I know what TDEE and BMR means (been reading a lot of posts! lol.) My only question is which TDEE do I use... I plan on cutting the cardio for a while and this would put me in the 1-3 hour exercise portion... With the cardio I've always been a moderate level. Just was wondering do I stick to moderate even though I won't be doing it on my reset or do I change it down knowing that when my reset is over I'll add the cardio again? Maybe a dumb question but to me it doesn't seem like it lol. Any help would be appreciated.

You will use the TDEE for your *current* exercise level --- whatever you are doing now... Just take an average over the week and use that number. If your activity level changes, then your TDEE will change accordingly (and you would adjust your intake)...

I know what TDEE and BMR means (been reading a lot of posts! lol.) My only question is which TDEE do I use... I plan on cutting the cardio for a while and this would put me in the 1-3 hour exercise portion... With the cardio I've always been a moderate level. Just was wondering do I stick to moderate even though I won't be doing it on my reset or do I change it down knowing that when my reset is over I'll add the cardio again? Maybe a dumb question but to me it doesn't seem like it lol. Any help would be appreciated.

You will use the TDEE for your *current* exercise level --- whatever you are doing now... Just take an average over the week and use that number. If your activity level changes, then your TDEE will change accordingly (and you would adjust your intake)...

Thanks so much for the help! I really appreciate it!

Just holler if you have more questions - so many awesome people around here are happy to help :-)

You found an online calc for RMR, or BMR?

BMR should be lower than RMR by 150-250 calories. Basal, asleep basic functions of life, compared to Resting, awake and additional functions of life.

With a tested RMR of 1010, the matching BMR would be 871 actually.

Now, that is calculations based on that 33% bodyfat being a good estimate within 5%.

Cunningham RMR calculation based on BF of 33% is actually 1570, with Katch BMR of 1420.

So yes, that is a really low RMR and BMR, 550 about lower.

So few things could be going on.

You are very cardio fit. Shown by resting HR below 50, and when you stop a workout with a high HR, it lowers in 1 min by easily 40 bpm.
Now, that would probably not cause a 500 calorie improvement in your body for RMR/BMR. Could explain perhaps 200 calories worth of the difference.

Your BF% figure could be off by decent amount. What gave you that figure? To obtain that low of BMR/RMR from matching BF%, you'd have to be at 68%, so that's not the total cause either, but you could be higher than 33%.

You have been very badly undereating for a while and suppressed your metabolism. That could easily explain the whole amount.

But likely you have a combo of the 3, cardio fit, BF% is wrong and actually is higher, you have suppressed metabolism.

So I'd suggest you start on the high side, because the only one you can control is the metabolism because of undereating.
If you are cardio fit and lower metabolism for that - so be it. Bummer (me too), gonna have to live with it.
If you are higher BF%, then Bodpod or hydrostatic weighing would point that out.

But for undereating, no need chasing a lowered metabolism in to the ground by eating even less.

When was the last time you had an exercise break from what sounds like a massive schedule?
Or a diet break to unstress your body from that.

Or is this lifting brief 15-30 min and simple handweights, or full body compound moves with heavy weight to almost failure for 3-4 days weekly?
Is the 5-6 days of cardio short or long sessions, intense killing the lifting repair, or easy going allowing full repair.

Frequent intense exercise is a stress on the body, just like diet, food allergies/sensitivities, and life, and disease, ect. All that stress will fight fat and weight loss.

So no you do not want to automatically reduce TDEE by 500, or you might be chasing that in to the ground. You want as high flying a metabolism as possible.

You should be about 5% within range of Katch BMR and Cunningham RMR based on an accurate bodyfat test, outside medical reasons. Did you have any thyroid problems?

When you lost 80 lbs eating 1500 slow and steady, what did the numbers actually say you should have been losing, and what did you actually lose?
Some lose slow because of thought out purposeful decisions as to their exercise and eating level.
Some lose slow because they forced their metabolism slower and that's all they were going to get, along with burning up some muscle mass.

BACK lol! I've upped my calories above BMR last week (gained some weight up front)... as of this week I am now eating at TDEE. My weight gain has recessed and I am now back to my starting weight (as of my weigh in yesterday). Just was wondering what exactly this means. I was eating low cals for a while (been on a diet for a year... took about a 2 month hiatus and gained quite a bit of weight back then started to workout again). My low cals though were about 1800 on average which isn't TOO bad but still. Maybe my reset won't take as long or yeah. My last question... I swear lol.

Wow, that's great.

So that prior routine is definitely a plus on your side.
Being a guy is too, better metabolism recovery.

