Over BMR under TDEE???

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  • sarahgilmore
    sarahgilmore Posts: 572 Member
    Forgive me, Im new to this whole thing. Im a weight watchers member who decided to try MFP as another way of tracking. My weight loss has been slow even though my activity level increased substantially, which has made me believe I am not eating enough calories, and which many people I have read through the forums have also done...

    This thread is making my head spin a little:)

    I see my BMR = 1890 and MFP has me in at 1290 cals or 1540 cals depending on if I want to lose 1.5 pounds or 2 pounds a week.
    I have no idea how to calculate up my TDEE, but from what Im reading here, this number should be higher than my BMR, correct?

    So even based on this, should I be eating more than the 1560 MFP is telling me I should be eating? Should I be eating more than the BMR number of 1890??
    My average week contains 3 - 30 min runs(8min/km speed) (C25K program just completed) One hour Step Class, One hour Body Pump class, so 5 days a week activity.

    Female
    33
    weight 237
    height 5.7

    I plugged in my last four days into my tracker here, and each day tracked, Im in the "green" depending on if I am going for 1540 cals.. or Im in the "red", barely if I go for the 1290 cals.

    Weight loss has been on the slow side for sure. I had thought once I started the C25K program 8 weeks ago that the weight would start melting off of me, but it isnt going that way.. making me believe that I am starving myself
    Any advice or help would be much appreciated

    I briefly used WW - their points allowance was the equivalent of about 1050 calories.
    Even their old system was only 1260 - and that was before any 'wasted' saturated fat points were used! (e.g. equivalent calories of whole milk was more points than skim)

    I need about double what they were giving me, and that's even before any exercise!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Thank you for your responses. If my BMR was over 1700 calories, why would MFP set me at 1250? My activity level on MFP is sedentary. I'm terrified that if I eat 1700 calories I will gain all the weight back I lost at 1250.

    Because you selected an activity level that took your BMR times a multiplier and came up with "maintenance calories".

    You then selected a weight loss weekly goal that is subtracted from that.

    You made it 1250, MFP just did the math.

    Of course, MFP didn't help much by not explaining that, or by perhaps safeguarding your BMR.

    They are hoping you'll have several weeks of diminishing returns to at least feel encouraged to keep using the site.

    You are correct though.

    Set weight loss goal so it comes in above your BMR.
    Then eat back your accurately estimated exercise calories.

    Your true deficit is between your daily goal slightly above BMR, and whatever your true maintenance calories are. The estimated may be way off.
    And you can increase daily activity, park farther out, take stairs, walk at lunch, ect. All those things that get energy mainly from fat and don't need to be fed.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I see my BMR = 1890 and MFP has me in at 1290 cals or 1540 cals depending on if I want to lose 1.5 pounds or 2 pounds a week.
    I have no idea how to calculate up my TDEE, but from what Im reading here, this number should be higher than my BMR, correct?

    So even based on this, should I be eating more than the 1560 MFP is telling me I should be eating? Should I be eating more than the BMR number of 1890??
    My average week contains 3 - 30 min runs(8min/km speed) (C25K program just completed) One hour Step Class, One hour Body Pump class, so 5 days a week activity.

    Female
    33
    weight 237
    height 5.7

    I plugged in my last four days into my tracker here, and each day tracked, Im in the "green" depending on if I am going for 1540 cals.. or Im in the "red", barely if I go for the 1290 cals.

    Yes, you should be netting, not just eating, but netting slightly above your current BMR of 1890, to prevent it from slowing down, and causing your weight loss to stall.

    And another bad effect, with all that exercise, you'll start to burn muscle if you are not eating back your exercise calories that are accurately estimated.

    Your TDEE by definition is greater than your BMR.
    BMR is basal metabolism if sleeping all day - energy spent dealing will all cells in your body. Must come in to body.
    TDEE is total energy spent all day on all activities, plus that BMR stuff.

    The deficit for weight loss should be from fat stores, and therefore from non-exercise daily activity which pulls mainly from that.

    Exercise does not, and should be fed so you can get stronger. Hence the reason to eat that back.

    If you don't know accurate exercise calories, or don't like the idea of eating different amounts each day, and want to fully energize that workout, might try easier method:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method

    If you are fine with eating back exercise calories, set your weight loss goal to 1/2 lb a week, that will make your daily goal above your BMR.
    And then eat back exercise calories.
    Your true deficit and weekly weight loss will be determined by your true amount of non-exercise daily activity.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Take your TDEE and subtract a percentage of it (say 25%) for moderate weight loss and net that number each day.

    You should never eat below your BMR for any extended period of time. A day here or a couple of days there is fine, but you don't want to sustain a net cal intake that is less than your BMR.

    I agree with this. Though when I did it? I simply took 250- 350 calories off my TDEE each day.

    My BMR is 1338. My TDEE is 2449. I know that I can easily lose weight by having 2100-2200 NET calories a day. Which works out to roughly 250-350 calorie deficit each day.
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
    Just we're all talking about the same thing...
    originally posted by joejvvca71 in this thread:
    www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/510406-tdee-is-everything

    1. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).

