TDEE vs. BMR

LeslieBell123
LeslieBell123 Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've read a lot of the newbie read this first posts, but I'm still a little confused. What is TDEE? What is BMR? I went to http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ and calculated my BMR. According to that calculator my BMR is 1411 by the Harris-Benedict Formula, 1362 by the Katch-McArdle formula and 1898 by their "How many calories should I eat?" chart (lightly active).

I have my myfitnesspal set to 2lbs loss a week. It gives me a net calorie goal of 1200. I've been doing that for a while and have seen great weight loss results (almost 20 lbs). It's been a while, so I don't remember what my numbers were orginally.

So how much should I really be netting? What is this TDEE term I see?

Replies

  • laurensmomma09
    laurensmomma09 Posts: 46 Member
    i would like to know this too
  • Ploogy
    Ploogy Posts: 115 Member
    BMR refers to the Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the bare minimum your body needs to function adequately without starting to catabolize. TDEE is the Total Daily Expended Energy, which is the total amount of calories you burn in a day. The goal is to eat at a deficit from TDEE (usually 20%). If you are sedentary, your TDEE will not be that much higher than BMR, so a 20% deficit may take your below your BMR, so in that case eat at your BMR, or preferably, exercise more to create more wiggle room between your TDEE and BMR.

    MFP does not use a TDEE-20% aproach, but instead sets a Net calorie goal which builds in a deficit based on hw many pounds you want to lose a week. Choosing 2 pounds a week for a lot of folks, brings your calorie goal down too far. MFP bottoms out at 1200 calories regardless, as there is a belief that eating below this is unhealthy.
  • dreamscene
    dreamscene Posts: 6
    You'll be happy if you always net your BMR. Right now it might be 1200, or 1500. But whatever it is, net that number.

    It will get lower as you lose weight. Perhaps every 5 or 10 pounds. Once you get into a lower weight it will be closer to 1200. Until then, net your BMR as it is. Refrain from netting 1200 right now if you don't *need* to. It will just fluster you with slow weight loss and waste your time.
  • LeslieBell123
    LeslieBell123 Posts: 11 Member
    You'll be happy if you always net your BMR. Right now it might be 1200, or 1500. But whatever it is, net that number.

    It will get lower as you lose weight. Perhaps every 5 or 10 pounds. Once you get into a lower weight it will be closer to 1200. Until then, net your BMR as it is. Refrain from netting 1200 right now if you don't *need* to. It will just fluster you with slow weight loss and waste your time.

    What do you mean by "refrain from netting 1200"? That's what MFP says to do. I guess I don't really *need* to because I'm close to my goal weight. I only have about 5 lbs to go. Do you think I will be "flustered with slow weight loss"? I didn't lose anything over the last week, even though I've hit my net calorie goal (1200) almost exactly. Usually I lose about 1-1.5 lbs/week. So, maybe you are right. But I don't understand why.
  • TheNewDodge
    TheNewDodge Posts: 607 Member
    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    You'll be happy if you always net your BMR. Right now it might be 1200, or 1500. But whatever it is, net that number.

    It will get lower as you lose weight. Perhaps every 5 or 10 pounds. Once you get into a lower weight it will be closer to 1200. Until then, net your BMR as it is. Refrain from netting 1200 right now if you don't *need* to. It will just fluster you with slow weight loss and waste your time.

    What do you mean by "refrain from netting 1200"? That's what MFP says to do. I guess I don't really *need* to because I'm close to my goal weight. I only have about 5 lbs to go. Do you think I will be "flustered with slow weight loss"? I didn't lose anything over the last week, even though I've hit my net calorie goal (1200) almost exactly. Usually I lose about 1-1.5 lbs/week. So, maybe you are right. But I don't understand why.

    MFP doesn't say 1200 - it's the data you have entered in your settings that have caused you to be on the lowest calorie setting that MFP will go to.
    Suggest you go back to your settings and you will notice that 1lb a week loss is recommended.
    As you are close to goal there is no need to set 2lbs/week as your target.
  • kellyscomeback
    kellyscomeback Posts: 1,369 Member
    Clff notes:
    BMR - The bare minimum that your body needs to survive if you were in a coma
    TDEE - Everything you do daily (sleep, work, eat, breath, etc.) including exercise

    TDEE - 20% - A healthy way to lose weight while not starving yourself and reducing the chances that your body will burn your muscle to fuel itself. We don't want to lose our lean muscle mass, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn doing daily things like sitting on the couch watching TV, surfing the web or sleeping.