If you think you hit TDEE, increase calories by 250 for 2 weeks solid. If really TDEE, that should be 1 mere pound of gain for 2 weeks slowly.
If fast water weight gain and then nothing, wasn't really TDEE. Test again with another 250 more.

If lifting during this time, at least you know, again as a guy with the right hormones, when you do finally gain that 1 lb because you really were eating in excess of TDEE - no better workout to be doing, and probably gained some muscle and LBM in general - both increase metabolism, yeah!

Bump

I upped to 2200 and have lost2lbs in the last 4 days as opposed to 2lbs the month before!

That's called the whoosh effect, water retained in the fat cells - probably have some measurements go down too.

Usually happens after finally eating enough carbs, so you may indeed be close to TDEE.
Measure after that water weight loss.

Because you know you didn't create a device of 1750 calories each day for 4 days for that 2 lbs to be fat, right.

So now its been about 3 weeks eating at 2200 calories. Beyond the first woosh, I haven't lost anything, just maintained. I want to go back down to 2000 calories where I was losing about 1\2lb a week, but I want to make sure that 3 weeks is enough time. Should I give it a couple more weeks or drop down to 2000 now? Thanks for all your help!

You get 4 weeks, because your BMR literally does change through the month.

This is from another post I'm putting together with interesting info for the ladies.

So then you could take your goal based on BMR or TDEE (which is still based on BMR) x 1.06% for high BMR days, and x 94% for the low BMR days.

So that's the potential range of TDEE you could have.

Ok, I'm in the same boat and need some help clarifying.

Right now I sit at a desk all day long. I am using this as my daily activity level because if I exercise I'd like to eat those calories back as they show up automatically through my fitbit. Right now my schedule is really hectic so exercise has unfortunately not been a top priority :grumble:

According to Scooby's here's my stats:

BMR: 1405
TDEE: 1686
Daily Calories: 1433

So does this sound right, I eat the 1433 and ONLY if I get off my butt to exercise, I get to eat those calories burned in addition to the 1433?

Thank you to anyone that can help me out with this...I really appreciate it :flowerforyou:

My struggles make much more sense now, as a result I have just changed my MFP Goal settings - do I need to change my MFP Net Calories Goal to the same as my Cut Value (TDEE - 20%) OR should I keep I keep it at 1,200 but eat any NET calories that come up now that I have adjusted the custom settings?

Scoobyworkshop readings: BMR = 1534, TDEE = 1840, Cut Value (TDEE -205) = 1472

Wow, I have learnt so much from this article. I am an exercise newbie and had no idea what BMR & TDEE were never mind Cut Value. I have been using MFP for some time now with a focus to loose weight and couldn't understand why some weeks I worked to had and ate less than my target but still didn't loose any weight. So I googled "What does NET mean in MFP" and came across a discussion that led me to 'AnewLucia'.

Ok, I'm in the same boat and need some help clarifying.

Right now I sit at a desk all day long. I am using this as my daily activity level because if I exercise I'd like to eat those calories back as they show up automatically through my fitbit. Right now my schedule is really hectic so exercise has unfortunately not been a top priority :grumble:

According to Scooby's here's my stats:

BMR: 1405
TDEE: 1686
Daily Calories: 1433

So does this sound right, I eat the 1433 and ONLY if I get off my butt to exercise, I get to eat those calories burned in addition to the 1433?

Thank you to anyone that can help me out with this...I really appreciate it :flowerforyou:

Your's is easy then using FitBit.

Set MFP Activity level to Sedentary.
Set weight loss goal to Maintain.
Exercise goals don't matter and you've probably never even noticed them on the exercise tab, most don't.
Save out.
Now go manually change your goals.

Take what MFP has as your daily maintenance (what is without exercise expected) less 20% deficit, that is your new NET eating goal daily.

Change the macros to whatever is useful, protein at 0.82 grams per lb of weight is great, fat at 0.3 g / lb, carbs the rest.
Save out.
Set FitBit syncs to positive and negative.

Now, you have 20% deficit from sedentary daily activity as eating goal.
When you do more according to your FitBit, you'll receive positive adjustments, eat them all back. But you also lose some if negative.
Plan your day well and meet your goals.

As weight comes off MFP will change the daily maintenance amount after about 5-10 lbs, redo the 20% deficit then too, well, make it 15% if at 20 lbs left, 10% if at 10 lbs left.

My struggles make much more sense now, as a result I have just changed my MFP Goal settings - do I need to change my MFP Net Calories Goal to the same as my Cut Value (TDEE - 20%) OR should I keep I keep it at 1,200 but eat any NET calories that come up now that I have adjusted the custom settings?

