=1537
    TDEE=1845
    TDEE-20%=1476

    I am so lost and I really don't want to go in the other direction, especially since I was not seeing results eating at 1330 and working out! Any advice? Please help educate this young grasshopper!

    If you are working out you are definitely not sedentary.

    Have you seen these?
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm
  • Fr3shStrt
    Fr3shStrt Posts: 349 Member
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    Your TDEE looks really low if you are doing intense cardio.
  • deniseblossoms
    deniseblossoms Posts: 373 Member
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    About to agree with the post above mine. Not sure you are working with accurate numbers. Looks like you're using an estimated TDEE and not taking into account intense exercise which wouldn't have you at sedentary if you're exercising at least an hour a day 5 days a week...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    You didn't calculate your TDEE or BMR correctly if TDEE is below BMR. BMR is what your body would burn to keep you alive if you were to literally stay in bed all day.

    edited: Recalculate your BMR first. What is your "goal" loss? If you are trying to lose 2 pounds per week, then MFP is calculating your daily calorie burn to be at 2300+ with a 1000 cal/day deficit.

    No no...

    BMR=1537
    TDEE=1845
    TDEE-20%=1476

    Its my goal (TDEE-20%) is less than my BMR, not my total TDEE.

    If you use the TDEE method, most assume exercise in that calculation...MFP doesn't and expects you to eat them back. It looks like your TDEE above is at sedentary. If that is the case, you would basically be following the MFP method of eating your exercise calories back...so if you were doing a lot of cardio, you'd be eating a lot more than 1,476. Personally, I find it easier to just include my exercise in my TDEE calculation and have the same true calorie goal every day...much easier to plan meals and snacks, etc.

    Also, a TDEE - 20% being below your BMR could suggest that you don't have a substantial amount of weight to lose. The less weight you have to lose, the closer your TDEE is going to be to your BMR...this is why, when many people get to within 15-20 Lbs of their goal, they pull it back to -15%...-10%, etc. The closer you get, the slower you have to go to do is safely and healthy.

    Lastly, there are two methods of calculating BMR...can't remember the names of them, but the one most commonly used takes into account your total body weight, including fat mass. The other takes into account only your lean body mass and is thought to be more accurate because it's your lean body mass...muscles...organs, etc that need the energy to function, not your fat. For me, my BMR is 1,750 on the calculator that does lean body mass and 1,860 on the total body weight calculation. What I'm trying to say is that you may have a little wiggle room there as well.
  • krickeyuu
    krickeyuu Posts: 344 Member
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    why not stick to a range looks about 1500-1800?

    This--don't eat under BMR--dont eat over TDEE. 20% deficit is obviosly too big a deficit if it is less than your BMR, so make it 15% or 10%. If you only have 30 or less pounds to lose, 20% may be too drastic.
    If you are using "sedentary" then you can eat back some exercise calories but if you are factoring them into TDEE then don't eat them back.
  • smallmuscleathelete
    smallmuscleathelete Posts: 186 Member
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    I don't understand much about this, but when you hungry and tired,eat some healthy snacks and also take a break. :-)

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