BMR and TDEE Explained for Those Needing a Guide

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  • nicolej1016
    nicolej1016 Posts: 89 Member
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    Thank you - I was ignorant of what the acronyms meant and the calculations behind them. Good post!
  • 622beech
    622beech Posts: 5 Member
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    Bump, thank you!
  • Peachy_T
    Peachy_T Posts: 138 Member
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    Thank you!
  • xXxHBICxXx
    xXxHBICxXx Posts: 370 Member
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    Bump :flowerforyou:
  • malhansen
    malhansen Posts: 5 Member
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    Definitely needed this post, thank you! Replying so I have it as a reference.
  • vichm
    vichm Posts: 174 Member
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    love this, so helpful and clear to understand. Great thanks.
  • zichab
    zichab Posts: 1,454 Member
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    Bump
  • Reinventing_Me
    Reinventing_Me Posts: 1,053 Member
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    bump
  • laurabethross
    laurabethross Posts: 4
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    Thank you SO much for spelling it out in a way that makes total sense!! Very helpful!!
  • Healthy_4_Life2
    Healthy_4_Life2 Posts: 595 Member
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    Thanks. Bump for later!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I cannot understand why weight loss has become so complicated lately. Do we really need online calculators and formulas to figure out how many calories to eat?? For generations, we have been able to survive and maintain or lose weight without the help of the internet to tell us how many calories to eat.

    Online calculators vary drastically because they are ALL estimates of other people's BMR/TDEEs. Finding a higher number on a website is not going to make your body start burning more calories so you can eat more. We should all have a fairly good idea of how many calories we eat to maintain our weight. If we want to lose 1 pound a week, then subtract 500 calories from that number and see how that works. If you are losing too quickly, or are getting too hungry and tired, then eat a little more. If you are not losing any weight, then eat a little less.

    It really should not be this complicated.

    It could be that simple.

    Is your current eating level still making you gain weight, or are you maintaining?
    If gaining, by how much weekly (lbs gained x 3500 / 7 = calories over TDEE)?

    Now find some food every day that equals 500 calories and if gaining that extra amount, and stop eating it.

    Simple as that. No change to behavior or activity, just eating less for what you maintained at.

    Problem is people are changing many variables at once.
    Eating better, which usually by itself means less.
    Exercising now, which changes that side of the equation.

    So ya, if you want it sustainable and ending well, you gotta get some estimates now.
  • Log_n_Jog
    Log_n_Jog Posts: 64 Member
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    bump
  • childrenrus
    childrenrus Posts: 55 Member
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    Bump!
  • kmcosgrove115
    kmcosgrove115 Posts: 260 Member
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    To the poster asking about eating at TDEE for a bit or eating at TDEE less the % - that is up to you - some have argued that a true metabolic reset means eating at TDEE for 6 weeks to have it re-learn and then they do a RESET at the % lower - in either scenario, when you are coming from that super low 1200, your body eating at TDEE or TDEE less the % is going to have to adjust and learn.

    A friend of mine on here who is WFPB as well decided to do a full reset for 6 weeks before cutting back 20% - everything she read indicates a full TDEE first is the way to go - but many say that bump alone to TDEE less the % will also work, esp when you are coming from that low 1200.

    I think that TDEE less my 20%, that my body will adjust and learn within weeks - I will weigh in a week or so and tweak if needed at the 6 week mark but I have read alot on the boards reg TDEE less 20% and the metabolism does restart and burn in a few weeks - much is patience and time and giving the body the time it needs to recalibrate so monitoring every week seems like it is too often.

    So that is a toss up - either way, you are giving the body more to turn back on - and personally as I go into week 3 at my new calorie adjustment, I have my time of the month now but I just put on a pair of jeans that have not fit in ages (at least 1 size smaller) and buckling my belt - I used to be at notch 3 - today I was at the 5th notch. So when I do weigh after the time of month passes, even if the scale has moved slightly (I believe it will move more), I KNOW clothes fit better, my stomach has collapsed, my leg muscles in the thigh and calves are now visible and defined so the shape is changing and shifting. I also feel hot alot after I eat - metabolism on and burning now after it gets food?? Maybe - never had the "hot" before...........

