Explain BMR and TDEE

aerrianna
aerrianna Posts: 20 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
There are so many numbers I'm a bit confused. I'm 5'3", weigh 186, work retail 4 days a week, and go to the gym 3 times a week.

My BMR is 1619, my TDEE is 2108, and my MFP calorie goal is 1410 with light activity. Does that mean if I eat below 1619 I'll lose weight? What if I eat below 2108? Also, I take about 7000 steps on a day I work burning around 350 calories. Do I add that as exercise or is MFP already taking that into account?

One second I think I understand all these numbers only for it to completely disappear the next.

Replies

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited March 2016
    This content has been removed.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure
    MFP does not base your calorie goal off this number.
    TDEE is all the calories your body burns in a day. It includes your BMR, your exercise calories, daily activity calories etc. This is the number you need to eat under to lose weight.

    BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate
    These are the calories your body burns at rest to keep your lungs, heart, brain, ect working. Any activity adds onto this.

    MFP takes BMR + daily activity = Neat Calorie burn. Your Neat calorie burn does not include exercise. MFP gives you a goal based off your Neat calorie burn and then you log exercise and get extra calories to eat added to your goal.
  • aerrianna
    aerrianna Posts: 20 Member
    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    BMR is BS and theoretical. Forget about it. People put importance on it, but unless you're in a coma, it doesn't matter. To lose weight, you need to eat below your TDEE.

    Your TDEE includes exercise. So, if you use MFP and add exercise calories DO NOT EAT THEM BACK IF YOU ARE USING TDEE.

    If you are using MFP the way it is intended, then eat back your exercise calories. MFP uses the NEAT a method which is the amount you eat to lose weight, but doesn't include exercise.

    If any of that makes sense, congrats. It's all pretty simple stuff.

    So if I follow the MFP calorie goal I can add the 350 I burn through steps at work?

    Other than that I understand the rest of it.TDEE is the important number.
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