Scoobyworkshop readings: BMR = 1534, TDEE = 1840, Cut Value (TDEE -205) = 1472

Wow, I have learnt so much from this article. I am an exercise newbie and had no idea what BMR & TDEE were never mind Cut Value. I have been using MFP for some time now with a focus to loose weight and couldn't understand why some weeks I worked to had and ate less than my target but still didn't loose any weight. So I googled "What does NET mean in MFP" and came across a discussion that led me to 'AnewLucia'.

Don't make the math harder, manually change the goal.

If you do exercise that you really did include in that TDEE exercise level, you don't eat that back. If you did more, you do.

Hi there, after reading the whole thread I have some questions regarding the numbers, I used the scooby calci and it gave me this numbers: BMR 1925, TDEE 2310 and TDEE-20 1848, then I went to MFP and because I use a Fitbit I did the setup with sedentary, no weight loss and no workouts and it gave me a 2260 target so 2260-20% = 1808.
I usually log my workouts into Fitbit so today at 19:43 it tells me that I burned 3212 kcal and MFP is asking me to eat 3165 kcal in total. Isn't that a bit high? Did I set it up everything correctly? And do I eat all those Kcal? It's a lot to eat after doing 1600-1800 a day for the last 2 months.....

Thanks

Is your daily life without exercise truly sedentary? Sounds like big gap between reality and your selection, though you have the principle right.

Bump up to Lightly Active, take off the 15% this group advocates (or 20%).

The difference in numbers between Scooby and MFP is because you used different BMR methods. MFP uses Mifflin, at 1808. Scooby must have been Harris you selected at 1925.

Stick with MFP, but follow directions right above.

Then your adjustments won't be so big.

And no, you should take 15-20% off the positive adjustments for exercise. After all, if you did it as recommended and included the exercise in the TDEE level, it would get a deficit there.

Thanks, I do cardio 4 times a week with an average of 700kcal burned and then strength training with a PT twice a week, and I run a restaurant so my daily steps count goes around 16 to 24k steps.

Thing is that if I use the active option it gives me 2620 Kcal so take out a 20% and after a workout like today I would end eating 2700kcal...

If I get this correctly I should setup the fitness profile in MFP to active and the goal to maintain weight, take 15 or 20% off of the value and then eat only 80% of the Fitbit calories adjustment. Is that correct?

Sorry for my english and thanks!

Edit:

Just did it, current values are 2096 goal and exercise adjustment -1451, that is probably because MFP didn't change the MFP burned calories when I changed to active so if I take the 3708 Fitbit expected calories - 2620 MFP calories = 1088 kcal then I take the 20% and it gives me 870, so 870 + 2097= 2966 kcal to be eating TDEE-20

Correct?

Thanks!

I had a feeling you weren't being realistic, running a restaurant on your feet all day.
You ain't lightly active either.

You are correct on Active option, maintain.

So MFP is using:
BMR - 1807
Activity factor 1.45 Active
Non-exercise maintenance - 2620

You manually set the daily NET goal to 2096.

You log your lifting workouts in MFP from the database for the better estimated calorie burn. It may seem low compared to cardio and that is true. But it's higher than FitBit which is terrible at estimating that.
But you take the value given x 0.8 to get 20% deficit off those calories.

Any FitBit positive adjustments that come across you correct to same 20% off.

And yes, you would eat the more to keep a reasonable deficit.

So you reach your goal numbers.

I actually got lost in your math on that last part, and that's saying a lot for me frankly. ;-)

Let me re-arrange.
It sounds like FitBit saw your TDEE today as 3708.
Your expected daily maintenance of 2620 means you burned 1088 more than expected.
1088 - 20% = 870 workout or whatever calories.

870 + net goal 2097 = 2967

As young Frederick in Pirates of Penzance says to the Pirate King and Mabel - "yes yes, with yours my figures do agree"

I'd say you understand the principal most excellently.

Do I need to eat MORE? The explanation of the EMTWL philosophy in this thread was really helpful, thank you. I'd love some clarification and reassurance:

BMR 1656,according to the Scooby Calculator.
TDEE 3148, according to the Scooby Calculator, based on 7-21 hours a week of strenuous activity.
According to my Jawbone UP (I log weight lifting and Pilates in it, do at least 10,000 steps a day) and factoring in the burn I get from my HRM for cardio, my TDEE is anywhere between 2500 - 3500 calories burned a day.

I do cardio every day, I lift weights 3-4 times a week, I've also started doing Pilates on the days I don't lift.

My diary is open. I try to eat around 2000 calories a day or more, but I don't understand what my net goal should be, or what my weekly net calories should be. What should I adjust my goal to?
My weight loss has slowed recently but I've had an inconsistent month with about ten days off exercise and tracking.

