More BMR vs TDEE confusion
iChroma
Posts: 5 Member
Hello all. I've combed through quite a bit of articles and walls of text on multiple sites and forums looking into the difference between BMR and TDEE, and how it all relates to weight loss. I've found out quite a few new things, but I still need a little help to see if I am on the right track.
A little about me - Male, 180lbs, about 5' 9", pretty sedentary lifestyle (desk job, fair amount of walking around). According to a lot of sites, my BMR sits somewhere between 1720-1830 (myfitness pal says 1792). Those various sites also list my TDEE as being around 2150-2250.
Here is where confusion has settled in - My diet has been set at 1500 cals/day, with my macros at 50/30/20 (protein, carbs, fat). Aside from the past week or so I have been doing pretty well in meeting those goals, with sometimes going under on calories. My original weight was 204, and I decided to make a lot of changes, and went on this diet (myfitnesspal has been a TREMENDOUS resource). I started a diet in february or so, but wasn't logging anything or tracking food, just making better choices. So I've seen weight loss since, but I'm really starting to question my diet right now. I've hit what I'm assuming is my 1st big plateau at 180lbs (lowest was 178). I've noticed some slimming for sure, but really I still have a fair amount of work to do. Currently I am working hard on getting a consistent exercise schedule for myself, hoping that will push me past this wall (before I really didn't exercise much at all).
Finally to my question for you all - is the track I'm on unhealthy? I routinely finish under 1500 cals (i'm the type of person who sees 1500 as a goal/maximum for some reason), and although I don't see a big loss in energy or appetite, I am starting to worry over a longer period of time I will not be eating enough and will create problems for myself. I'm now considering keeping the same macros and moving my daily goal up to ~1750 since I intend on exercising 4-5 times a week. Is this a better course of action? I know there are a lot of conversations on the forums related to this, but I just need a little helpful advice right now.
EDIT - I forgot to mention my goal is about 165 lbs and to see a decent loss in body fat %. I estimate I am around 18% right now
A little about me - Male, 180lbs, about 5' 9", pretty sedentary lifestyle (desk job, fair amount of walking around). According to a lot of sites, my BMR sits somewhere between 1720-1830 (myfitness pal says 1792). Those various sites also list my TDEE as being around 2150-2250.
Here is where confusion has settled in - My diet has been set at 1500 cals/day, with my macros at 50/30/20 (protein, carbs, fat). Aside from the past week or so I have been doing pretty well in meeting those goals, with sometimes going under on calories. My original weight was 204, and I decided to make a lot of changes, and went on this diet (myfitnesspal has been a TREMENDOUS resource). I started a diet in february or so, but wasn't logging anything or tracking food, just making better choices. So I've seen weight loss since, but I'm really starting to question my diet right now. I've hit what I'm assuming is my 1st big plateau at 180lbs (lowest was 178). I've noticed some slimming for sure, but really I still have a fair amount of work to do. Currently I am working hard on getting a consistent exercise schedule for myself, hoping that will push me past this wall (before I really didn't exercise much at all).
Finally to my question for you all - is the track I'm on unhealthy? I routinely finish under 1500 cals (i'm the type of person who sees 1500 as a goal/maximum for some reason), and although I don't see a big loss in energy or appetite, I am starting to worry over a longer period of time I will not be eating enough and will create problems for myself. I'm now considering keeping the same macros and moving my daily goal up to ~1750 since I intend on exercising 4-5 times a week. Is this a better course of action? I know there are a lot of conversations on the forums related to this, but I just need a little helpful advice right now.
EDIT - I forgot to mention my goal is about 165 lbs and to see a decent loss in body fat %. I estimate I am around 18% right now
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Replies
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You need to eat at least at your BMR. Your metabolism will slow down and hold on to fat if you eat below that for an extended period. I am a litttle heavier than you (189) and I NET 2100 per day. Also, I have my macros set at 1g protein for each pound of lean mass (weight x %bf) .35g per pound of body weight and the rest whatever. I have lost 31 pounds since Jan 2. I do exercise and lift, but I eat ALL of those calories back. Hope this helps.0
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You need to eat at least at your BMR. Your metabolism will slow down and hold on to fat if you eat below that for an extended period. I am a litttle heavier than you (189) and I NET 2100 per day. Also, I have my macros set at 1g protein for each pound of lean mass (weight x %bf) .35g per pound of body weight and the rest whatever. I have lost 31 pounds since Jan 2. I do exercise and lift, but I eat ALL of those calories back. Hope this helps.
