I'm still confused about how many calories to eat

JerseyGirl30
JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay. I'm 5'10" and 183 pounds (female), trying to get to around 160. I put my weight loss goal as 1 pound per week, so I have been told to eat 1,590 calories a day. But, that is below my BMR. My BMR is ~1,670. Shouldn't I be netting more than my BMR? If I use the TDEE-20% calculation i get ~1,635 calories a day, which is also lower than my BMR. How many calories should I actually be eating each day? I have been eating 1,350 calories a day for the past three weeks but I've realized that is probably way too low for me considering my BMR. Any help is appreciated :)


also, to calculate my TDEE I said I was sedentary when in reality I exercise 6 times a week for atleast an hour a day. This would mean I would just have to eat back my exercise calories, correct?

Replies

  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    It's best to Net one's BMR or higher.

    If your TDEE-20% is below your BMR, recalculate for TDEE-15% instead since you don't have that much to lose. This will allow you to keep more of your lean muscle mass while losing fat.

    If you calculate your TDEE on sedentary, you would eat back your exercise calories.

    If you calculate your TDEE with all your exercise in the week and then do -15% you would not eat back your exercise calories.
  • JerseyGirl30
    JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
    how much weight should I expect to lose doing TDEE-15% ?
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Your TDEE set to sedentary is 1999(lets round to 2000 for ease).

    2000-15% = 300 calorie deficit a day. Or 1lb lost every 11.6 days.

    You would eat 1700 calories +exercise calories.

    Obviously it's going to be slower, but it will be worth it. Trying to maintain a higher deficit will result in a higher lean muscle mass to fat lost ratio. Just because the scale tells you you are losing weight, doesn't mean it's fat coming off.

    Totally up to you though.
  • JerseyGirl30
    JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
    thank you for the help :). Should I just start eating that many calories or work up to it? Say, add 100 calories a week until I'm there?
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    It's best to Net one's BMR or higher.

    If your TDEE-20% is below your BMR, recalculate for TDEE-15% instead since you don't have that much to lose. This will allow you to keep more of your lean muscle mass while losing fat.

    If you calculate your TDEE on sedentary, you would eat back your exercise calories.

    If you calculate your TDEE with all your exercise in the week and then do -15% you would not eat back your exercise calories.

    What? I think you're confusing people. TDEE by definition includes exercise calories, so if you go by the TDEE method, you do not eat back any exercise calories. I think you're confusing Total Day Energy Expenditure with Non Exercise Associated Thermogenesis.
  • Melissa11412
    Melissa11412 Posts: 145 Member
    try this:

    go to:

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Put in your stats
    Press Calculate your TDEE
    View number
    Open up the Calculator function on your pc
    put in your TDEE number
    hit minus
    input 20
    hit % sign
    hit equal sign
    eat that amount in calories (making sure you hit whatever protein/fat/carb macro you want, usually 40/40/20 is a good baseline)
    when you lose 10 lbs. refigure

    hope this helps
  • stefa711
    stefa711 Posts: 196 Member
    It's best to Net one's BMR or higher.

    If your TDEE-20% is below your BMR, recalculate for TDEE-15% instead since you don't have that much to lose. This will allow you to keep more of your lean muscle mass while losing fat.

    If you calculate your TDEE on sedentary, you would eat back your exercise calories.

    If you calculate your TDEE with all your exercise in the week and then do -15% you would not eat back your exercise calories.

    What? I think you're confusing people. TDEE by definition includes exercise calories, so if you go by the TDEE method, you do not eat back any exercise calories. I think you're confusing Total Day Energy Expenditure with Non Exercise Associated Thermogenesis.

    Some people prefer to calculate their TDEE as if they don't exercise and then add exercise calories by day. No it's not a textbook "TDEE" calculation, but it works just the same.
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
    Some people prefer to calculate their TDEE as if they don't exercise and then add exercise calories by day. No it's not a textbook "TDEE" calculation, but it works just the same.

    This is what i do ... because my exercise on a weekly basis varies from "i walked a little bit" to "I burned 6000 calories" doing work out doors for several days in 100 degree weather and 60% humidity.

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