So right now I have used the link and here are my results.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) 1566
Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) 2154
Daily calories based on goal in step 1723


I only exersice one a week (sometimes twice) for about an hour. Mostly cardio + 10 min of mashines.

Does this mean I must eat 1566 cal a day to keep loosing weight ????

This just makes no sence as MFP sets my calories at 1200!!!
I have been going at 1200 for about 2 month, lost 16lb but now been at same weight for over 3-4 weeks. I have 25 pounds to loose still.

Please help me!

When using the EM2WL method, you would be eating 1723 to lose weight. MFP allows you to set your things incorrectly. However you can also enter your info wrong into the calculators.

Ok- I read *most* of the original thread, and I completely understand the concept- but I do have a few questions. Sorry if these were covered... 20 pages is a LOT to read:)

First of all, my BMR is 1778. TDEE is 2445, and my cut is 2079. These calculations are from the scoobyworkshop site. For those wondering, I am 5'5'', weigh 220 (down 15 lbs in about 2 months, 10 from using this site's recommended calorie intake of 1430). I have my activity level set on lightly active, which brings me to my first question.

I work in a drug store. I'm either on the front register, where I am usually stuck in a little area with limited movement, or in photo, where I can and do walk the entire store multiple times, run to the stock room to check items for customers, stock, may do heavy lifting, etc. I'm sometimes in cosmetics, as well, and that activity level in somewhere between register and photo. My shifts are usually 9 hours, but do vary from 8-10. I work 4-5 days a week. My workouts are usually 1-2 days a week at a gym, but I'm trying to go more, and work out longer. I try to do at least 10 minutes of the free step on the WiiFit on nonworkout days.

Should I keep my activity level at lightly active, or set it to moderate?

Second question- should I up my intake starting tomorrow to 2079, or just add calories slowly back? I'm scared of gaining weight back, as this is what I've done- lose weight, then gain some back- but I want to shed this weight in a way I can keep up forever.

My next question: How does it work to lose weight, if I'm upping my calories? I mean, I understand that low calories such as 1200 is pretty much starvation, bare minimum, your body hangs on to everything it gets. But if I'm losing weight at 1430, why should I up? I fully plan on giving this a try, so I'm not needing to be convinced, I just don't understand how it works. Is a 15% cut enough? (Again, sorry if this has been addressed already!)

And third, how does the protein/card/fat come into play? I mean, if I make healthy choices but don't necessarily fall into the 40-30-30 realm, will this still work? Is this the minimum you should strive to meet each day?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Ok- I read *most* of the original thread, and I completely understand the concept- but I do have a few questions. Sorry if these were covered... 20 pages is a LOT to read:)

First of all, my BMR is 1778. TDEE is 2445, and my cut is 2079. These calculations are from the scoobyworkshop site. For those wondering, I am 5'5'', weigh 220 (down 15 lbs in about 2 months, 10 from using this site's recommended calorie intake of 1430). I have my activity level set on lightly active, which brings me to my first question.

I work in a drug store. I'm either on the front register, where I am usually stuck in a little area with limited movement, or in photo, where I can and do walk the entire store multiple times, run to the stock room to check items for customers, stock, may do heavy lifting, etc. I'm sometimes in cosmetics, as well, and that activity level in somewhere between register and photo. My shifts are usually 9 hours, but do vary from 8-10. I work 4-5 days a week. My workouts are usually 1-2 days a week at a gym, but I'm trying to go more, and work out longer. I try to do at least 10 minutes of the free step on the WiiFit on nonworkout days.

Should I keep my activity level at lightly active, or set it to moderate?

Second question- should I up my intake starting tomorrow to 2079, or just add calories slowly back? I'm scared of gaining weight back, as this is what I've done- lose weight, then gain some back- but I want to shed this weight in a way I can keep up forever.

My next question: How does it work to lose weight, if I'm upping my calories? I mean, I understand that low calories such as 1200 is pretty much starvation, bare minimum, your body hangs on to everything it gets. But if I'm losing weight at 1430, why should I up? I fully plan on giving this a try, so I'm not needing to be convinced, I just don't understand how it works. Is a 15% cut enough? (Again, sorry if this has been addressed already!)

And third, how does the protein/card/fat come into play? I mean, if I make healthy choices but don't necessarily fall into the 40-30-30 realm, will this still work? Is this the minimum you should strive to meet each day?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Hey there,

The video on tdee and BMR part 1 and 2 will help answer many of your questions. Issue with low cals is that you can't do it forever and though you are losing now the body resets the metabolism lower because you are eating under BMR. Eventually the loss stops and you think you have to cut more...the body tries to conserve, you will binge, the body holds all and stores as fat and a vicious cycle begins. By jumping in with a small deficit, and being consistent the body will trust and let go of the fat. See if you can do some heavy lifting on your gym days to tone and hold on to muscle. The ratios are recommended based on macro intake to provide energy and build/repair muscle. our bodies need all of the macros but balanced...too much or little of anything isn't good.

Hope this helps. Check out the videos, for me hearing things help more than reading at times.:flowerforyou:
Lucia

That does help-- Thanks you for answering:) I'll check out the videos, as well. One more question! Do I need to log all exercise, or just what goes over 667 (the amount between cut and BMR)? It would seem that if I logged all exercise, then that would make my net lower and I would eat more. But I seriously doubt (at this point, anyway) that I would burn more than 667 calories at the gym, so I'm thinking I should just not log it.