    I will surely post next weigh in or any change in clothes again so an update is here on this thread and of course, if anyone on here re-sets and sees results, post here too as this will really help people to consider eating more to lose more!
  • jassyjan1
    jassyjan1 Posts: 313 Member
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    Bump
  • mariehamid
    mariehamid Posts: 18 Member
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    bump
  • Stephiestephs
    Stephiestephs Posts: 132 Member
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    I think I will do the katch method with lightly active and -20 for a little bit and see how it goes. I measured myself in the morning before I bloat up from eating to try and get a as true as possible measurement it got me 2% closer to the Harris # but to be on safe side I will do katch. 1529 calories a day, is not much more than the bmr for Harris method which is 1505. And tdee for katch is 1966 so I might do 1600 to be under 366 cal under katch tdee but almost 100 over Harris bmr.
    Wow I just made this way more complicated. No one look at my post!!!!! Sorry lol!!!

    I am starting to get annoyed at fat 2 for site for giving two different bmr's!!!!!!! It took me three days to decide which activity level to choose and now this? I have to figure out which bmr to use


    Well, that's the problem trying to use that site for getting current weight TDEE.

    Since the purpose of that site is to give goal weight TDEE, which means an automatic deficit to current weight TDEE, you cannot use the Katch BMR though it is more accurate.

    Why?

    Because how will you know what your BF% will be at goal weight? It would be great to retain all your LBM, but if you did that, your Katch BMR stays the same.
    So current weight and goal weight BMR based on Katch with same LBM would be exactly the same. So you would be eating at current weight TDEE if Katch was used.

    So they use least accurate Harris BMR, which I've seen inflation of the BMR by 200-400 in many cases, which makes the TDEE off by 400-600.
    So even if you take a deficit of 20% off that inflated TDEE, you are actually not getting any deficit from better estimated TDEE.

    Use scooby's site, or any other number of sites.

    Or this spreadsheet to give best estimate of BF%, BMR, TDEE calculator besides 5 levels to choose from, and track your progress.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones

    And if you like the idea of eating at goal weight, it includes a Eating for Future You method there.

    Thanks heybales, I have taken a look at that spreadsheet but I am working on an iPad here and I don't know/ think I can access it on an iPad?? But you think scooby's is more accurate?
  • sabolfitwife
    sabolfitwife Posts: 424 Member
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    Thank you so much for putting it in words we can understand! I am going to take measurements and calculate my numbers tomorrow morning!! I've been feeling very lethargic lately and I've upped my workout sessions the last two weeks so im wondering if im not eating enough in relation to how much im burning.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Well, that's the problem trying to use that site for getting current weight TDEE.

    Since the purpose of that site is to give goal weight TDEE, which means an automatic deficit to current weight TDEE, you cannot use the Katch BMR though it is more accurate.

    Why?

    Because how will you know what your BF% will be at goal weight? It would be great to retain all your LBM, but if you did that, your Katch BMR stays the same.
    So current weight and goal weight BMR based on Katch with same LBM would be exactly the same. So you would be eating at current weight TDEE if Katch was used.

    So they use least accurate Harris BMR, which I've seen inflation of the BMR by 200-400 in many cases, which makes the TDEE off by 400-600.
    So even if you take a deficit of 20% off that inflated TDEE, you are actually not getting any deficit from better estimated TDEE.

    Use scooby's site, or any other number of sites.

    Or this spreadsheet to give best estimate of BF%, BMR, TDEE calculator besides 5 levels to choose from, and track your progress.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones

    And if you like the idea of eating at goal weight, it includes a Eating for Future You method there.

    Thanks heybales, I have taken a look at that spreadsheet but I am working on an iPad here and I don't know/ think I can access it on an iPad?? But you think scooby's is more accurate?

    Yes you can using the My Drive app.
    https://support.google.com/drive/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2761244

    If you go to Scooby's Most Accurate with a bodyfat % and use the Katch BMR method, same thing.
    Spreadsheet gives tab for tracking the bodyfat% measurements, and basis a deficit on time and type of workout.
    And the TDEE Activity Calculator can be easier than guessing at 2 or 3 levels of a wide range of calories.

    Here is way to get BF% to take to Scooby.
    http://www.gymgoal.com/dtools.html
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    .

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