is this how many calories I'm allowed?

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YiotaBro
YiotaBro Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm a 5'5 femaie at 140 lbs and would like to lose another 10 to get to goal.

My BMR is 1433 and my TDEE at light to no activity (work a desk job) is 1720. So, to lose weight at TDEE - 20% is 1376.

Other days, I'm lightly active, so my TDEE on those days would be 1970. Again, to lose weight at TDEE - 20% it is 1576.

Do those numbers make sense? They seem a little low to me compared to what I've been reading about TDEE, but then maybe the posts of people I'm reading are taller than I am, have more to lose, etc etc. and that's why.

Thanks!

Replies

  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    With only 10 lbs to lose consider taking a smaller cut, maybe 10 or 15%. You should be eating at least your BMR.
  • YiotaBro
    YiotaBro Posts: 14 Member
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    How come my TDEE - 20% is lower than my BMR? Is that normal?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    How come my TDEE - 20% is lower than my BMR? Is that normal?

    It's lower because you are close to goal. Smaller people have smaller BMRs
  • YiotaBro
    YiotaBro Posts: 14 Member
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    So I should just eat 1433 a day then on days with no exercise?

    And then days with a workout I should aim for 1576?

    Thanks!
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
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    Use one or the other?

    If your bmr is 1433 then eat that and add exercise cals if you choose?

    If you are using tdee then eat 1576 and don`t eat exercise cals back?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Use one or the other?

    If your bmr is 1433 then eat that and add exercise cals if you choose?

    If you are using tdee then eat 1576 and don`t eat exercise cals back?

    Yes, BMR plus exercise ..... just be careful because MFP & machines will over state many things.

    TDEE should INCLUDE exercise ..... so you don't have to log it here. Just take a % away from TDEE & you will lose weight. If your TDEE less 20% is lower than your BMR ...... then use a smaller %. People close to goal will use TDEE less 10% or 15%
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
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    So I'm a 5'5 femaie at 140 lbs and would like to lose another 10 to get to goal.

    My BMR is 1433 and my TDEE at light to no activity (work a desk job) is 1720. So, to lose weight at TDEE - 20% is 1376.

    Other days, I'm lightly active, so my TDEE on those days would be 1970. Again, to lose weight at TDEE - 20% it is 1576.

    Do those numbers make sense? They seem a little low to me compared to what I've been reading about TDEE, but then maybe the posts of people I'm reading are taller than I am, have more to lose, etc etc. and that's why.

    Thanks!

    You don't adjust your TDEE for more or less active days...it's averaged out over the course of a week. So some days you will have a bigger deficit than other days. With TDEE, light active is usually 1-3 hours of exercise per week...again, you don't adjust for each day, just your average activity level over the course of a week.

    Also with only 10 Lbs to lose, you're going to need to go slow. Your body is not going to respond kindly to some huge deficit...I'd do TDEE - 10% for only 10 Lbs. Personally I'd go somewhere around 1700 calories or so.
  • YiotaBro
    YiotaBro Posts: 14 Member
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    I'm probably being a bit of a knob, but since you all give such useful advice, I'm just going to ask one more thing to make sure I have it right.

    So, I can eat 1433 and then on days with exercise just eat those calories back (ie. I burn 300 calories in my exercise, I eat an additional 300 calories that day?)
    or
    Just eat 1576 every day, no matter if I exercise or not that day and it should be fine because I'm working out a few times a week anyways.

    Also, what would you suggest setting protein/fat/carbs to. I've only got the 10lbs to lose to get down to 130, but I would like to get rid of the belly and try to become a bit leaner.

    Thanks - you guys are being awesome responding to me so many times!
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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