That does help, thank you. I never really looked into before today and "don't eat below your bmr" is all over almost everything I read. I got pretty caught up in the weight I was losing with just eating less/better, but it does explain why my body fat isn't decreasing much. I am lifting 3 times a week, and will be doing cardio/abs 2 times a week minimum.0 -
A 20% deficit off your TDEE would put you right around your BMR. Make sure you net that after exercise, unless that TDEE number already includes it.0
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Could that be my issue also. My BMR is 1600. But calculating my TDEE-20% at sedentary its at 1540. So i try to eat 1540 plus workout calories. I usually burn 580 riding my bike to gym and lifting weights about 3-4 times a week. I actually gained a pound this month, being a new routine. Should i give it more time, am i eating too much, not enough? Is it ok to save those extra burned cals for weekends? By the way, my fat percentage went up over the last couple of months... does that mean im not eating often enough, or im not eating at the correct macros, or not eating enough period?0
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How much do you have left to lose?Could that be my issue also. My BMR is 1600. But calculating my TDEE-20% at sedentary its at 1540. So i try to eat 1540 plus workout calories. I usually burn 580 riding my bike to gym and lifting weights about 3-4 times a week. I actually gained a pound this month, being a new routine. Should i give it more time, am i eating too much, not enough? Is it ok to save those extra burned cals for weekends? By the way, my fat percentage went up over the last couple of months... does that mean im not eating often enough, or im not eating at the correct macros, or not eating enough period?
Nevermind, if your ticker is correct, I see it is 30 lbs to lose.
I am similar to you, I was eating at tdee - 20% for a long time, which was under my BMR. Eventually my weight loss stalled for 3 months.
My BMR works out to about a 17% deficit. I started eating at that number less than two weeks ago and I've already lost 2.20 -
OK I am confused now. MFP says that my BMR is 1435, but tells me to eat 1280 calories a day (plus exercise calories).
Which is right?
(I am not losing any weight at the moment - nothing since 1st April - so wonder if I am actually doing something wrong).0 -
MFP does not tell you what your BMR is (I don't think?)OK I am confused now. MFP says that my BMR is 1435, but tells me to eat 1280 calories a day (plus exercise calories).
Which is right?
(I am not losing any weight at the moment - nothing since 1st April - so wonder if I am actually doing something wrong).
It shows you "calories burned from daily activity". That is your TDEE number.
It will calculate your deficit based on what you set it to lose (1 lb per week, 2 lbs per week). You may have that set too high.0 -
MFP does not tell you what your BMR is (I don't think?)OK I am confused now. MFP says that my BMR is 1435, but tells me to eat 1280 calories a day (plus exercise calories).
Which is right?
(I am not losing any weight at the moment - nothing since 1st April - so wonder if I am actually doing something wrong).
It shows you "calories burned from daily activity". That is your TDEE number.
It will calculate your deficit based on what you set it to lose (1 lb per week, 2 lbs per week). You may have that set too high.
There is an app on here that calculates your BMR (under the Apps tab at the top).
Thanks for your input! I see your posts in different threads, thank you for being so helpful to everyone. I'm starting to get the feeling if you aren't sure between eating at BMR or a %off from TDEE that is under BMR, the safest route is just to pick BMR.0 -
If the deficit you are selecting puts you under your BMR, then you should eat at a smaller deficit or just at BMR.
MFP does not tell you what your BMR is (I don't think?)OK I am confused now. MFP says that my BMR is 1435, but tells me to eat 1280 calories a day (plus exercise calories).
Which is right?
(I am not losing any weight at the moment - nothing since 1st April - so wonder if I am actually doing something wrong).
It shows you "calories burned from daily activity". That is your TDEE number.
It will calculate your deficit based on what you set it to lose (1 lb per week, 2 lbs per week). You may have that set too high.
There is an app on here that calculates your BMR (under the Apps tab at the top).