I don't believe I need a metabolism reset because I started on MyFitnessPal eating around 1700 calories and losing consistently, and I upped that when I realised I needed to eat more. My appetite has increased since the start of the year as I do even more exercise (and especially when I lift).

Do I need to eat MORE? The explanation of the EMTWL philosophy in this thread was really helpful, thank you. I'd love some clarification and reassurance:

BMR 1656,according to the Scooby Calculator.
TDEE 3148, according to the Scooby Calculator, based on 7-21 hours a week of strenuous activity.
According to my Jawbone UP (I log weight lifting and Pilates in it, do at least 10,000 steps a day) and factoring in the burn I get from my HRM for cardio, my TDEE is anywhere between 2500 - 3500 calories burned a day.

I do cardio every day, I lift weights 3-4 times a week, I've also started doing Pilates on the days I don't lift.

My diary is open. I try to eat around 2000 calories a day or more, but I don't understand what my net goal should be, or what my weekly net calories should be. What should I adjust my goal to?
My weight loss has slowed recently but I've had an inconsistent month with about ten days off exercise and tracking.

I don't believe I need a metabolism reset because I started on MyFitnessPal eating around 1700 calories and losing consistently, and I upped that when I realised I needed to eat more. My appetite has increased since the start of the year as I do even more exercise (and especially when I lift).

Wow, is all that exercise for the purpose of weight loss, or training for something, or improving your body fitness-wise?

Because for weight and only fat loss, it will become very counter productive.

Diet is a stress, frequent intense exercise is a stress, other life things are stressful.
Stress messes with hormones, and fights again fat and weight loss.

Besides, exercise if done right tears the body down.
Rest, for recovery and repair is what actually builds it back up again better, if the nutrition allows it.

Your body can't possibly be getting as good a response from the exercise as it could with that much activity, even pros recognize you must have recovery days for hard days, and taking a break to allow best improvement from workouts.

Now, perhaps without the time element in there the activity seems exaggerated, so you might use this as rough guide to your time and still use the rough 5 level TDEE part. For instance, if that cardio is just some good calm recovery walking - great job. If it's sprint intervals everyday mixed in with lifting, bad idea.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1018770-better-rough-tdee-estimate-than-5-level-chart

As to eating more, depends on how much deficit you should take, and how close you are to goal weight determines a reasonable deficit.

Wow, is all that exercise for the purpose of weight loss, or training for something, or improving your body fitness-wise?

Because for weight and only fat loss, it will become very counter productive.

Diet is a stress, frequent intense exercise is a stress, other life things are stressful.
Stress messes with hormones, and fights again fat and weight loss.

Besides, exercise if done right tears the body down.
Rest, for recovery and repair is what actually builds it back up again better, if the nutrition allows it.

Your body can't possibly be getting as good a response from the exercise as it could with that much activity, even pros recognize you must have recovery days for hard days, and taking a break to allow best improvement from workouts.

Now, perhaps without the time element in there the activity seems exaggerated, so you might use this as rough guide to your time and still use the rough 5 level TDEE part. For instance, if that cardio is just some good calm recovery walking - great job. If it's sprint intervals everyday mixed in with lifting, bad idea.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1018770-better-rough-tdee-estimate-than-5-level-chart

As to eating more, depends on how much deficit you should take, and how close you are to goal weight determines a reasonable deficit.

This is a really good reality check that I don't rest enough, thank you. I'm not training for anything, my purpose is fitness and fat/weight loss. I am already really fit and strong at my weight - 88kgs (194lbs). I have a stressful job so exercise helps with that and my mental health.

I'm 5"4 and I'd like to lose at least another 8kgs (17lbs) to get to 80kgs (176lbs). I may to decide to lose more at that weight but I will decide how I feel and look when I get there. I'm not far off my first goal weight, I guess. I put 75kgs (165lbs) in the spreadsheet as my goal.

The spreadsheet was really helpful. Thank you for making it! I used a body fat estimate and adjusted my activity minutes to factor in more rest time. My TDEE would then be 2,866 and TDEG 2,330 (18.7% deficit based on 13kgs left to lose and 75% heavy cardio to lifting ratio). That would give me a loss of 0.5kgs (1.1lbs) a week. I generally eat around 2000-2200 calories a day so hopefully I am on track. I've had a (positive) adjustment in thinkng about eating more, so now I need to readjust how I think about the loss on the scale being smaller. I've noticed a dramatic difference in my body recently despite slower weight loss, so hopefully my approach will continue to work while being mindful of more recovery and rest.

I'm happy to hear any other advice and opinions, too!