**READ THIS** Figuring out your calorie goals

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  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    This number is static and I only recommend eating back so your NET is at least 200 above BMR.



    This is not only very interesting but also slightly depressing - my body fat % is more than half of my weight!! Ugh. Okay, I'm working to change that. My question has to do with the sentence I quoted above. According to my BMR I should eat 1624 calories or with the KMF BMR I should have 1352 calories. But! (Isn't there always a but?), I'm counting myself as moderately active, so that bumps my calories back up to 2179. And then I read that I should eat back to at least 200 above BMR.

    So which BMR do I choose from?? I'm thinking the higher of the three numbers (which gives me 2379 calories/day) but want someone else to say that I've got this figured out correctly.

    It means 200 more than BMR not TDEE your BMR is the 1352.
  • Seahawk27
    Seahawk27 Posts: 72
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    Saving for home!
  • _kimberly
    _kimberly Posts: 57 Member
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    great info, thanks!
  • microburst20
    microburst20 Posts: 130
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    bump for later
  • cressievargo
    cressievargo Posts: 392 Member
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    Bumping because I have been using this method and it WORKS.

    I'd also like to add this - since upping my calories using this formula - I have MORE ENERGY & have been working out more and not feeling like I'm going to die halfway through the exercises!

    I also am in a better mood, have better umm, well, TOM (I know, way TMI, but many ppl don't realize how many different ways too low of a calorie intake can effect your body), I am not getting as many headaches, my skin looks better.
  • sweetmspea
    sweetmspea Posts: 87
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    I printed this out so that look it over and really understand it. I want to make sure I am doing the right thing. Thanks for the info.
  • cassietn
    cassietn Posts: 48
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    bump
  • portlandsundevil
    portlandsundevil Posts: 213 Member
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    Bump. Thanks for the info.
  • StarletteS
    StarletteS Posts: 28 Member
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    bump
  • PrncessBre
    PrncessBre Posts: 444 Member
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    Bump!
  • LiteBrite007
    LiteBrite007 Posts: 294 Member
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    :heart:
  • jeniferdawn6
    jeniferdawn6 Posts: 18 Member
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    bump
  • tandroes
    tandroes Posts: 163 Member
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    bump
  • ldominguez1986
    ldominguez1986 Posts: 16 Member
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    Ok, I get confused by all this stuff. I have been using MFP for three weeks now and so far so good. I have been using their math for losing weight. According to MFP I should eat 2010 calaries a day to loose 2lbs a week. I check my BMR and it says 2703 calories. I guess my question is where did MFP get its math from and is it right for most?

    SW:321
    CW:309
    GW:230 or less

    height:5'10"
  • hazymary
    hazymary Posts: 190 Member
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    bump
  • aggiesrar05
    aggiesrar05 Posts: 335 Member
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    This has always confused me. My BMR is 1552 so I should have this as my daily goal and work out to decrease this? So if I went for a bike ride somedays I would knock 800 off that easy. Do I have to eat the extra 800 cals...else I am going to get ill from eating way over my norm..x

    Yes eat them, as you should not net below BMR. doing what you suggest would be like eating 752 (1552-800) and not exercising, which is missing the point of eating at least BMR.

    If you regularly burn 800 cals say 5 days/week your average daily TDEE would be 1552*1.2 + 571 (800*5/7) = 2433. the calc is a little different but I am showing how regular acivity *1.2 and exercise would fit in.

    So do lose weight you should eat between 10 and 20% below TDEE which would be 1946 (2433*.8) to 2190, but would not eat back exercise cals. So if you eat 1950 and burn 800, you would net below your BMR that day, but the average for the week you would be at your above BMR as on days you don't workout you would be eating above BMR by 400 to 540 but on workout days eating under BMR by . 250-400 cals.

    Essentially your TDEE includes exercise cals and if you are active the multiplier would be 1.55 on your BMR to give you 2405, close to the 2433 I calculated above using sedentary and exercise cals.

    @erickirb - I get the math and how you are calculating it. What is tripping me up is my exercise is very varied and I'm not sure how I would account for it. As of now I go to CrossFit twice a week and am training for a sprint tri with longer bike rides on the weekend. Any advice would be helpful!

    From my calculations:
    KM BMR - 1530
    TDEE Sedentary - (1530*1.2)=1836
    TDEE Active - (1530*1.55)=2372

    Here is where I get confused, I am very active but varies throughout the week from a light swim (200cal or so) to 3hrs on a bike (1200+calories). Would it be better for me to use the Sedentary TDEE to make my NET calorie goal the make sure I eat enough to compensate for the activity?

    I think the whole eating back the calories is completely counter-intuitive and it has been tripping me up as to how I should set my NET calorie goal without eating below my BMR.

    Thanks in advance for the help.
  • Abri2018
    Abri2018 Posts: 7
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    Ive been reading through this and I'm quite confused.. I understand the mechanisms, but.. If were eating back the calories that we work off because we have a certain calorie count our body needs.. how are we losing weight? Is it basically saying if our BMR says to eat 1200, and we excercise 800, eat it back, get back to 1200.. we're going to lose weight?
  • gogojodee
    gogojodee Posts: 1,261 Member
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    BUMP!
  • vaderandbill
    vaderandbill Posts: 1,063 Member
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    bump
  • lucymarie19
    lucymarie19 Posts: 25
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    Im fully baffled :( I've read through and it sounds great but I'm a little unsure on the calculations could someone help me out?
    Im 143 pounds, 66 inches, 14 neck, 27 waist, 33 hip, f and 19, with those measurements the Military Fat says my body fat is 15.2% this can't be right :S it says i have 21.8 pounds of fat on my body. My BMR is coming up as 1498 if I want to weigh 133 pounds, or 1558 Katch-McArdle. I burn around 450 calories on average about 4-5 times a week. What should I be eating to lose weight? :(

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