Thanks for your input! I see your posts in different threads, thank you for being so helpful to everyone. I'm starting to get the feeling if you aren't sure between eating at BMR or a %off from TDEE that is under BMR, the safest route is just to pick BMR.0 -
this is soooo confusing!!
when calculating my BMR it says i have a BMR of 1570. however, i am only eating 1200 kcals a day, plus about half of my activity points. is this not enough??? i am really confused
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Ahh right, that calculator includes body fat percentage.. most of the other calculators you can do without body fat, since it is pretty hard to calculate it without a skin caliper. MFP is most likely going to give a little bit lower BMR number than the other calculators out there.0
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Age, height, current weight, activity level?this is soooo confusing!!
when calculating my BMR it says i have a BMR of 1570. however, i am only eating 1200 kcals a day, plus about half of my activity points. is this not enough??? i am really confused0 -
Okay...I'm new to MFP and don't know what BMR and TDEE stand for.....could someone please explain?0
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Such a numbers game. I went up to 1700 calories for a few weeks after not losing since November and still didn't lose anything, so I brought my cals back down!0
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BMR is basic metabolic rate - pretty much how many calories your body needs when in a coma.Okay...I'm new to MFP and don't know what BMR and TDEE stand for.....could someone please explain?
TDEE is total daily energy expenditure - how many calories you burn during regular daily activity.
Ideally, you should eat somewhere between your BMR and TDEE number in order to lose weight the healthy way.0 -
A few weeks may not be long enough - it depends how long you were eating too low. Your body may take longer than that to fix your metabolism. Give it a month or two before switching back.Such a numbers game. I went up to 1700 calories for a few weeks after not losing since November and still didn't lose anything, so I brought my cals back down!
OR, 1700 may still be too low for you..0 -
A lot of people have had success temporarily increasing their calorie intake when they hit a plateau. I will adjust my goals to maintain for a week or so every 15 pounds or so. ( right now it is at -.5lb a week.)
Are you eating back what exercise calories you have?
I suggest getting a pedomoter and work toward a 10,000 step a day goal.0 -
Age, height, current weight, activity level?this is soooo confusing!!
when calculating my BMR it says i have a BMR of 1570. however, i am only eating 1200 kcals a day, plus about half of my activity points. is this not enough??? i am really confused
I'm 22, 5'9'', 159 lbs and my activity level is sedentary
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My BMR is 1370 and my TDEE based on moderate exercise is 2000 per day. I try to stay at about 1450-1500 calories per day total. So to make it work on MFP, I set my net calories at 1200 but then I eat my most of exercise calories. Works out to me staying at my goal of 1450-1500 calories per day.
All in all, to lose weight, you should eat your TDEE - 20%.0 -
Ok, I probably used a different calculator than you, but I got BMR of 1561 which is pretty close to your number.
Age, height, current weight, activity level?this is soooo confusing!!
when calculating my BMR it says i have a BMR of 1570. however, i am only eating 1200 kcals a day, plus about half of my activity points. is this not enough??? i am really confused
I'm 22, 5'9'', 159 lbs and my activity level is sedentary
I also got a TDEE of 1873 at sedentary.
How much you need to lose will determine how much of deficit you should eat at.
A 20% deficit would be 1498
A 15% deficit would be 1593
A 10% deficit would be 1685
If you are eating at 1200, that is more than a 35% deficit. Plus, you are only eating back half of your exercise calories!
You definitely are not eating enough.
Try slowing increasing (like 100 calories per week) up to at least 1500 calories, and eat back ALL of your exercise calories burned.
I forgot to mention, you really want to try to eat above your BMR, so in the long run, try to get up to around 1560.
P.S. - my numbers are almost identical to yours.0 -
Ok, I probably used a different calculator than you, but I got BMR of 1561 which is pretty close to your number.
Age, height, current weight, activity level?this is soooo confusing!!
when calculating my BMR it says i have a BMR of 1570. however, i am only eating 1200 kcals a day, plus about half of my activity points. is this not enough??? i am really confused
I'm 22, 5'9'', 159 lbs and my activity level is sedentary
I also got a TDEE of 1873 at sedentary.
How much you need to lose will determine how much of deficit you should eat at.
A 20% deficit would be 1498
A 15% deficit would be 1593
A 10% deficit would be 1685
If you are eating at 1200, that is more than a 35% deficit. Plus, you are only eating back half of your exercise calories!
You definitely are not eating enough.
Try slowing increasing (like 100 calories per week) up to at least 1500 calories, and eat back ALL of your exercise calories burned.
I forgot to mention, you really want to try to eat above your BMR, so in the long run, try to get up to around 1560.
P.S. - my numbers are almost identical to yours.
thank u can u tell me how much weight i will approx. lose if i eat with a 20 % deficit? this sounds so much (may sound dumb) ... but why does mfp not tell me to eat that much? i dont really get why the programm tells me to 1200... this is weird
thank u so much for your help!!!0 -
Ok, I probably used a different calculator than you, but I got BMR of 1561 which is pretty close to your number.
