Confused-BMR, calories, TDEE

alabamaheather
alabamaheather Posts: 24 Member
edited November 27 in Getting Started
I started Weight Watchers in January. I have lost 40 pounds. I workout 4-5 days a week at a gym. I do 30-45 minutes of hard sweat soaked cardio and some weight machines. I have been logging my food on both WW and MFP. I can easily eat all or go over points but am mostly at 1000 calories. Net calories could be 700 or so. I know this isn’t healthy. A few days ago I started counting calories only but I want to make sure I am using the correct calorie count per day.

HW: 222
SW: 212
CW:171
GW#1: 160
GW#2:150
TDEE calculator says I should be 142-146. Not sure this is realistic.
I am an apple shape so all of my weight is in my middle. I am fairly small boned.

Here is where I am confused.....
According to one calculator my BMR is 1511. According to another it is 1485.

My Fitness Pal asks for Activity Level then asks for Fitness Goal.
Activity Level: not very active: 1360
lightly active: 1580
active: 1880
This gives me my calorie amount for the day. If I workout I will get more calories. Usually about 300-400.

Does activity level include workouts?
Do I put in lightly active which is closest to my BMR then eat the exercise calories on top of that?

The TDEE calculator says:
BMR: 1485
Maintenance: 2302
Weight loss: 1802

What do I do? How many calories should I eat to lose 1 pound per week? How many calories minimum on the days I don’t workout?

I cannot imagine being able to lose weight on 1802 calories per day. Even on the days I workout!

I think I have been brainwashed by the whole 1200 calorie thing. 🙄


Replies

  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    MFP gives you a number based on your daily activity, exercise is considered extra. So if for example you ate 1802 calories, but burned 300 through a workout you'd eat at least a portion of those calories back. Only you can really discern what your daily activity level is like, so pick whichever one seems to suit you. Ultimately all calculators are estimates but most people who use MFP have found that number to be pretty reliable. I'm currently losing on 2070cal a day.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate...it is the calories you burn merely existing and being alive.

    MFP isn't a TDEE calculator; MFP is a NEAT calculator (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). With a TDEE calculator you would include all of your activity and exercise in your activity level thus getting a higher calorie target to begin with.

    With a NEAT calculator like MFP, your activity level is your day to day activity per the descriptors...you will note that they make no mention of exercise...this is because with a NEAT method calculator, your calorie targets are derived from your general activity...exercise is accounted for after the fact when you log it and get additional calories to eat back and account for that additional activity.

    The two methods are 6 of 1, half dozen of the other if you are doing them right and comparing apples to apples rate of loss targets.

    Whether or not you could lose on 1800 calories per day would depend on how accurately you determined your activity level in the TDEE calculator. My wife is 5'3" and she's active in that she cycles 60 miles per week, lifts weights, and does a couple of 5Ks during the week. She loses weight pretty easily on about 1800 calories per day.

    Most women can in fact lose weight eating more than 1200 calories. 1200 calories is typically what a woman gets when she says she wants to lose 2 Lbs per week (aggressive) and is sedentary and short. People tend to pick sedentary whether they are or not which is stupid...and then on top of that they do a bunch of exercise and don't account for it. Even with a desk job I'm light to moderately active before any deliberate exercise.
  • alabamaheather
    alabamaheather Posts: 24 Member
    If I choose not very active/sedentary my base calories are 1360. That is lower than my BMR. Is this ok?
  • viajera99
    viajera99 Posts: 252 Member
    If your activity levels are pretty consistent from day to day, many people find it simpler and easier to go with a TDEE based calorie deficit. In your case, you could just eat 1800 kcal every day (which seems like a reasonable starting point) for several weeks and see what happens. We're all experiments of n=1. Just don't let yourself get sidetracked by normal daily scale fluctuations--you have to give it time to see the trend.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,629 Member
    alabamaheather wrote: »
    If I choose not very active/sedentary my base calories are 1360. That is lower than my BMR. Is this ok?

    You weigh 171. You probably shouldn't be losing more than 1.5 pounds a week, and 1 pound would be way more sensible, especially if your ultimate goal weight is 150-160.

    Is your goal at 2 pounds a week? If so, that's risky, IMO.

    Speaking only for myself, I wouldn't feel great about eating below BMR, especially when close to goal. I think it's a health risk. Also, it can be good to gradually reduce the deficit (increase calories) heading into goal, to accustom yourself to eating a bit more in stages.

    At 171, I would've lost like a house afire at 1360 plus exercise. I admit I'm a good li'l ol' calorie burner (5'5", weight low 130s, age 62). But it could be an aggressive goal even for you.

    Please stay strong and healthy while losing! :)
  • alabamaheather
    alabamaheather Posts: 24 Member
    I have MFP set for 1 pound per week. On WW my average over 6 months was 1.4 pounds. I have not lost more than .8 per week since early June. I gained .4 last week. I do not lose quickly at 45 years old. I am happy with my weight loss progress thus far.
    I have set my calories to my BMR and will eat exercise calories on the days I workout.

    I see all over the internet that for FAST weight loss eat 1200 per day. At less than that plus exercise I do not lose fast.
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    alabamaheather wrote: »
    I have MFP set for 1 pound per week. On WW my average over 6 months was 1.4 pounds. I have not lost more than .8 per week since early June. I gained .4 last week. I do not lose quickly at 45 years old. I am happy with my weight loss progress thus far.
    I have set my calories to my BMR and will eat exercise calories on the days I workout.

    I see all over the internet that for FAST weight loss eat 1200 per day. At less than that plus exercise I do not lose fast.

    1200 may very well result in fast loss for some. That doesn't necessarily make for good loss. If what one is doing isn't sustainable, they're not going to stick to it. If it doesn't teach one about things like proper portions, counting calories accurately, supporting the body properly through nutrition that person will just re-gain all the weight back (plus interest). The only people who wouldn't lose fast on 1200cal are usually short, sedentary and elderly. You say you're happy with how your loss is going so far which is great but as you get closer to goal weight you'll need to be super precise to lose. If you don't have a food scale, invest in one. They're fantastic.
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