[Question] BMR and Body Weight x(15)

Smith332
Smith332 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
Your BMR will always be the low number because its the minimum amount of calories you need each day. But when you do the Body Weight x(15) equation, you get a much higher calorie intake than what the BMR is suggesting. I've also discover that the Body Weight equation is meant for body builders or for casual exercise math.

My question is, if your going on a diet, what is more ideal (you'll have exercise included as well at some points)?

Do you have the BMR equation as your baseline for calories per day or your Body Weight x(15)?

Replies

  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Why not just use the number that MFP calculates for you?
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    It's really two different things. Body weight x 15 is more of a TDEE calculation or something that would include daily activity at the least. BMR is a base and doesn't include anything past getting out of bed.
  • LaneB89
    LaneB89 Posts: 93 Member
    You should be looking to calculate your TDEE and then subtract 10-20% of it for weight loss. Bottom line is no matter what calculator you use, you will almost certainly have to make adjustments to actually hit your desired weight loss rate.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Body weight x 15 is used to get a rough estimate of TDEE (maintenance calories) for an active individual involved in a lot of exercise not BMR...

    Therefore, you would deduct 500 calories from this to get the calorie level you will be shooting for to lose 1lb a week etc.
  • Smith332
    Smith332 Posts: 7
    I want to be in control of my calorie intake and also on top of my nutrients and minerals I get each day. MFP's calculations are not bad really, but their are alot of details left out that I need answers for. I wish to be both healthy and to be focused on losing weight my weight.

    I've made my own personal data sheet on Microsoft Excel to keep myself informed. I have equations that give you your true Daily % value (National 2,000 healthy diet standard system) vs. to what you have consumed in a day. But I need a baseline for my calories to go off, and I can't tell which equation I should use for it.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    There is basically two ways. You can either take your daily burn + exercise calories which is what MFP will give you. Or you can use the TDEE method. There are numerous calculators that you can find for this but it's basically an average daily burn based on all of your activity including exercise for the week. Just pick one method and go for it. If you don't exercise or not consistently then go with the MFP numbers and add it in when you do it. If you're a consistent exerciser than many prefer the TDEE method just to simplify. But BMR is still NOT the number you're looking for. It's a base number. You still need to add on daily life activity (getting up, going to work, grocery shopping, running after kids, walking the dog, etc.) in to account. That's the activity level that is chosen when using the MFP method.
  • kroonha
    kroonha Posts: 102 Member
    Why not just use the number that MFP calculates for you?

    Because generally, what MFP calculates is very low for most people and too 'universal'.
    Much easier to calculate your TDEE and take no more than 500 calories away from that as your daily intake (for weightloss) as long as it is above your BMR.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Why not just use the number that MFP calculates for you?

    Because generally, what MFP calculates is very low for most people and too 'universal'.
    Much easier to calculate your TDEE and take no more than 500 calories away from that as your daily intake (for weightloss) as long as it is above your BMR.
    That's not true at all. If you set things up correctly MFP gives a very good number. Garbage in, garbage out. MFP gave me 2650 calories plus exercise for my goal. My TDEE - 500 is around 2900. I burn about 300 calories per day exercising.

    When you do it right, MFP's number and TDEE method should give the same results. If they don't, you're doing one of them wrong.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    But I need a baseline for my calories to go off, and I can't tell which equation I should use for it.

    They are ALL guesses - none of them will be completely accurate for you. Use the one that gives you the lowest number.

    Stick with it for a few weeks, and then adjust based on expected vs actual outcome.

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