Calories in and out

lilpedro13
lilpedro13 Posts: 19 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So to actually gain weight do you have to eat more than your caloric limit + your base metabolism rate?

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited October 2016
    Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is your current maintenance calories. That includes BMR, activity level, and exercise. Did you set MFP to maintenance?

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    @MissusMoon is correct ......MFP doesn't include exercise up front (TDEE does).
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    I'd leave your caloric limit out of this if you're using MFP's numbers. They use the NEAT formula. You have to eat over your TDEE to gain fat, or, eat over your maintenance calories.

    Of course, weight fluctuates every day and throughout the day, but over time, the above is true.
  • lilpedro13
    lilpedro13 Posts: 19 Member
    MissusMoon wrote: »
    I'd leave your caloric limit out of this if you're using MFP's numbers. They use the NEAT formula. You have to eat over your TDEE to gain fat, or, eat over your maintenance calories.

    Of course, weight fluctuates every day and throughout the day, but over time, the above is true.

    so lets say my tdee is 2200 and my basal metabolic rate is something like 1600, would i have to eat over 3800 calories to gain weight?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    lilpedro13 wrote: »
    MissusMoon wrote: »
    I'd leave your caloric limit out of this if you're using MFP's numbers. They use the NEAT formula. You have to eat over your TDEE to gain fat, or, eat over your maintenance calories.

    Of course, weight fluctuates every day and throughout the day, but over time, the above is true.

    so lets say my tdee is 2200 and my basal metabolic rate is something like 1600, would i have to eat over 3800 calories to gain weight?

    No, you just need to eat above your tdee
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    lilpedro13 wrote: »
    MissusMoon wrote: »
    I'd leave your caloric limit out of this if you're using MFP's numbers. They use the NEAT formula. You have to eat over your TDEE to gain fat, or, eat over your maintenance calories.

    Of course, weight fluctuates every day and throughout the day, but over time, the above is true.

    so lets say my tdee is 2200 and my basal metabolic rate is something like 1600, would i have to eat over 3800 calories to gain weight?

    No. Your TDEE is the TOTAL Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the sum of your BMR, your non exercise activity, and any purposeful exercise you do. If your TDEE is 2200, then eating above that will cause weight gain. Eating below that, in theory, will result in weight loss. There are factors which influence the accuracy of the measurements of CICO (for example, where did you get that 2200 number?) but the mathematical principle of CICO is solid.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    lilpedro13 wrote: »
    so lets say my tdee is 2200 and my basal metabolic rate is something like 1600, would i have to eat over 3800 calories to gain weight?

    That would do it - and rather quickly. ;)

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