HELP! I'm so confused!

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ChloeHope2114
ChloeHope2114 Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just calculated my TDEE and I got 3 different numbers. I want to make sure i'm healthily losing weight so I want to make sure I am doing it right.
I got BMR; 1736 cal/day
I got TDEE: 2462 cal/day
And fat loss: 1970 cal/day

Ummm, I think i'm missing something. This Is my first attempt at trying to manage macros and things of that sort. I just need some help.

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  • 89nunu
    89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
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    Not missing anything!

    BMR is your basal metabolic rate, the calories your body burns when just lying in bed (so without exercise or brushing your teeth)
    TDEE is the amount of calories you burn on a daily basis, this generally includes exercise but it depends on what you put in the calculator
    and fat loss is the number of calories you can eat each day in order to lose weight. Looks like your set for 1lb a week.

    So enjoy your 1970 calories and you will see the weight drop :)

    ETA: have a look at this for more information http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • michaelsontag
    michaelsontag Posts: 12
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    Doesnt sound too off. THe BMR is what calories you burn just to exist (i.e. if you laid in bed all day).
    The TDEE is based on teh BMR plus your lifestyle (sedentary I am assuming, as that is what most of us use as a setting)
    The Fat loss (looks like a -1 pound?) is your TDEE - 500 kcals per day...abouts

    Is this right?
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
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    BMR is what you need to stay alive in a coma. You want to eat over that amount provided you are doing anything more than lying in a bed all day.

    Your posted numbers for fat loss calories are about 20% less than your TDEE calories, which is about right. So, the amount you want to aim to eat in a day is 1970.

    If you exercise, you do NOT eat back those calories. However, if you start exercising more than what you put in during these calculations, you will want to re-calculate to cover that. Also, as you lose weight, every 10 pounds or so, you will want to recalculate these numbers.

    Good luck!!
  • metaphoria
    metaphoria Posts: 1,432 Member
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    Looks ok to me. You want your calorie goal to be between BMR and TDEE, at about TDEE -20%. As long as your activity level is accurate, it should be fine. If you included your exercise in tdee, then do not eat exercise calories back as they have already been accounted for.
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,269 Member
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    BMR=basal metabolic rate=how many calories your body would need if you laid in bed all day and did nothing
    TDEE=total daily expected expenditure=how many calories, with your activity level, that you can expect to burn in a day
    SO you eat under your TDEE, but above your BMR to burn fat and retain LBM (lean body mass). Set your calories to the 1970.
  • lawlorka
    lawlorka Posts: 484 Member
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    What do you think you are missing?

    Those 3 numbers mean 3 different things

    BMR; 1736 cal/day This is what you burn by just being alive (if you basically slept the whole day or where in a coma)
    TDEE: 2462 cal/day This is an approximation of what you actually burn in a day and what you should eat if you want to maintain your current wait
    fat loss: 1970 cal/day Well/... as it says this is what you should eat for fat loss
  • trickduffin
    trickduffin Posts: 19 Member
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    Your BMR is how many calories you need to eat, just to live. If you were to lay in bed all day.

    TDEE is the number of calories that you actually burn in a day (on average), assuming that your activity level is close to what you entered in the calculator.

    Fat loss is usually TDEE - 500, as a 500 calorie deficit each day would allow you to lose 1 pound each week.

    Now, just accurately log your food each day, and you'll lose about 1 pound each week. Be sure to underestimate your calorie expenditure if you exercise, and overestimate your intake for things you're not certain about.

    Good Luck!
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    Without knowing your stats, it's hard to comment on the actual numbers. But your BMR is what you would need to live without getting out of bed, and your TDEE is that plus your daiy activity. So, if you're sedentary, those numbers make sense. And a 20% deficit is safe if you have more than 15 or so to lose.

    TDEE is a method you need to be patient with, since the calculators are just guesstimates, really. Give it a month and see how you're losing and adjust up or down by 100 cals a day, wait a month, repeat. You can set up an easy spreadsheet to track your cals over a month and calculate what your true TDEE is, as well.

    I like this method because it includes my exercise calories, so no matter what my workout is, I log it as one calorrie burned and I eat the same amount every day. One number to worry about is more than enough!

    Best of luck!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    OP, where you have 100 lbs to lose you would be safe eating at TDEE - 30% which would give you 1723 as opposed to 1970 which would be about 1.5lb weight loss per week.
  • ChloeHope2114
    ChloeHope2114 Posts: 14 Member
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    Thank you so much!
    OP, where you have 100 lbs to lose you would be safe eating at TDEE - 30% which would give you 1723 as opposed to 1970 which would be about 1.5lb weight loss per week.
  • ChloeHope2114
    ChloeHope2114 Posts: 14 Member
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    Thank al of you for the info! It makes more sense now.
  • aakaakaak
    aakaakaak Posts: 1,240 Member
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    Note: If you're eating 1970 cals and gaining then you're either not tracking accurately (get a food scale) or your numbers are set too high. Adjust your numbers to what your body is doing, not the other way around.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    Without knowing your stats, it's hard to comment on the actual numbers. But your BMR is what you would need to live without getting out of bed, and your TDEE is that plus your daily activity. So, if you're sedentary, those numbers make sense. And a 20% deficit is safe if you have more than 15 or so to lose.

    TDEE is a method you need to be patient with, since the calculators are just guesstimates, really. Give it a month and see how you're losing and adjust up or down by 100 cals a day, wait a month, repeat. You can set up an easy spreadsheet to track your cals over a month and calculate what your true TDEE is, as well.

    I like this method because it includes my exercise calories, so no matter what my workout is, I log it as one calorie burned and I eat the same amount every day. One number to worry about is more than enough!

    Best of luck!

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