Please help... Eating at least your BMR question....

euphoria13824
euphoria13824 Posts: 35
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello...

Sorry if I'm asking a question which has been repeated, but I keep seeing this piece of advice: "do not eat below your BMR/eat as least your BMR". My BMR is 1343 calories according to the Harris-Benedict Formula, and 1224 calories according to Katch-McArdle formula (bodyfat% is 25%).

My question is, for instance, if I choose to follow the Harris-Benedict formula, should I EAT at least 1343 calories or NET 1343 calories? I.e.: if I exercise and burn 100 calories, mfp subtracts 100 from 1343, so it means I have to eat back those 100 calories to net 1343 calories at the end of the day?

or... I just eat 1343 and let mfp subtract my exercise calories so I net 1243 calories at the end of the day? Which is it?

Thanks.

Replies

  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    My preference would be for you to "Net" your BMR. As for which method is more accurate, maybe split the difference between the two? And guesstimate that your BMR is 1280.

    What's your TDEE, though? I personally also never recommend eating greater than 1000 under your TDEE.

    EDIT to ADD: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ and/or here http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ if it's something you've never calculated before
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Yup, what WBB55 said.
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    Yup, what WBB55 said.

    QFT.

    Calculating your TDEE and subtracting a percentage or a flat rate (like 250cals) makes life simpler.
    Because then you don't have to worry about eating back exercise calories
  • Samstan101
    Samstan101 Posts: 699 Member
    Yup, what WBB55 said.

    QFT.

    Calculating your TDEE and subtracting a percentage or a flat rate (like 250cals) makes life simpler.
    Because then you don't have to worry about eating back exercise calories

    Agreed. With the slight caveat that you need to consistent with your exercise from one week to the next so your TDEE isn't wildly fluctuating between really high activity and sedentary. Also reassess your BMR & TDEE regularly (I do mine every 10lbs lost).
  • MomOfRose
    MomOfRose Posts: 89 Member
    I'm assuming you calculated your TDEE not including any exercise activity? If you tell those calculators you work out 3x a week, then don't eat back the calories you "earn" from MFP after doing those activities. If you calculated at sedentary, then eat back some or all of the exercise calories.

    That's my understanding of TDEE; if you put that your "normal" is working out 3x, then you don't get to eat extra calories for doing "normal" work.

    Yes?
  • euphoria13824
    euphoria13824 Posts: 35
    My preference would be for you to "Net" your BMR. As for which method is more accurate, maybe split the difference between the two? And guesstimate that your BMR is 1280.

    What's your TDEE, though? I personally also never recommend eating greater than 1000 under your TDEE.

    EDIT to ADD: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ and/or here http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ if it's something you've never calculated before

    I calculated my tdee from various websites. Using the iifym one, I got 1674 calories on a conservative basis. I entered 'Activity Level' as accurately as I could. I'd rather use that than choosing a general activity level like "3 times exercise/week".

    The problem is, I have been netting 1200~1400 calories for the past 2 months and have not lost anything - weight and inches. That's why I'm reassessing my BMR and TDEE. I recently increased my net calories to 1350 and am looking to increase it to 1450 but I'm just afraid that I'm already eating at maintenance because of a sluggish metabolism, considering that I haven't lose anything for a long time despite calorie counting and exercise.
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    I'm assuming you calculated your TDEE not including any exercise activity? If you tell those calculators you work out 3x a week, then don't eat back the calories you "earn" from MFP after doing those activities. If you calculated at sedentary, then eat back some or all of the exercise calories.

    That's my understanding of TDEE; if you put that your "normal" is working out 3x, then you don't get to eat extra calories for doing "normal" work.

    Yes?

    If your number of workouts vary week to week, it is safer to call yourself sedentary and then eat back those calories.

    If you always work out 3x/week, then you calculate your TDEE based off of that level and do NOT eat back those calories.
  • euphoria13824
    euphoria13824 Posts: 35
    I'm assuming you calculated your TDEE not including any exercise activity? If you tell those calculators you work out 3x a week, then don't eat back the calories you "earn" from MFP after doing those activities. If you calculated at sedentary, then eat back some or all of the exercise calories.

    That's my understanding of TDEE; if you put that your "normal" is working out 3x, then you don't get to eat extra calories for doing "normal" work.