Age, height, current weight, activity level?this is soooo confusing!!
when calculating my BMR it says i have a BMR of 1570. however, i am only eating 1200 kcals a day, plus about half of my activity points. is this not enough??? i am really confused
I'm 22, 5'9'', 159 lbs and my activity level is sedentary
I also got a TDEE of 1873 at sedentary.
How much you need to lose will determine how much of deficit you should eat at.
A 20% deficit would be 1498
A 15% deficit would be 1593
A 10% deficit would be 1685
If you are eating at 1200, that is more than a 35% deficit. Plus, you are only eating back half of your exercise calories!
You definitely are not eating enough.
Try slowing increasing (like 100 calories per week) up to at least 1500 calories, and eat back ALL of your exercise calories burned.
I forgot to mention, you really want to try to eat above your BMR, so in the long run, try to get up to around 1560.
P.S. - my numbers are almost identical to yours.
thank u can u tell me how much weight i will approx. lose if i eat with a 20 % deficit? this sounds so much (may sound dumb) ... but why does mfp not tell me to eat that much? i dont really get why the programm tells me to 1200... this is weird
thank u so much for your help!!!
I think it lowballs you a little because it factors in exercise calories you will eventually eat back. Or, your goals are set very high and sometimes it does a poor job of recognizing that and says to eat very little. Mathematically it works so it tells you that number of calories is the magic number regardless of how harmful it could be.0 -
According to the Scooby calculator, at a 20% deficit at sedentary, you should lose approximately 0.7 lbs per week.
Ok, I probably used a different calculator than you, but I got BMR of 1561 which is pretty close to your number.
Age, height, current weight, activity level?this is soooo confusing!!
when calculating my BMR it says i have a BMR of 1570. however, i am only eating 1200 kcals a day, plus about half of my activity points. is this not enough??? i am really confused
I'm 22, 5'9'', 159 lbs and my activity level is sedentary
I also got a TDEE of 1873 at sedentary.
How much you need to lose will determine how much of deficit you should eat at.
A 20% deficit would be 1498
A 15% deficit would be 1593
A 10% deficit would be 1685
If you are eating at 1200, that is more than a 35% deficit. Plus, you are only eating back half of your exercise calories!
You definitely are not eating enough.
Try slowing increasing (like 100 calories per week) up to at least 1500 calories, and eat back ALL of your exercise calories burned.
I forgot to mention, you really want to try to eat above your BMR, so in the long run, try to get up to around 1560.
P.S. - my numbers are almost identical to yours.
thank u can u tell me how much weight i will approx. lose if i eat with a 20 % deficit? this sounds so much (may sound dumb) ... but why does mfp not tell me to eat that much? i dont really get why the programm tells me to 1200... this is weird
thank u so much for your help!!!
keep in mind this will vary over time and even out in the end.
In a month, 3 lbs
In a year, 39, give or take obviously.
What did you have MFP set to lose per week?0 -
So are you saying I should try TDEE-17%? I work a desk job 9.5 hours mon-fri. workout 580 cal burn 3-4 times a week. Should i use sedentary at 1920 -17% or moderately active at 2480-17%? With those values to i eat back exercise cals or do i stick to those numbers everyday, no matter what i do?0
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So are you saying I should try TDEE-17%? I work a desk job 9.5 hours mon-fri. workout 580 cal burn 3-4 times a week. Should i use sedentary at 1920 -17% or moderately active at 2480-17%? With those values to i eat back exercise cals or do i stick to those numbers everyday, no matter what i do?
How much do you have left to lose?Could that be my issue also. My BMR is 1600. But calculating my TDEE-20% at sedentary its at 1540. So i try to eat 1540 plus workout calories. I usually burn 580 riding my bike to gym and lifting weights about 3-4 times a week. I actually gained a pound this month, being a new routine. Should i give it more time, am i eating too much, not enough? Is it ok to save those extra burned cals for weekends? By the way, my fat percentage went up over the last couple of months... does that mean im not eating often enough, or im not eating at the correct macros, or not eating enough period?
Nevermind, if your ticker is correct, I see it is 30 lbs to lose.
I am similar to you, I was eating at tdee - 20% for a long time, which was under my BMR. Eventually my weight loss stalled for 3 months.
My BMR works out to about a 17% deficit. I started eating at that number less than two weeks ago and I've already lost 2.20 -
You need to eat at least at your BMR. Your metabolism will slow down and hold on to fat if you eat below that for an extended period. I am a litttle heavier than you (189) and I NET 2100 per day. Also, I have my macros set at 1g protein for each pound of lean mass (weight x %bf) .35g per pound of body weight and the rest whatever. I have lost 31 pounds since Jan 2. I do exercise and lift, but I eat ALL of those calories back. Hope this helps.
