I has the dumbs!! BMR & TDEE help please!!!

867Jen5309
867Jen5309 Posts: 37 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Guys,

I need your help please!! I don’t know if I just can’t brain today cuz I has the dumbs, or what? But for the life of me I just can’t get this down pat.

I’ve read through the following posts (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide & http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf), used the links to calculate my BMR etc. and I thought I understood, but now I’m just confusing myself…and I’m probably just overthinking it. So if you guys could take a look at what I have figured, and let my dumb-*kitten* know if it is correct, I would be VERY GRATEFUL!!! :D

Age: 30
Sex: Female
Height: 5’4 (or 64 inches)
Current Weights: 141
Goal Weight: 125
Body Fat %: 24.2

With that, I have determined that my BMR is 1429. For my activity level, I am not sure what to use…I have a desk job and during the week, other than the gym, I’m not very active.

Sedentary gave me daily calories of 1631
Lightly Active gave me a daily of 1869, and
Moderately Active gave me a daily of 2106.

Now the post states that if you want to speed up the weight loss to subtract a %, so say I choose Lightly Active (based on my gym schedule below) and take off 15%, this would give me a total of 1,589 to consume. With this I could just track all my exercise calories burned and not eat any of them back, right? Or is the calories burned already being taken into account with Lightly Active?

My current gym schedule is as follows (I just got a HRM, so I have put the calories burned that I have been able to track thus far):

Mon – a.m. – 45 minute Boot Camp Class - 436 calories burned
Tues – a.m. – 1 hour with Personal Trainer – 461 calories burned
Wed. – a.m. – 1 hour Boot Camp Class
Thurs. – a.m. – 1 hour TRX Class – MFP says about 500 calories burned
Thurs. – p.m. – 75 minute Hot Yoga Class – MFP says about 600 calories burned
Friday – a.m. – 45 minute Boot Camp Class
Weekends are my rest days…however I am usually doing stuff around the house or am out and about, so I’m not just sitting on my butt all day.

Now the link also states that you should calculate again, using your current weight as your goal weight to determine your BMR & TDEE to maintain.

Sedentary gave me daily calories of 1715
Lightly Active gave me a daily of 1965, and
Moderately Active gave me a daily of 2215.

So if I wanted to stay where I am, and using Lightly Active, I would consume 1965.

Clearly I want to lose, so if I take the 1869 (lightly active weightloss calories) and subtract the 1589 to consume (and adjust it to 1569 for easy figuring) that would create a 300 calorie deficit right there, plus any exercise on top of that. Or do I have this all wrong.

I’m sorry if I sound like an idiot, but like I said, my brain just is not functioning today. I’m looking for your help as I have plateaued for about a month now. My diary is open and I have my current daily calories set at 1400. I don’t always stay under the 1400, but I try my best to stay under the calories burned from exercise. I’m not sure if this is the issue, that I’ve been eating back some/most of my calories? Or do I just need to be patient. I don’t really want to drop my calories down to 1200, as this is a lifestyle change as opposed to a diet…so I would think that I should be at my BMR (1429). So I guess what I’m wondering if I’m just eating too much and need to exercise more, or should I adjust my calories to 1569 and do not go past that and continue with my exercise the way it is, increasing wherever possible?

Thanks for reading and any help/guidance you can offer.

Replies

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Its easy - unfortunately - for this to get very complicated. So I'd say just take a step back.

    I'd say to eat 1450 per day and then allow yourself to eat back 1/2 of the exercise calories based on your HRM for steady state cardio. Meaning only use the HRM for when you're actively and constantly moving. Biking, running, walking, etc. If there are intervals of starting & stopping, the HRM is not reliable. Consider those extra calories burned.

    That should have you in a good place to lose approximately 1/2 pound per week, sometimes a little more. If you don't already have one, get a food scale. They're inexpensive - sold thru Amazon, Walmart, etc. Weigh everything you eat, make sure you log accurate nutritional info. Get plenty of protein, plenty of veggies & fruits, some whole grains. Don't try to totally eliminate fat, our bodies need it. Don't try to go under 1450 calories, though if you have a low day and its balanced out by a higher day - no harm done. (Some days I've very hungry, and the next not so much.)
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Ps -your diary is closed, and I'm not sure from your post if you're currently using a food scale. So its hard to know how accurate your log is in terms of calorie total.

    But if you're not losing, then you're likely underestimating burn (the HRM should help, and making certain to only count steady state cardio) and overestimating consumption.

    Is session with your trainer actual cardio, or is it bits & pieces of various activities where you go, then stop, then go, then stop? I'm also not familiar with yoga so I don't know if that would be cardio. Non-cardio activities typically don't burn much more than typical lightly active calories. Activity calories are already counted in your calorie consumption goal, so you may be double-dipping.
  • 867Jen5309
    867Jen5309 Posts: 37 Member
    Oops sorry! Diary is open now. I recently bought a food scale so I have been using it for just about everything (except for stuff like eggs, etc., or if I'm out somewhere and cannot weigh the food).

    With the HRM, I was actually surprised that the MFP suggested calorie burns have been lower so far than what the HRM has indicated...so I have essentially been burning more than I thought. I only use the HRM when I'm doing a class, or walking etc.

    The session this morning with my trainer was a bunch of weight training on machines, some body weight exercises, and lunges, etc. (which is where I got the 461 calories burned from).

    Thank you so much for your insight! :)
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    The session w/ your trainer sounds like no cardio, so you should not log any calories for that. MFP already counts your regular activity, an this is regular activity. It may burn a tiny bit more but not anything major.

    Example: My BMR + activity (no exercise) projects I will burn 1950 per day. That works out to about 1.35 calories per minute or 81 an hour. The HRM during the training session would not be accurate as it wasn't cardio, and that is all a HRM can measure. In my case I might burn 140-160 in an hour of trainer assisted strength training, but the extra 60-80 would just offset times when I'm sitting around burning less than the standard 1.35 per minute.
  • 867Jen5309
    867Jen5309 Posts: 37 Member
    oh ok....thanks! :)

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