    Yes?

    Yes, from my understanding, MFP requires you to eat back exercise calories, but if you're following the TDEE method, then you don't have to eat back exercise calories.
  • euphoria13824
    euphoria13824 Posts: 35
    Oops... I made a miscalculation. http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ says my tdee is 1763 calories, even though I set myself to 15 hours of sitting. Isn't that a bit high?
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    All of the above.

    That being said, BMR isn't a magic number whereby if you eat less than it your body will implode. There's nothing special about your BMR specifically that requires you to eat that amount. If need be, your body would pull calories to support BMR-related functions from various energy stores throughout the body, the same way it would for NEAT or exercise.

    THAT being said, BMR is an excellent benchmark for the vast majority of the population as to what the bare-minimum they should be eating is. When someone asks "what's 'too little' calories?" BMR is a very very very good starting point answer. BMR is relatively meaningless when you take activity into consideration, though. If you're burning 1500 calories per day over and above your BMR through exercise and general activity, even your BMR is going to be far too low of a calorie goal. Try to focus on your TDEE (most simplistically, BMR + NEAT [your walkin' around livin' life calories] + exercise calories), determine a reasonable deficit off of that number depending on your current stats, goals, and lifestyle, and go from there.

    **edited - whoops, lots of posts between when I started typing and when I finished :laugh: . Pretend my post is about 6 or 8 above where it is, m'kay? :flowerforyou:
  • sillyvalentine
    sillyvalentine Posts: 460 Member
    Both of those formulas put my BMR in the 1500 - 1800 range. My doctor thought that was extremely high so he sent me to the hospital to get it tested properly and it turned out it was actually 801 - 911! I had no idea that the online calculators (that everyone seems to swear by) could be so wrong. I don't even have any medical conditions to cause it to be so low!

    If you can get it tested properly, I would recommend that highly!
  • euphoria13824
    euphoria13824 Posts: 35
    Both of those formulas put my BMR in the 1500 - 1800 range. My doctor thought that was extremely high so he sent me to the hospital to get it tested properly and it turned out it was actually 801 - 911! I had no idea that the online calculators (that everyone seems to swear by) could be so wrong. I don't even have any medical conditions to cause it to be so low!

    If you can get it tested properly, I would recommend that highly!

    Wow... that's really low. I don't think mine is that low because I get hungry easily a few hours after a meal. I'm talking about well-balanced meal, and not those loaded with simply carbs. I'm guessing that should mean that my metabolism is functioning properly, right? I find that I function better if I eat 1300~1450 calories. I am way too hungry if I eat only 1200 and workout at the same time.
  • euphoria13824
    euphoria13824 Posts: 35
    All of the above.

    That being said, BMR isn't a magic number whereby if you eat less than it your body will implode. There's nothing special about your BMR specifically that requires you to eat that amount. If need be, your body would pull calories to support BMR-related functions from various energy stores throughout the body, the same way it would for NEAT or exercise.

    THAT being said, BMR is an excellent benchmark for the vast majority of the population as to what the bare-minimum they should be eating is. When someone asks "what's 'too little' calories?" BMR is a very very very good starting point answer. BMR is relatively meaningless when you take activity into consideration, though. If you're burning 1500 calories per day over and above your BMR through exercise and general activity, even your BMR is going to be far too low of a calorie goal. Try to focus on your TDEE (most simplistically, BMR + NEAT [your walkin' around livin' life calories] + exercise calories), determine a reasonable deficit off of that number depending on your current stats, goals, and lifestyle, and go from there.

    **edited - whoops, lots of posts between when I started typing and when I finished :laugh: . Pretend my post is about 6 or 8 above where it is, m'kay? :flowerforyou:

    I read the EMTWL posts and have upped my calories based on my TDEE levels. I'm hoping to finally break my plateau, since I've heard of people stalling at 1200 and successfully starting to lose again when they increased their calories.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    euphoria,
    What's your height and weight?

    Your TDEE is probably 1763 on days you don't do much of anything. But it's way more on days you do things (like shopping, walking, exercising)

    You're not very far from your goal weight, so fat will come off VERY slowly.

