BMR and TDEE Explained for Those Needing a Guide

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  • bzmommy34
    bzmommy34 Posts: 229 Member
    bump - need more time to read through this :)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Activity level, I work out 4-5 times a week alternating incline walking with some hiit workouts. But never more than 30 min a day.

    So 4.5 x 30 min = 135 min = 2.25 hrs.

    Lightly Active if daily life is sedentary desk job.
  • Stephiestephs
    Stephiestephs Posts: 132 Member
    Activity level, I work out 4-5 times a week alternating incline walking with some hiit workouts. But never more than 30 min a day.

    So 4.5 x 30 min = 135 min = 2.25 hrs.

    Lightly Active if daily life is sedentary desk job.
    Lifestyle is an at home mom, but I really don't do a whole lot of chasing around and high speed chores. I am pretty lazy outside of my workouts. I have one flight of steps in my house thAt I climb about 5-8 times a day.
    Also I just got a body fat scale. I haven't weighed myself in about 3 weeks. Good news is I lost 4. 8 pounds. Do I trust the body fat % it gives me? And when I recalculate my scooby numbers my calorie intake has gone down a little so I guess I should adjust? It went down like 60 calories. Is that how it's supposed to go? All these posts about eating more to weigh less, should I be lowering my cals as I lose weight? Scooby says reevaluate the calculator ever 5 pounds.
  • fevermaps
    fevermaps Posts: 162 Member
    SO can i just ask. If i find out my tdee and take 15% off i wouldn't eat back my exercise calories? I would just stick to (in my case) 1600 calories a day as it is already taken into account in my tdee?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Lifestyle is an at home mom, but I really don't do a whole lot of chasing around and high speed chores. I am pretty lazy outside of my workouts. I have one flight of steps in my house thAt I climb about 5-8 times a day.
    Also I just got a body fat scale. I haven't weighed myself in about 3 weeks. Good news is I lost 4. 8 pounds. Do I trust the body fat % it gives me? And when I recalculate my scooby numbers my calorie intake has gone down a little so I guess I should adjust? It went down like 60 calories. Is that how it's supposed to go? All these posts about eating more to weigh less, should I be lowering my cals as I lose weight? Scooby says reevaluate the calculator ever 5 pounds.

    If you are on your feet more than a sedentary desk job, than that doesn't apply, and you are starting at Lightly Active then, so Moderately Active sounds like.

    That BF% amount should be avg in with measurement methods, couple calcs. It can be within 5% also if done correctly per manual. Usually they are consistent over accurate, so it will at least show direction. But by using couple calc's, differences are avg close.
    So the 2 calcs in the spreadsheet and avg that in with it.
    So if Scooby goal went down, you didn't use the calc which uses the Katch BMR and BF%.
    If your retain LBM as weight goes down, no your eating would not go down.
    If you are not using Katch BMR, then yes, smaller BMR estimate, smaller TDEE, smaller goal eating.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    SO can i just ask. If i find out my tdee and take 15% off i wouldn't eat back my exercise calories? I would just stick to (in my case) 1600 calories a day as it is already taken into account in my tdee?

    Did you include exercise in your TDEE level estimate?
    Then you already included them.
  • musycnlyrics
    musycnlyrics Posts: 323 Member
    bump for later! :wink:
  • Mulikme
    Mulikme Posts: 30 Member
    Bump
  • Stephiestephs
    Stephiestephs Posts: 132 Member
    Lifestyle is an at home mom, but I really don't do a whole lot of chasing around and high speed chores. I am pretty lazy outside of my workouts. I have one flight of steps in my house thAt I climb about 5-8 times a day.
    Also I just got a body fat scale. I haven't weighed myself in about 3 weeks. Good news is I lost 4. 8 pounds. Do I trust the body fat % it gives me? And when I recalculate my scooby numbers my calorie intake has gone down a little so I guess I should adjust? It went down like 60 calories. Is that how it's supposed to go? All these posts about eating more to weigh less, should I be lowering my cals as I lose weight? Scooby says reevaluate the calculator ever 5 pounds.

    If you are on your feet more than a sedentary desk job, than that doesn't apply, and you are starting at Lightly Active then, so Moderately Active sounds like.

