question re bmr tdee

NET 1899.

So, if you do not work out, eat 1899. (that is 500 less than your TDEE per day, so appx 1 lb loss per week).

If you work out and burn 300 cals, eat 1899 + 300 = 2199. (MFP will calculate this for you, if you go to GOALS, CHANGE GOALS, and CUSTOMIZE. Just enter 1899 as your daily calories, and save. Then make sure to enter in your calories burned every day, and MFP will tell you how many calories you have left to eat.

You eat the workout calories bc you need to fuel your body to keep the metabolism up. The 500 deficit is still there.

Do not believe people who tell you not to eat work out calories. They either don't understand the concept, or else they have A LOT of weight to lose.

BTW, we're really close. My BMR is 1317, and TDEE is 2271. I usually eat around 2000 net cals per day.

blessings.

Please don't weigh yourself too frequently, especially at first. If you have been undereating, you are likely to gain a bit at first, but you must commit and go for a minimum of 4 weeks so you can provide consistency -- your metabolism needs to know you're going to feed it.

If you can stand it, wait 4 weeks to weigh. Also take your measurements now and in 4 weeks. You'll be pleased.

BTW, Here's an old post of mine from similar topic, and it talks about GAINING weight from eating too few calories:

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.

wow, great and concise perspective. I am going to try this starting tomorrow.
and you are ever so right about the scale. I will forever be baffled and why we give it so much control in this game.

ha ha, true. scales are so damn fickle, cold and hard. get yourself a nice soft measuring tape to hug you instead

I have never heard of TDEE (I actually had to google it) until today. Where is the best place to calculate all of these numbers, is there one source? I am hoping this clicks for me like it does for you! Good luck!

I have never heard of TDEE (I actually had to google it) until today. Where is the best place to calculate all of these numbers, is there one source? I am hoping this clicks for me like it does for you! Good luck!

Here's a good place for a custom calculation. This takes into account the exercise that you regularly do:

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/

1. Choose ALL CALCULATORS
2. Choose MILITARY BODY FAT CALCULATOR, get your BF% and go on to next
3. Choose BMR CALCULATOR. Read all the stuff.
4. Find your activity level and that number will be APPROXIMATELY your TDEE.

I send you there first because it EXPLAINS things. It's important to understand what you're doing.

Then, if you'd like to compare with a quick and dirty calculator, you can go here:

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

You will likely have the most success eating somewhere between your BMR and TDEE.

If you choose to eat very close to your TDEE, your exercise is already included, so you would not eat additional exercise calories, HOWEVER, MFP is set up closer to BMR so you WOULD need to eat the exercise calories.

PM me if you have questions.

blessings.