TDEE vs BMR (need help)

KValmera71
KValmera71 Posts: 82 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am trying to figure all of this out. I read that I should never eat below my BMR and should eat below my TDEE to lose weight. At my weight and age and calculators I used online, my BMR is approximately 2186 and my TDEE is 2603. So based on what I read, does that mean I need to be eating a minimum of 2186 daily but not over 2603?

I have my settings on sedentary as I work in a medical office and average about 5000 steps per day (per my activity tracker). MFP has my daily calories set to 1730. I hardly go over that unless I add some exercise calories but never eat all of my calories back.

As far as activity, I aim to do 7000 or more steps as a personal goal. I also walk or "dance walk" for about 30 minutes about 3 times a week. I have a HRM that I used to calculate my calories burned so I am good with that, it's the calories I can't seem to figure out as I hear so many different versions of how I should be eating. BTW, I am 42 yrs old, female, 5'7 and currently 326lbs. (down from 345 starting weight).

Any assistance would be appreciated :) - Kimberly

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    First of all just for what it's worth I've never seen any actual evidence that eating below your BMR is inherently bad. That being said, most people will have a considerable gap between BMR and TDEE due to activity and other effects on energy expenditure, so with that said "most" people probably don't need to eat below BMR but it's not automatically a bad thing in all contexts.

    Additionally, consider that BMR and TDEE calculators are simply spitting out an estimation that will be reasonably accurate for a percentage of the population and for some people it just isn't going to be accurate.

    Fortunately, if you track intake accurately (using a food scale for example, and tracking everything consistently for weeks) you will be able to get some idea based on your results and based on how you feel, whether or not you need to nudge intake up or down.

    I realize this doesn't answer your question because I'm not directly telling you how many calories to eat, but the above is important, IMO.
  • KValmera71
    KValmera71 Posts: 82 Member
    I use a food scale and measuring cups so I make sure I weigh meats before cooking and measure as much as I can. My husband doesn't think I eat enough. I was losing but now it's slowed a lot since I added activity. I am also very hungry most days, esp days I add activity such as swimming, dancing, etc. There have been times I am netting under 1000 calories but after exercising, I hate to eat back my calories. And my understanding is that the MFP settings are geared for one to eat back their exercise calories while eating the TDEE method is not.
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
    I agree with the above. The calculators were not that helpful for me.

    I settled on a net calorie goal that I could sustain on average over a course of the week, then watched the scale. I've lost 15 lbs in 10 weeks, so that means I'm losing 1.5 lbs/week. And THAT means my deficit is 1.5 * 3500 = 5250 cals/week.

    5250/7 = 750/day.

    So in short: My current eating/exercise level puts me at 1450/day. If I stick to that, I'll lose 1.5/week. If I raised my daily calories to 1450+750 = 2200, then I would maintain my weight (neither gain nor lose). And I know I'll have to eat less or exercise more as my body weight decreases, so I'll readjust the numbers as needed by watching for plateaus.

    I don't worry about BMR (mine's about 1800, I think). In some cases I am eating below BMR (if I eat 1450 cals and don't exercise), and in some cases eating more but burning it off. If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less than your body needs.

    It's pretty simple math, and it's very cool once you figure it out :)
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I use a food scale and measuring cups so I make sure I weigh meats before cooking and measure as much as I can. My husband doesn't think I eat enough. I was losing but now it's slowed a lot since I added activity. I am also very hungry most days, esp days I add activity such as swimming, dancing, etc. There have been times I am netting under 1000 calories but after exercising, I hate to eat back my calories. And my understanding is that the MFP settings are geared for one to eat back their exercise calories while eating the TDEE method is not.

    Correct. I'll only add that exercise expenditure is often over-stated so a reasonable approach may be to eat back a set percent of them.

    In either case though, tracking accurately and consistently, and observing results over several weeks, will lead you to the right answer.
  • KValmera71
    KValmera71 Posts: 82 Member
    I have definitely noticed my MFP way over estimates my calories burned to the tune about 40% higher than what my HRM logs. I always use my HRM logs. My activity tracker calculates my resting burn and activity burn throughout the day. Like today, my resting burn was 1939 and active burn was 628 for a total calorie burn of 2568 and my food calories ended at 1711. I still have a lot to learn I suppose lol
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    It sounds like you have MFP set for 2 lbs. I agree about being conservative with exercise burns, but if you do MFP method its best to eat back some exercise, especially if building up your exercise capacity is important to you and you are feeling hungry. I did MFP plus exercise when I started.

    That said, I kind of like the idea of not worrying about exercise burn and doing TDEE, which I'm now trying. 20 percent off your quoted TDEE is about 1 lb per week, but if you also exercise on top of the amount you are including in TDEE (as you assumed sedentary), you will end up losing more. And if you add exercise calories to MFP you might end up closer to 2100 many days. There's really not that much difference--I'd just experiment to see what you lose and how you feel.

    Often starting exercise causes some water weight, so that might be why you don't seem to be losing as much.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    The TDEE method already takes your activity and exercise into account. MFP does not take your exercise into account, only your base acotivty. With TDEE you do not eat back your exercise calories. With MFP you do - so your total is a net total and you eat back your exercise calories so your total consumption is your net + exercise.

Categories