    2. NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working). ie: INCIDENTAL EXERCISE! It is something that everyone has a good amount of control over & it is the MOST important factor in your energy expenditure. It is what helps keep 'constitutionally lean' people LEAN (they fidget)!

    3. EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise. Unless someone is doing a whole heap of exercise (eg: two or more hrs training a day) it usually doesn't add a stack of calories to your requirements (30 minutes of 'elliptical training isn't going to do it')

    4. TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. REGARDLESS of what myths you have been told - this is NOT dependent on MEAL FREQUENCY. It is a % of TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED (and 15% of 3 x 600 cal meals is the same as 15% of 6 x 300 cal meals). It varies according to MACRONUTRIENT content and FIBER content. For most mixed diets, it is something around 15%. Protein is higher (up to 25%), carbs are variable (between 5-25%), and fats are low (usually less than 5%). So -> More protein and more carbs and more fiber = HIGHER TEF. More FAT = LOWER TEF.

    5. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture): Total calories burned. BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF = TDEE

    with that said, do you still mean BMR?

    I believe so. I used a couple online BMR calculators and got the same answer. I keep reading everywhere that I shouldn't eat below my BMR, but I've been eating at 1250 for almost 3 months. I'm worried if I bump up almost 500 calories, I will reverse my weight loss.

    Don't worry, just slowly increase your calories. Maybe about 150-200 per week until you reach the 1700 or so (your est. BMR)... then eat there for a couple of weeks and see how the weight loss is going and you can re-evaluate at that time. You should absolutely be eating more than you are right now. Good luck!
  • Raynn1
    Raynn1 Posts: 1,164 Member
    I see my BMR = 1890 and MFP has me in at 1290 cals or 1540 cals depending on if I want to lose 1.5 pounds or 2 pounds a week.
    I have no idea how to calculate up my TDEE, but from what Im reading here, this number should be higher than my BMR, correct?

    So even based on this, should I be eating more than the 1560 MFP is telling me I should be eating? Should I be eating more than the BMR number of 1890??
    My average week contains 3 - 30 min runs(8min/km speed) (C25K program just completed) One hour Step Class, One hour Body Pump class, so 5 days a week activity.

    Female
    33
    weight 237
    height 5.7

    I plugged in my last four days into my tracker here, and each day tracked, Im in the "green" depending on if I am going for 1540 cals.. or Im in the "red", barely if I go for the 1290 cals.

    Yes, you should be netting, not just eating, but netting slightly above your current BMR of 1890, to prevent it from slowing down, and causing your weight loss to stall.

    And another bad effect, with all that exercise, you'll start to burn muscle if you are not eating back your exercise calories that are accurately estimated.

    Your TDEE by definition is greater than your BMR.
    BMR is basal metabolism if sleeping all day - energy spent dealing will all cells in your body. Must come in to body.
    TDEE is total energy spent all day on all activities, plus that BMR stuff.

    The deficit for weight loss should be from fat stores, and therefore from non-exercise daily activity which pulls mainly from that.

    Exercise does not, and should be fed so you can get stronger. Hence the reason to eat that back.

    If you don't know accurate exercise calories, or don't like the idea of eating different amounts each day, and want to fully energize that workout, might try easier method:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method

    If you are fine with eating back exercise calories, set your weight loss goal to 1/2 lb a week, that will make your daily goal above your BMR.
    And then eat back exercise calories.
    Your true deficit and weekly weight loss will be determined by your true amount of non-exercise daily activity.

    Scary... just seems like a LOT of food to eat..But I guess I have to try it in order to see the losses... Im definitely not getting anywhere with what I am eating now... I will take a look at the other board too and see what that method is like..
    Thanks for this.
  • Raynn1
    Raynn1 Posts: 1,164 Member


    I briefly used WW - their points allowance was the equivalent of about 1050 calories.
    Even their old system was only 1260 - and that was before any 'wasted' saturated fat points were used! (e.g. equivalent calories of whole milk was more points than skim)

    I need about double what they were giving me, and that's even before any exercise!

    Weird. I just did my last few days tracker into MFP and my average day was about 1400 cals.. Even prior to the new points plus program, I lost 100 pounds on WW following it correctly. Mind you, I am a lot heavier, so I get more points to eat.
    MFP is definitely a different way for me to think about my food intake..
  • tracimichelle213
    tracimichelle213 Posts: 26 Member
    bump
  • ImRadical4Jesus
    ImRadical4Jesus Posts: 144 Member
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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Scary... just seems like a LOT of food to eat..But I guess I have to try it in order to see the losses... Im definitely not getting anywhere with what I am eating now... I will take a look at the other board too and see what that method is like..
    Thanks for this.

    It does seem like a lot when you are now into looking at calories and what food has in it.

    But can you accurately compare to what you were eating before making a change to lose weight? Do you know how many calories maintained your weight before?

    That would be the comparison.
  • dmarie1980
    dmarie1980 Posts: 8
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  • vaneguz87
    vaneguz87 Posts: 74 Member
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