Confused??

Posts: 19 Member
edited November 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm so lost, so my bmr is roughly 1780-1880 cal at rest. I lift weights and am active at the gym. Kind of muscular. But I chose my goal to lose 2 lbs a week and mfp has my daily goal of 1880 calories to eat. At that rate I will not lose anything, just maintain. I'm 5'9 just shy of 5'10, male and 22 years old (23 in October). Anyone have any idea?

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Replies

  • Posts: 139 Member
    I went to several websites to estimate by TDEE which is conservatively 2500-2600. My calories are set to 2000. My BMR is 1800-1850. I have lost weight eating at 1700-2000 calories keeping protein high. I suggest you find your TDEE from various websites and then taking the average. From that subtract 500 calories and start with that.
  • Posts: 2,408 Member
    I'm so lost, so my bmr is roughly 1780-1880 cal at rest. I lift weights and am active at the gym. Kind of muscular. But I chose my goal to lose 2 lbs a week and mfp has my daily goal of 1880 calories to eat. At that rate I will not lose anything, just maintain. I'm 5'9 just shy of 5'10, male and 22 years old (23 in October). Anyone have any idea?

    BMR is just the calories you burn to stay alive. You are interested in eating below your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) which includes all he other things you do such as walking etc. MFP is estimating your TDEE based on the information you inputted into your profile.
  • Posts: 2,742 Member
    Just exercise a lot, eat less, and weigh yourself every day to make sure you're on track.
  • Posts: 19 Member
    ncboiler89 wrote: »

    BMR is just the calories you burn to stay alive. You are interested in eating below your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) which includes all he other things you do such as walking etc. MFP is estimating your TDEE based on the information you inputted into your profile.

    So should I still add my exercise since my TDEE basically includes that already?
  • Posts: 19 Member
    Thanks everyone
  • Posts: 2,402 Member
    There are two methods, the TDEE method where you estimate your average activity level and subtract your deficit from there. That is useful if you want to eat approximately the same amount daily. The MFP method does not include exercise, so if you follow MFP's guidelines you do want to eat more on days you exercise more (although, the calorie estimates for exercise are usually too high, so most people will only eat back about half of the additional calories).
  • Posts: 4,131 Member
    If MFP is giving you 1880 to lose 2 lbs per week, that means it's estimating that your average TDEE is 2880. So yes, the app (if you put correct info in) is telling you you'll lose at 1880. And if you log cardio exercise, you'll "earn" some additional calories and still lose 2 lbs per week. In theory.
  • Posts: 19 Member
    WBB55 wrote: »
    If MFP is giving you 1880 to lose 2 lbs per week, that means it's estimating that your average TDEE is 2880. So yes, the app (if you put correct info in) is telling you you'll lose at 1880. And if you log cardio exercise, you'll "earn" some additional calories and still lose 2 lbs per week. In theory.

    That is not accurate to me. Cause, I have the step counter which I normally only burn like 150 a day approximately. And I normally only burn about 350 a day doing cardio. What makes them think I burn 1000 calories from exercise?? So, maybe 500 but their system is misleading.
  • Posts: 3,082 Member

    That is not accurate to me. Cause, I have the step counter which I normally only burn like 150 a day approximately. And I normally only burn about 350 a day doing cardio. What makes them think I burn 1000 calories from exercise?? So, maybe 500 but their system is misleading.

    That is not accurate to me. Cause, I have the step counter which I normally only burn like 150 a day approximately. And I normally only burn about 350 a day doing cardio. What makes them think I burn 1000 calories from exercise?? So, maybe 500 but their system is misleading.


    Maybe give it a go for 4 weeks and see what your results are.

    You seem to be accepting that your bmr is accurate and mfp is inaccurate.

    Maybe your bmr is lower than you think.

    What did you enter you activity level as?
  • Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited September 2015
    I'm so lost, so my bmr is roughly 1780-1880 cal at rest. I lift weights and am active at the gym. Kind of muscular. But I chose my goal to lose 2 lbs a week and mfp has my daily goal of 1880 calories to eat. At that rate I will not lose anything, just maintain. I'm 5'9 just shy of 5'10, male and 22 years old (23 in October). Anyone have any idea?

    your BMR isn't maintenance calories...it's the calories you burn merely existing. your TDEE is your maintenance calories. for example, my BMR is around 1900 calories...my TDEE is around 3,000 calories...so I can eat 2500 calories and lose about 1 Lb per week.

    you're confusing BMR with TDEE

    That is not accurate to me. Cause, I have the step counter which I normally only burn like 150 a day approximately. And I normally only burn about 350 a day doing cardio. What makes them think I burn 1000 calories from exercise?? So, maybe 500 but their system is misleading.

    you burn a *kitten* ton of calories just existing...your BMR...plus your other stuff...just getting up and brushing your teeth, going to work...the thermal effect of food, etc...then on top of that you have the stuff your step counter is counting.

    it's not misleading...you just don't know/understand how your body works yet. Every single thing you do from crawling out of bed to brushing your teeth to driving your car to work, etc...all of that burns calories...none of that is going to show up on your step counter. you burn calories 24/7...exercise calories are generally a very small part of your overall daily burn unless you're an athlete or train like an athlete.
  • Posts: 4,131 Member

    That is not accurate to me. Cause, I have the step counter which I normally only burn like 150 a day approximately. And I normally only burn about 350 a day doing cardio. What makes them think I burn 1000 calories from exercise?? So, maybe 500 but their system is misleading.

    It, in fact, is NOT telling you you burn 1000 calories from exercise. If you set up all the app data correctly, you'd log exercise ON TOP of the 2880 MFP estimates you burn just existing. As a tall-ish, young, male you DO burn a crap ton of calories just existing with or without exercise.
  • Posts: 22,834 Member
    Just exercise a lot, eat less, and weigh yourself every day to make sure you're on track.

    All this but only weigh once a month.

  • Posts: 13 Member
    Chaelaz wrote: »

    All this but only weigh once a month.

    Well, I'll agree that it shouldn't be once a day, but I think once a month is not enough. I would say that once a week is a decent gauge so you can figure out if what you're doing is having the affect you are aiming for. Maybe every other week at least.

    JMHO
  • Posts: 854 Member
    Why the advice on how often to weigh? He can weigh as often as he wishes, as long as he doesn't freak out at the normal day to day fluctuations. and there's no reason to think that he will.
  • Posts: 854 Member
    OP -- this just restating what others have said in a different way, but think of TDEE in terms of burning calories 4 ways:
    1. staying alive (BMR)
    2. digesting food (TEF)
    3. daily activities other than purposeful exercise
    4. purposeful exercise.
    All 4 = TDEE.
  • Posts: 19 Member
    Thank you everyone, now I understand
  • Posts: 5 Member
    For me to lose 2 pounds a week I am at 1230 cal. Now if I burned 500 cal can I add them to the 1230 cal and still lose weight?
  • Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited September 2015
    For me to lose 2 pounds a week I am at 1230 cal. Now if I burned 500 cal can I add them to the 1230 cal and still lose weight?
    Yes.

    1230 calories - 500 calories burned through exercise + eating back 500 calories = 1230 net calories.
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