Eating Below My BMR - PLEASE HELP

jmvanderlogt
jmvanderlogt Posts: 3 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello--

I'm fairly new to this, but I have a question about the TDEE method. I weigh approximately 152 pounds, with 26.8% BF. I'm looking to be about 135. When I use Fat2Fit, it says that my BMR is 1460-1514. I work out 5-7 days a week burning approximately 400-600 calories per workout, along with some weight training. I chose the moderately active category to calculate my TDEE, because I didn't think I quite met the very active range, which gave me 2334. If I remove 20% from that, I should be eating approximately 1868 calories per day. However, if we assume my 600 calorie workouts, that would put me at only 1268 net, which is below my BMR. (I frequently do work out at about 600 calories seven days a week.) Is that okay? It just seems so wrong to do that to your body.

As some backup information, I am a college student who (above and beyond my daily workouts) walks a decent amount every day between my apartment, work, classes, and an internship.

I've been in the position for too long that I netted 1200 a day or less on MFP, and I want to be sure not to stay in this position.

Thank you so much for your help!

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited March 2015
    Your TDEE takes into account your workouts. If you're using that method, you don't eat them back...it's included in your activity level.

    Include your exercise in the TDEE calculator. Are you still moderately active or does that bump you to very active?
  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
    I think you probably meet the criteria to select "Very Active"

    Also, I think a 20% cut is a little much for someone trying to lose 15 pounds, what about changing to a 15% or even 10% cut?
  • jmvanderlogt
    jmvanderlogt Posts: 3 Member
    I know...when I say 1868, I am eating 1868 a day. However, if I do consider that I worked out for approx 600 calories that day, then I would theoretically be below my BMR. Does that make sense?
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    jmvanderlogt wrote: »
    I know...when I say 1868, I am eating 1868 a day. However, if I do consider that I worked out for approx 600 calories that day, then I would theoretically be below my BMR. Does that make sense?

    MFP uses BMR + lifestyle, THEN you add exercise.

    TDEE is TOTAL energy expenditure. Meaning, when you tell it how active you are, you are supposed to include your exercise and your lifestyle movements when you estimate. So your TDEE *includes* your 600 calorie workouts. When you subtract 20% from that, you've already included it, so no, you won't go below your BMR.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    TDEE isn't a method, it is a number. MFP arrives at this number by taking the number of calories they estimate you burn doing normal activities and adding the calories you burn doing exercise (which you log separately). If you use a different calculator, the TDEE number reported probably already has an estimate (less accurate) for your exercise.

    As for BMR, it doesn't matter if you eat below BMR. BMR is kind of like exercise that you would be doing, even if you were in a coma. Your body will get the energy it needs for that from fat reserves and lean body mass.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited March 2015
    jmvanderlogt wrote: »
    I know...when I say 1868, I am eating 1868 a day. However, if I do consider that I worked out for approx 600 calories that day, then I would theoretically be below my BMR. Does that make sense?

    TDEE less a percent includes exercise....it's an average across days. Unless you're doing cardio every single day (stop that)....you're not burning 600 calories for every work out. So some days you are netting below your BMR....other days you aren't. As PeachyPlum pointed out a 20% cut is a little much for 15 pounds. A smaller cut would give you more calories to work with.

    1200 is MFPs lowest default minimum. MFP doesn't include exercise up front...you would have to log it and the exercise calories get added back.

    Use TDEE less a percent OR use MFP and log workouts.
  • YalithKBK
    YalithKBK Posts: 317 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    Use TDEE less a percent OR use MFP and log workouts.
    ^^^ This

    MFP does not take into account your exercise. So, if you are using the number that MFP gives you, be sure to log your exercise (remember, MFP tends to overestimate exercise calories so I usually log about half) and eat those back.

    Fat2Fit, on the other hand, is taking exercise into account. So, if you use that number, eat that many calories and do not worry about exercise calories.

    See this thread (I don't know why it's not stickied) for some helpful tips. I also agree with the person who said you are taking out too much. With less than 20lbs to lose, you should be lessing out at most 15% from your TDEE.

  • erikgoya
    erikgoya Posts: 77 Member
    ^what they all said.

    Only thing I have to add is to ease off the workouts. Your body needs at least one rest day a week.
  • ericaeast92
    ericaeast92 Posts: 16 Member
    It would depend how active you are all day. For example, I have a desk job, so I put "sedentary" and add exercise separately, usually 400-500 per day. If you put a "higher" TDEE you may already be including the exercises you do.
  • keithcw_the_first
    keithcw_the_first Posts: 382 Member
    It does sound like you may be overtraining a bit. If you aren't satisfied with your progress at the moment, use where you are now as a starting point and make incremental changes.
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