Roll Tide :P0 -
If you want to set your goal at the higher number, then you need to make sure that your activity level is accurate and consistent, because that number will assume you are going to burn x amount of calories.So are you saying I should try TDEE-17%? I work a desk job 9.5 hours mon-fri. workout 580 cal burn 3-4 times a week. Should i use sedentary at 1920 -17% or moderately active at 2480-17%? With those values to i eat back exercise cals or do i stick to those numbers everyday, no matter what i do?
Otherwise, you use the number for sedentary, then calculate your calories burned whenever you exercise, and eat them back.
In the end, you will still end up eating around the same number of calories.
Edit - You could set your goal for the lower number of 1920 - 17%, then, on the days you work out and burn 580 calories, just eat them back.0 -
OKay thanks. Got it. That numbe is pretty scary tho. that would mean 2170 cals on days i workout. aahhh, gonna have to get real creative to eat that much with healthy options. thanks for your feedback.
If you want to set your goal at the higher number, then you need to make sure that your activity level is accurate and consistent, because that number will assume you are going to burn x amount of calories.So are you saying I should try TDEE-17%? I work a desk job 9.5 hours mon-fri. workout 580 cal burn 3-4 times a week. Should i use sedentary at 1920 -17% or moderately active at 2480-17%? With those values to i eat back exercise cals or do i stick to those numbers everyday, no matter what i do?
Otherwise, you use the number for sedentary, then calculate your calories burned whenever you exercise, and eat them back.
In the end, you will still end up eating around the same number of calories.
Edit - You could set your goal for the lower number of 1920 - 17%, then, on the days you work out and burn 580 calories, just eat them back.0 -
Yes, you'd need to consume that manyOKay thanks. Got it. That numbe is pretty scary tho. that would mean 2170 cals on days i workout. aahhh, gonna have to get real creative to eat that much with healthy options. thanks for your feedback.
If you want to set your goal at the higher number, then you need to make sure that your activity level is accurate and consistent, because that number will assume you are going to burn x amount of calories.So are you saying I should try TDEE-17%? I work a desk job 9.5 hours mon-fri. workout 580 cal burn 3-4 times a week. Should i use sedentary at 1920 -17% or moderately active at 2480-17%? With those values to i eat back exercise cals or do i stick to those numbers everyday, no matter what i do?
Otherwise, you use the number for sedentary, then calculate your calories burned whenever you exercise, and eat them back.
In the end, you will still end up eating around the same number of calories.
Edit - You could set your goal for the lower number of 1920 - 17%, then, on the days you work out and burn 580 calories, just eat them back. I only wish! 0 -
According to the Scooby calculator, at a 20% deficit at sedentary, you should lose approximately 0.7 lbs per week.
Ok, I probably used a different calculator than you, but I got BMR of 1561 which is pretty close to your number.
Age, height, current weight, activity level?this is soooo confusing!!
when calculating my BMR it says i have a BMR of 1570. however, i am only eating 1200 kcals a day, plus about half of my activity points. is this not enough??? i am really confused
I'm 22, 5'9'', 159 lbs and my activity level is sedentary
I also got a TDEE of 1873 at sedentary.
How much you need to lose will determine how much of deficit you should eat at.
A 20% deficit would be 1498
A 15% deficit would be 1593
A 10% deficit would be 1685
If you are eating at 1200, that is more than a 35% deficit. Plus, you are only eating back half of your exercise calories!
You definitely are not eating enough.
Try slowing increasing (like 100 calories per week) up to at least 1500 calories, and eat back ALL of your exercise calories burned.
I forgot to mention, you really want to try to eat above your BMR, so in the long run, try to get up to around 1560.
P.S. - my numbers are almost identical to yours.
thank u can u tell me how much weight i will approx. lose if i eat with a 20 % deficit? this sounds so much (may sound dumb) ... but why does mfp not tell me to eat that much? i dont really get why the programm tells me to 1200... this is weird
thank u so much for your help!!!
keep in mind this will vary over time and even out in the end.
In a month, 3 lbs
In a year, 39, give or take obviously.
What did you have MFP set to lose per week?
I set MFP to the highest possible weight loss... Not sure if that's 1 or 2 lbs a week?! 0
This discussion has been closed.
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