    Do you want to eat the same amount every day? Or do you want to eat more on the days you work out?
  • euphoria13824
    euphoria13824 Posts: 35
    All of the above.

    That being said, BMR isn't a magic number whereby if you eat less than it your body will implode. There's nothing special about your BMR specifically that requires you to eat that amount. If need be, your body would pull calories to support BMR-related functions from various energy stores throughout the body, the same way it would for NEAT or exercise.

    THAT being said, BMR is an excellent benchmark for the vast majority of the population as to what the bare-minimum they should be eating is. When someone asks "what's 'too little' calories?" BMR is a very very very good starting point answer. BMR is relatively meaningless when you take activity into consideration, though. If you're burning 1500 calories per day over and above your BMR through exercise and general activity, even your BMR is going to be far too low of a calorie goal. Try to focus on your TDEE (most simplistically, BMR + NEAT [your walkin' around livin' life calories] + exercise calories), determine a reasonable deficit off of that number depending on your current stats, goals, and lifestyle, and go from there.

    **edited - whoops, lots of posts between when I started typing and when I finished :laugh: . Pretend my post is about 6 or 8 above where it is, m'kay? :flowerforyou:

    I'm trying to estimate my tdee as accurately as possible, though without fitbit or a HRM, it's quite hard to trust the legitimacy of those various online websites. I've heard they can be grossly inaccurate. That's why I'm being as conservative as possible when calculating my tdee.
  • euphoria13824
    euphoria13824 Posts: 35
    euphoria,
    What's your height and weight?

    Your TDEE is probably 1763 on days you don't do much of anything. But it's way more on days you do things (like shopping, walking, exercising)

    You're not very far from your goal weight, so fat will come off VERY slowly.

    Do you want to eat the same amount every day? Or do you want to eat more on the days you work out?

    I'm 5" 1 and 116 lbs. I'm about 11 lbs away from my goal.

    My tdee is 1763 on days work out, so it's even lower on rest days. I'm super sedentary, I really am "married" to the chair with me working from home and being in front of a computer all day. I'd like to eat more on work out days since I have to replenish my body.
  • euphoria13824
    euphoria13824 Posts: 35
    I guess the best estimation of tdee is from heart rate monitors of those activity trackers like fitbit, right? I'm waiting to get one.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Thanks for replying! We all want to help, and the more info you give us the better.

    Here's my suggestion for you based on what you've told us. I think you should try eating 1400 calories every day. No matter what. This will give you 250 calorie deficit. Don't eat more unless you're hungry after a work out.

    Do that for 6 weeks. Just eat 1400. And think about lifting weights more, and maybe doing less cardio. I think you'll be happier with your body if you start toning the muscles more than trying to lose the fat.

    After 6 weeks, come back and tell us about how you look and feel.
  • euphoria13824
    euphoria13824 Posts: 35
    Thanks for replying! We all want to help, and the more info you give us the better.

    Here's my suggestion for you based on what you've told us. I think you should try eating 1400 calories every day. No matter what. This will give you 250 calorie deficit. Don't eat more unless you're hungry after a work out.

    Do that for 6 weeks. Just eat 1400. And think about lifting weights more, and maybe doing less cardio. I think you'll be happier with your body if you start toning the muscles more than trying to lose the fat.

    After 6 weeks, come back and tell us about how you look and feel.

    Hey WBB55. Okay, I will do so and come back if there is still no progress whatsoever. Thanks!

    Thank you everyone for your help and for replying! :)
  • sillyvalentine
    sillyvalentine Posts: 460 Member
    Both of those formulas put my BMR in the 1500 - 1800 range. My doctor thought that was extremely high so he sent me to the hospital to get it tested properly and it turned out it was actually 801 - 911! I had no idea that the online calculators (that everyone seems to swear by) could be so wrong. I don't even have any medical conditions to cause it to be so low!

    If you can get it tested properly, I would recommend that highly!

    Wow... that's really low. I don't think mine is that low because I get hungry easily a few hours after a meal. I'm talking about well-balanced meal, and not those loaded with simply carbs. I'm guessing that should mean that my metabolism is functioning properly, right? I find that I function better if I eat 1300~1450 calories. I am way too hungry if I eat only 1200 and workout at the same time.

    I am super hungry too but you have to do what you have to do right?

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