Hi quick question - my tdee.incl deficit is 1785 and my bmr is 1465 - I work out cardio 3-5 times a week and strength train too do I still need.to log my exercise and make sure I don't go under bmr or should I just follow my.tdee cut on everyday ?

I would follow your TDEE cut everyday. But you do need to be aware that if you burn more than 320 calories, that will put you below your BMR at which point you need to eat back the extra calories.

So I think I may be messing this thing up. I set my daily goal to my BMR and then I log in my exercise and try to aim for netting my BMR. Should I change this to my TDEE -15% or -20% and then adjust for my exercise when I go above a certain amount? I have been eating at least my BMR for 6 weeks and have not lost or gained anything. My Personal trainer is pressuring me to just eat my BMR and not eat back my exercise calories. Any advice would be so appreciated.

Here are my stats (per Scooby)
BMR:1479
TDEE (Moderate): 2293
TDEE -15%: 1949
TDEE -20%: 1834
Height: 65 inches
Weight: 165
BF%:28.5 (per site, not sure if accurate but it's the avg. of 7 diff. calculators)
Exercise:
M-W-Fri: Personal Trainer, New Rules of Lifting for Women (Approx. 6-800 cals per day)
Tue-Thur-Sat: Insanity DVD, Physical Therapy, Jogging or Hiking (Saturdays): (Approx: 7-800 on Tues. Thurs. & on Sat. 500-1500)
When I am not exercising I am just doing chores aroung the house and taking care of my 4 kids. (no heavy labor stuff)

I looked at your diary, Angelina. We're not too different. I am just so used to eating only 1300-1400 calories a day, that 1750 or so seems a lot. How much do you exercise? I try to stay in the "very active" category, but weeks like this, when I have to take care of my Mom, I get much less. Just so frustrated!

I've used the 3-5 hours moderate level in the Scooby website and a 15% cut. Is that the site you got your numbers from? http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

I do a mix of elliptical, stationery bike, walking and 30 Day Shred. I have a day or 2 off each week.

I did struggle at first to eat the calories. One of my MFP friends commented that she couldn't last from breakfast until lunch without a snack after looking at my diary. I was finding that it was a chore to eat all the calories at night purely because I hadn't eaten enough in the day. It took a week or two but with the increase in calories and the snacks, my body has become used to it and I NEED to feed it :laugh:

I wonder if it would be an idea to drop down in the activity category AND the amount of exercise so that it covers the times you care for your mum and you can eat at a consistent number?

That's a really good idea. I know I won't get as much exercise while caring for mom, so we'll see how it works. I'm doing better at the eating thing. Still, 1750 calories makes me feel "naughty!"

I started my weightloss journey (this time and it WILL BE the final time 'cause I'm going to keep it off) in late February. Over the past few days what I've been reading is leading me to believe I've been doing it all wrong. I figured dropping myself to 1200 cals or thereabout was the thing to do: creating the biggest deficit = biggest weight loss. Apparently that was wrong and now I'm worried I'm in trouble. I've been eating under my BMR...eating less than your body needs to perform basic functions sounds scary. (my next read is the metabolism reset thread.) I've been doing the Curves circuit and although at first I felt like I was getting stronger and noticing I could do more reps, lately it's all I can do to get up the stairs to DO the workout...which makes sense if I haven't been properly fueling my body.

Using the scooby website (and a few others) I've calculated my BMR to be 1799 TDEE 2158 and TDEE-15% 1835. So now I'm confused what to do with those numbers. I shoot for the TDEE-15% net or before exercise? I guess now I'll try to eat around 1800 but 1) this seems like a lot of food and 2) I'm worried I'll gain. Sorry if I've repeated anything already covered but I've read so much today my head is spinning in circles.

:flowerforyou: My TDEE - 15% is 1881 calories........My BMR is 1428 calories.

Today I'm sitting at a litle over 1500 which is above my BMR but under my TDEE. I havent worked out today at all and quite frankly I've been sitting around all day except for going to the grocery store ealier.

I am under my calories by about 300 but over in sugar grams and will be over in fat grams soon and it's 8pm and I have to eat my "treat" that I previously tracked.

My question is: Should I eat the extra 300 calories tonight to get to the 1881 and go over in sugar and fat grams or should I just call it a night and end at the 1500 which is under my TDEE but still above my BMR?

Thanks again friends!!! :happy:

Its up to you . I generally try and hit my calorie goal regardless of what I do/where my macros are. But as long as you are not netting below your BMR for one day, its not gonna be an issue.

If its just one day, maybe go for the treat

Quick question (I Know my numbers) as far as MFP is concerned.
For Calorie Goals I use TDEE -15%. I make sure I eat that in the Food Category everyday.
If I log exercise, Ignore NET Except if it is below BMR (then eat to meet the BMR)?

i have had my calories set to 1200 for a while lost 4lbs and recently stalled. accoding to http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ my bmr is 1262. not sure if i fit into the moderate or lightly active catagory. i run about 5 days a week for 30-40 minutes and do some light weights as well. i also chase my 2 year old around a lot all day. im 5'3", 26 years old and currently 121.5lbs. also when doing this do you eat your exercise calories back? and why a 15% decrease, would it matter if i did 20% instead? thank you!

Definitely in the moderate category!

Another quick question - lol - I had cut my tdee by 20% - should it be 15% - also not sure if have made a boo boo this week but had set cals to tdee for 3-5 hours of working out but this week have the kids at home and the gym has been closed due to the bank holidays so I hvemt been able to workout as normal - should I now drop my cals down to just bmr as not going to be able to workout this week ????