    That BF% amount should be avg in with measurement methods, couple calcs. It can be within 5% also if done correctly per manual. Usually they are consistent over accurate, so it will at least show direction. But by using couple calc's, differences are avg close.
    So the 2 calcs in the spreadsheet and avg that in with it.
    So if Scooby goal went down, you didn't use the calc which uses the Katch BMR and BF%.
    If your retain LBM as weight goes down, no your eating would not go down.
    If you are not using Katch BMR, then yes, smaller BMR estimate, smaller TDEE, smaller goal eating.

    Thanks HeyBales. Sorry to keep bugging you. So take an average of all the different measurement calculator bf%'s? I have gotten anywhere from 36 to 26!! It's really frustrating. I don't know which to use I was hoping the body fat scale would solve that problem. And you think I should do moderately active?
  • kmcosgrove115
    kmcosgrove115 Posts: 260 Member
    UPDATE for those afraid to eat more:

    So less then 3 weeks ago I put this post up after thoroughly understanding TDEE and BMR. I decided to increase my calories to 1680 based on my #'s with a 20% loss from TDEE.

    The first week, I lost the slight 3 lb gain I had when I was eating at a deficit - despite eating below 1200 when I was "unschooled" my body kept and retained even the plant based food - it was hungry! But after that bump to 1680, I lost those 3 lbs PLUS another 1 lb at that weigh in.

    And today, down another pound making the loss since this increased calorie adjustment 5 lbs in less then 3 weeks!

    The logic holds, it just makes sense and I was so afraid to eat - yesterday my cold was kicking my butt and I had to force in food and felt awful at only getting less then 1400 and said today I HAD to eat b/c no way would I stall my body again - this works and so much less hungry! Everyone, adjust, eat and lose!
  • anabanana73
    anabanana73 Posts: 13
    Thank-you so much for this condensed version of everything I have been trying to get straight out on the internet about BMR and TDEE!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Lifestyle is an at home mom, but I really don't do a whole lot of chasing around and high speed chores. I am pretty lazy outside of my workouts. I have one flight of steps in my house thAt I climb about 5-8 times a day.
    Also I just got a body fat scale. I haven't weighed myself in about 3 weeks. Good news is I lost 4. 8 pounds. Do I trust the body fat % it gives me? And when I recalculate my scooby numbers my calorie intake has gone down a little so I guess I should adjust? It went down like 60 calories. Is that how it's supposed to go? All these posts about eating more to weigh less, should I be lowering my cals as I lose weight? Scooby says reevaluate the calculator ever 5 pounds.

    If you are on your feet more than a sedentary desk job, than that doesn't apply, and you are starting at Lightly Active then, so Moderately Active sounds like.

    That BF% amount should be avg in with measurement methods, couple calcs. It can be within 5% also if done correctly per manual. Usually they are consistent over accurate, so it will at least show direction. But by using couple calc's, differences are avg close.
    So the 2 calcs in the spreadsheet and avg that in with it.
    So if Scooby goal went down, you didn't use the calc which uses the Katch BMR and BF%.
    If your retain LBM as weight goes down, no your eating would not go down.
    If you are not using Katch BMR, then yes, smaller BMR estimate, smaller TDEE, smaller goal eating.

    Thanks HeyBales. Sorry to keep bugging you. So take an average of all the different measurement calculator bf%'s? I have gotten anywhere from 36 to 26!! It's really frustrating. I don't know which to use I was hoping the body fat scale would solve that problem. And you think I should do moderately active?

    Yes, avg the measurement methods with the scale method. Avg is best you got.

    Just as you can't spot reduce, you can spot measure either and always see results. So the measurement methods can be thrown off by just 1 measurement of a body part you probably know full well is bigger than others. That could inflate the value, until the measurement comes down. Just means you are getting bigger deficit for a while in reality.
    But that will self correct as measurements become more accurate.

    I'd say yes to Mod Active, Lightly Active is reached just by daily activity.
  • Sierrasdawn2
    Sierrasdawn2 Posts: 13 Member
    bump
  • rosichick
    rosichick Posts: 80 Member
    I don't want to sound stupid, but your writing was a bit confusing had to re read many parts. I'm kind of confused at what I should be eating. I think I'll just stick to eating what I normally eat.

