Yet another question regarding TDEE and BMR

teresamwhite
teresamwhite Posts: 947 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
MFP says I should eat 1200 calories a day...My BMR according to an online calculator is 1687, TDEE from the same calculator is 2024. According to most of the posts I have found on TDEE here, I should subtract 20% (404) for a total of 1620 calories per day?

(Online calculator: http://theskinnyequation.blogspot.com/p/weight-loss-calculators.html)

I haven't been eating back my calories from my logged workouts...and most of the time I don't log my workouts at all to avoid any confusion for myself.

I'm a bit leery of adding more calories to lose weight, but so far, I haven't had any real success with the weight on the scale going down (my clothes do fit better, though, so I know there is *some* progress).

Hopefully, someone smarter than me can tell me if I am on the right track... (nothing like a bit of flattery, eh?)

Replies

  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
    I eat TDEE - 20% (most days, I like alcohol sometimes and chocolate!)

    but yes, use that and you will be good. I did it for 3 months and toned like a mofo with lots of weights and HIIT
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
    Your best bet is to eat at a generic intake you feel is your maintenance. for a week or two and watch your weight on the scale. If you gain you're obviously eating more than your TDEE and if you lose you're eating less. Depending on how much you lose or gain, you can work out how big of a surplus or deficit you were in.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I'm eating at TDEE, so should we or shouldn't we eat back our exercise calories? I burn roughly 300-400 calories a night?
  • cmurphy252
    cmurphy252 Posts: 279 Member
    Yes, you're on the right track. I started out at 1200 cal (MFP suggestion based upon my input to lose 2 lb/week), found that I was hungry at the end of the day and didnt even give it a week to see if it'd work. I increased my cals to 1400 (no rhyme or reason - just a guess on what I should be eating) and had no weight loss or very minimal loss. Calculated my daily goal using the TDEE method-20%, increased to 1700 and have been losing (slowly, but surely) using this method.
  • jtyler83
    jtyler83 Posts: 28 Member
    i did tdee calc and eat at a deficit from that

    if i go over and above my normal workouts of like 3 per week (say extra bike ride day or something) i eat a little more that day

    i never eat more on normal workout days and dont log the workouts these days - they're included in tdee
  • happycauseIride
    happycauseIride Posts: 536 Member
    I have been wondering the same thing based on other posts I have seen today. Thank you OP for posting your question.

    According to Fat 2 Fit, my BMR is 1730, with TDEE being 2182 as lightly active. Now TDEE -20% is 1745. So I should be eating only 15 calories more then my BMR? I'm 38 yo Female, 5'6", CW 218. I exercise 6 days a week for at least an hour, but then sit at a desk job for most of the day.

    Plus MFP sets my cals at 1250 in the lightly active catagory. How can that be?? If I eat 1200 cals lose, but my energy level starts to deteriorate. And we won't even discuss exercise calories and how badly they are exaggerated on here. I eat them back, but usually only half to 75%.

    This is all very confusing.
  • pinkstp
    pinkstp Posts: 220 Member
    interesting to read input :) I feel like I'm constantly hungry but I don't have a scale to weigh regularly to decide what cal amt I should be eating at. I actually feel more hungry on the days I don't exercise than when I do... hmm.
  • teresamwhite
    teresamwhite Posts: 947 Member
    Thanks for clarifying...I appreciate it. 1200 was doable, but not ideal. The extra calories really helped toward the end of my day.

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