Help with BMR and TDEE

ToriJanee · October 2014

I really hope I've got this post in the right area. And as a heads up- I'm sorry for such a basic question. I've recently started to get on the weight loss bandwagon again after a few stressful months of 'accidental maintaining' during a move/uni semester. I've already lost 25+ kilos, but coming back into it all- I'm dreadfully confused as to what numbers I should be working off.

I had someone suggest to me that I use TDEE as a means to calculate my intake- but I was not informed about not counting back exercise calories. Every few weeks I meant to look back into it all and develop a better understanding- but it all continues to go over my head. I'm already quite touch and go with tracking my food intake as I find it a little triggering, but I want to make sure I can have a better general idea.

I was hoping that someone may be able to help offer some guidance as to just how much I should be eating in order to lose the last few pounds.

I'm a 19 year old female (168cm and 67-68kg), and I work out at the gym 2-3 times a week for 50 minutes. I currently suffer from a back injury so I just use the elliptical and stationary bike. I'm on the elliptical for 30 minutes on an level 6-8 incline (it usually comes up to 350 calories on the machine, but I've heard this is inaccurate?), and then on the bike for 20 minutes at a general pace. (Usually 130-150calories)

The other days of the week I attend university where I work on computers for majority of the time. (I study game design, so there's not much choice) but I walk around the campus and around my area in order to get to bus stops and what not. I keep a pedometer on my phone which says on these days I burn around 150 - 210 calories depending on how active I've been.

I'm not quite sure what I should be listing myself as activity wise, so I've plugged in the numbers for a sedentary level. With this, my BMR is 1474 and my TDEE is 1769. I usually eat to 1500- 1600 calories (roughly) a day- and if I burn 200 calories, I'll usually subtract that using myfitnesspal and then eat that back so I can net at 1500/1600.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated! I've tried reading through the forums, but unfortunately it all continues to become one big blur and go over my head.

Thanks!

Liftng4Lis · October 2014

You can use MFP and put lightly active, then add your exercise in and eat half back (gives room for errors in estimations)-OR you can use TDEE -20%, which already has your exercise included in it.

lemurcat12 · October 2014

How you do TDEE is include your exercise when figuring it out, so you wouldn't say sedentary, but 1-3 hours of exercise or 3 times per week or lightly active (to start). For you I'm getting between 2000 and 2100. Then you'd subtract a percentage or amount and not eat exercise back. 20 percent is common but usually for people with more to lose, so you might want to try 15 percent or about 350, which puts you at around 1700, without eating exercise back. But the takeaway also should be that you would maintain between 2000 and 2100, and lose under that.

Of course, it's just an estimate based on a formula, so you try it for a bit and adjust.

I like it because you don't have to mess with exercise calorie counts and can eat the same every day.

StaciMarie1974 · October 2014

I think you're misunderstanding TDEE. TDEE is the total of all calories you burn, BMR + regular daily activity + exercise. Averaged over the week. Based on what you described: if your stated BMR is accurate your TDEE should be higher.

There is no single right or wrong 'method'. Its about what makes the most sense for you, for your life. My suggestion - if this feels overwhelming - is to change your activity level to 'lightly active' because you're not sedentary. If you were not walking around campus, walking to bus stops, etc. then perhaps. Change to lightly active, set goal for .5-1 pound per week (not sure how much you have left to lose) and see what range it gives you. On days you work out, if you feel the need, eat an additional 150-250 calories if you feel you should.

For sake of comparison: I started at 5' 5.5", 178.5, 39 years old (so lower bmr due to age of course), female. I'm now down to 130.2. From Jan-Jul I ate 1400-1600 and in August I upped my range (and decreased my deficit) and now eat 1600-1800. Still losing, very slowly now of course, and just about ready for maintenance. November 1 I think!

terbusha · October 2014

What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to make good progress towards your goal. If you are trying to lose weight, eat so you drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~1600 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for a week. If you lose 1-2 lbs, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few weeks, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.

Allan

Mischievous_Rascal · October 2014

This is a great thread to help you out:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

ToriJanee · October 2014

Ah, thank you all so much! I really appreciate it. I think I'll go with eating between 1600-1700 for the time being. I'm just trying to see how I'll go at losing say another 5 pounds. I'm not too sure of what my goal weight really is, so I'll just be taking my time with it. But you're right- when I did calculate my TDEE, I completely blanked on the fact that it already incorporates your exercise.

Thank you all so much for clarifying! Unfortunately reading so many posts and whatnot makes it all a bit confusing. I'm more just frustrated now I've been doing this wrong for a while haha! x

Help with BMR and TDEE

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