    Thanks for the post tho. I know it helped a lot of people :-)
  • Paula_22
    Paula_22 Posts: 8
    I was looking for the similar information on this particular topic. Thanks for sharing.
  • Stephiestephs
    Stephiestephs Posts: 132 Member
    Lifestyle is an at home mom, but I really don't do a whole lot of chasing around and high speed chores. I am pretty lazy outside of my workouts. I have one flight of steps in my house thAt I climb about 5-8 times a day.
    Also I just got a body fat scale. I haven't weighed myself in about 3 weeks. Good news is I lost 4. 8 pounds. Do I trust the body fat % it gives me? And when I recalculate my scooby numbers my calorie intake has gone down a little so I guess I should adjust? It went down like 60 calories. Is that how it's supposed to go? All these posts about eating more to weigh less, should I be lowering my cals as I lose weight? Scooby says reevaluate the calculator ever 5 pounds.

    If you are on your feet more than a sedentary desk job, than that doesn't apply, and you are starting at Lightly Active then, so Moderately Active sounds like.

    That BF% amount should be avg in with measurement methods, couple calcs. It can be within 5% also if done correctly per manual. Usually they are consistent over accurate, so it will at least show direction. But by using couple calc's, differences are avg close.
    So the 2 calcs in the spreadsheet and avg that in with it.
    So if Scooby goal went down, you didn't use the calc which uses the Katch BMR and BF%.
    If your retain LBM as weight goes down, no your eating would not go down.
    If you are not using Katch BMR, then yes, smaller BMR estimate, smaller TDEE, smaller goal eating.

    Thanks HeyBales. Sorry to keep bugging you. So take an average of all the different measurement calculator bf%'s? I have gotten anywhere from 36 to 26!! It's really frustrating. I don't know which to use I was hoping the body fat scale would solve that problem. And you think I should do moderately active?

    Yes, avg the measurement methods with the scale method. Avg is best you got.

    Just as you can't spot reduce, you can spot measure either and always see results. So the measurement methods can be thrown off by just 1 measurement of a body part you probably know full well is bigger than others. That could inflate the value, until the measurement comes down. Just means you are getting bigger deficit for a while in reality.
    But that will self correct as measurements become more accurate.

    I'd say yes to Mod Active, Lightly Active is reached just by daily activity.
    Ok my final decision is this, I think! Lol
    I did a work up on scooby site for 3 bf% 31.4 33 and 36 with katch and at moderate I will eat at the lowest of the 3 to start and see where it takes me for a few weeks good idea??
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Ok my final decision is this, I think! Lol
    I did a work up on scooby site for 3 bf% 31.4 33 and 36 with katch and at moderate I will eat at the lowest of the 3 to start and see where it takes me for a few weeks good idea??

    Sounds like a plan.

    Keep all those measurements somewhere to compare. As eating more while exercising usually leads to body finally being able to make some improvements, which usually have little to do with weight loss. But fat will still be lost so inches will drop.

    And if that big a difference, notice the difference between fast water-weight gain, and anything else.
  • maryinnc
    maryinnc Posts: 122 Member
    bump
  • Sizethree4Ever
    Sizethree4Ever Posts: 120 Member
    Bump. Great post.
  • nicolem51
    nicolem51 Posts: 16
    bump to read later
  • serenefractal
    serenefractal Posts: 16 Member
    thanks for explaining...i was so confused.

    this makes me less scared to eat a little higher (which will make life better since I won't be starving myself)
  • chelazar88
    chelazar88 Posts: 106 Member
    Just started doing this. Loving it! Its more of a fat loss too, so yes shape will change but perhaps not alot of weight. Very well put
  • lulu150
    lulu150 Posts: 58 Member
    bump
  • summerfool
    summerfool Posts: 72 Member
    I'm currently doing just what you wrote about but will bump for future reference. Thanks for all the great info!
  • Jille0
    Jille0 Posts: 62 Member
    Thank you!!! This was very helpful to me!
  • skyblu263
    skyblu263 Posts: 91 Member
    I LOVE YOU!!!! LOL!
    I have been going to 20,000 sites to try to understand this. It took you writing this and me reading this once to finally get it. Thank you :)
  • srpink26
    srpink26 Posts: 9
    This was super helpful, thanks! I just signed up for mfp today and was shocked that it was suggesting a 1200 calorie diet! Thanks to your post and the websites you mentioned I believe I got a more accurate suggestion of 1570 calories a day. Whoo, relief!
  • keeleen
    keeleen Posts: 93
    Bump for later...
  • paintlisapurple
    paintlisapurple Posts: 982 Member
    Just a bumperoo to show someone else. Thanks for the great read! :flowerforyou:
  • dmaloof2013
    dmaloof2013 Posts: 134 Member
    Bump for future reference.

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