    If you set MFP to TDEE - 20% then your activity/exercise is already accounted for and there's no need to eat back exercise cals. See my diary for example. When I work out I log 1 cal burned to show that I worked out but my daily calories remain the same.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    The body needs a minimum number of calories to function properly. Going belong this number slows the body machine down and can hinder weight loss. You feed the body slightly over what it needs and it functions better and increases weight loss. You over feed the body more than it burns and you gain weight.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    ok so my tdee on fitness frog was 1766 is that gross 1766 a day i should eat or do i take a 250 deficit off that to still lose weight? i am confused?
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    ok so my tdee on fitness frog was 1766 is that gross 1766 a day i should eat or do i take a 250 deficit off that to still lose weight? i am confused?

    How small are you? That is a very low number. That might be with a deficit already.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    i am 5.2 ft and it was set to lightly active
  • LeslieBell123
    LeslieBell123 Posts: 11 Member
    Ok, so I think I'll change MFP to 1 lb/week. But I have the same question as lin7604. My TDEE on fitness frog is 1931 if I choose light exercise (I want to see what it would be if I don't account for the exercise I do, just my daily life). So, should I aim for 1931-20%=1544? If I do aim for 1544, would that be the net calories after exercise I should aim for?
  • MirjaH79
    MirjaH79 Posts: 53
    Accoring to the frog calculator my TDEE is 2011 kcal and MFP estimated BMR is 1607 kcal/day, so my BMR is TDEE-20%. :tongue:

    Some 18 months ago a personal trainer gave me a diet in which my weight loss goal was the same as now, 1 lbs per week. I ate some 1590 to 1610 kcal per day and lost weight pretty steadily - and did NOT starve. On the contrary, sometimes it took some effort to manage all that food down my throat... :huh:
    Naturally that is low calorie food: lots of veggies, some full grain (dark) rice and protein, mostly cottage cheese or quark, white fish, chicken and turkey.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    Ok, so I think I'll change MFP to 1 lb/week. But I have the same question as lin7604. My TDEE on fitness frog is 1931 if I choose light exercise (I want to see what it would be if I don't account for the exercise I do, just my daily life). So, should I aim for 1931-20%=1544? If I do aim for 1544, would that be the net calories after exercise I should aim for?

    1544 would be your gross calories and then you enter your exercise in notes and not in cardio. If you do over and above exercise that what was considered in the 1931 then you should enter them in cardio and eat those calories back to get the deficit at 20%.
  • MirjaH79
    MirjaH79 Posts: 53
    And you can find MFP BMR calculator on the "Apps" sheet! :flowerforyou:
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    ok so my tdee on fitness frog was 1766 is that gross 1766 a day i should eat or do i take a 250 deficit off that to still lose weight? i am confused?


    if your TDEE is 1766 - eat anywhere below that to lose weight.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
    Total Daily Energy Expenditure - the amount of calories you burn in a day
    Basic Metabolic Rate - the amount of calories you burn if you were to lay in bed all day

    You need to eat your TDEE - 500 calories per day per lb per week you want to lose.

    So if you want to lose 2 lb / week you would need to eat TDEE - 1000 or if you want to lose 1/2 lb per week you would have to eat TDEE - 250.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    ok thanks. i think oi get it now,lol so my bmr was 1263-1291 depending on which one you go by and my tdee was 1766 lightly active and with a 250 deficit ( since i don't need a 500 one) is 1516... so as long as i eat over 1300 cals and up to 1516 i will still lose weight, then when i want to maintain i will need to do the full 1766 daily ....
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
    ok thanks. i think oi get it now,lol so my bmr was 1263-1291 depending on which one you go by and my tdee was 1766 lightly active and with a 250 deficit ( since i don't need a 500 one) is 1516... so as long as i eat over 1300 cals and up to 1516 i will still lose weight, then when i want to maintain i will need to do the full 1766 daily ....

    If you eat less than 1766 (assuming that number is good) you will lose. Eat about 1500 for 1/2 lb per week and 1250 for 1 lb per week.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    ok thanks. i think oi get it now,lol so my bmr was 1263-1291 depending on which one you go by and my tdee was 1766 lightly active and with a 250 deficit ( since i don't need a 500 one) is 1516... so as long as i eat over 1300 cals and up to 1516 i will still lose weight, then when i want to maintain i will need to do the full 1766 daily ....

    By George I think She's got it!
    Your TDEE will change by maintence time and you may have to adjust if you lose more than 10.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    haha, i feel so dumb at times with this stuff,lol... i don't have more then 10 to lose to hit my goal now, about 5-6 left to go... then i need to lose a few last inches... i just think 1800 cals a day for maintenance is a bit much, i was told a long time ago that 1600 was maintenance for me??? but i guess as long as i don't go over 1800 i will be fine...
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    Your maintenance depends on your BMI also so if you have a higher lean body mass then before it could be a higher number.

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