TDEE - What is it and why you should not eat below your BMR
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Hi!
I'm new but looking into following this process. Is it recommended even for people who have not been on 'starvation' calories in the past? I have been attempting diets everyday but failing miserably so looking for something more sustainable in the long-term - thinking this could be it?
I've done my maths and it suggests eating 1900 calories a day (WOW!). I exercise 4-5 times a week burning 420 calories a session (HRM - resting cal burn) so even on exercise days I will be NET'ing at higher than my BMR - 1445.
I go on holiday in a week - is it stupid starting this now, should I stick to lower calories and attack this when I'm back? Don't want to screw it up - as I'm away for 10 days and will not be counting calories etc and may be way over and mess it all up?
Thanks!
I started this process as someone who has pretty much never been on a low-calorie diet. I was eating at or slightly above BMR my first week or so on MFP, but not in such a way that I conditioned my body to expect that. So, yes, it works for folks like us, too,
with the added benefit that we don't usually have to do the reset.
I would say do NOT stick with lower calories now--if you're going to probably be over on holiday, and you're going to be eating (higher?) at 1900 when you get back, going with something low now will actually mess up the process more by reducing consistency further. I would say take this week to practice eating 1900 and see what it feels like.0 -
Need all advise I can get also.:)0
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Ok so I just went on Scooby and here is what it says:
BMR - 1572
TDEE - 2437
TDEE - 15% - 2071
I am also using the Fitbit ultra to help track my calorie burn. Do these numbers mean that I am supposed to eat 2071 calories per day? I have been using what MFP says which is 1500 and I have lost 10 lbs so far, but I haven't lost any for the past couple of weeks so I am wanting to give this a try. I walk or do cardio 4 to 5 times a week, but I haven't started any weight lifting. I have a desk job, but I chose moderate activity, is that right? I'm just a little confused by all of this and I am afraid of eating too much and gaining the weight back.
I also think I am going to have a hard time eating that many calories a day, does it matter what you eat or should it all be clean eating?
Thanks for any help!!
Your numbers look right to me, and yes, 2071 calories is what you eat unless you burn so much through exercise on a given day that it would take you below 1572.
Some people find it easier to get to their calorie level by upping calories gradually (say adding 100 a week until you get to 2071). While you're not required to eat clean 100% of the time, it's better for everyone to fuel their bodies with good nutrition as much as possible. Remember that fats are not bad for you, and you need to get a good amount of protein to help sustain muscle while you lose (even more important if you begin weight training).0 -
Thanks so much for clarify that!!!0
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I tried eating at BMR net (i.e. 1600 calories - exercise - netting BMR (which is 1374). I lost nothing. So I tried eating 1400 calories, some days less, some days more - still exercising and lost 1 lb. 1600 calories is too much for me. Even with exercise.0
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Is no one doing this anymore? Why no further posts??0
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There are several of us doing this - but most people post below in the other threads and not on the pinned ones. I would also encourage you to check out the website forums for further info and encouragement! http://forums.eatmore2weighless.com/index.php
A lot of people are on holiday so it's quiet, but it does pick up.0 -
I am a new member, and I have a few questions:
1) Calculating a true TDEE based on your activity level. Should I be choosing my activity level based on HOURS of exercise or DAYS of exercise? On the Scooby calculator I choose light activity because it bases your activity level on HOURS. I do workout 3-4x per week but at only 30 minutes each time. I've noticed on here that you guys say choose moderate if you workout 3-5 DAYS per week. At first I had a hard time eating at cut value around 2100 calories, now I have no problem :-) but sometimes I find myself hungry.
2). Can I eat back my exercise calories IF THE BURN DOESNT PUT ME BELOW BMR? Cut is 2100 and BMR is 1700. I do 30 min of weights and burn about 150 cals. Can I eat those back? Lord please say yes.0 -
1) Don't forget to also include any activity outside of exercise - do you walk a dog, have children, run errands, etc? That can bump you up a level. What I've done in the past is try eating at the calories between the two levels that I might be in and that has worked well.
2) The TDEE includes your exercise calories so you don't eat them back. How big a cut are you doing? 15% is the max you should really do. If you are still hungry and doing 15%, perhaps for now go to a 10% cut or see if your TDEE is correct. (I'm doing a 10% cut)0 -
If you do exercise more than your normal TDEE would account for (let's say you normally do a 30 minute weight lifting session and choose to also go for a 30 minute run that day), you can eat back 1/2 of those calories if you so choose. But honestly, I don't as I'm not doing that extra exercise regularly.0
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I am a new member, and I have a few questions:
1) Calculating a true TDEE based on your activity level. Should I be choosing my activity level based on HOURS of exercise or DAYS of exercise? On the Scooby calculator I choose light activity because it bases your activity level on HOURS. I do workout 3-4x per week but at only 30 minutes each time. I've noticed on here that you guys say choose moderate if you workout 3-5 DAYS per week. At first I had a hard time eating at cut value around 2100 calories, now I have no problem :-) but sometimes I find myself hungry.
2). Can I eat back my exercise calories IF THE BURN DOESNT PUT ME BELOW BMR? Cut is 2100 and BMR is 1700. I do 30 min of weights and burn about 150 cals. Can I eat those back? Lord please say yes.
If you watch the EM2WL YouTube videos they explain it very well!0 -
I am a new member, and I have a few questions:
1) Calculating a true TDEE based on your activity level. Should I be choosing my activity level based on HOURS of exercise or DAYS of exercise? On the Scooby calculator I choose light activity because it bases your activity level on HOURS. I do workout 3-4x per week but at only 30 minutes each time. I've noticed on here that you guys say choose moderate if you workout 3-5 DAYS per week. At first I had a hard time eating at cut value around 2100 calories, now I have no problem :-) but sometimes I find myself hungry.
2). Can I eat back my exercise calories IF THE BURN DOESNT PUT ME BELOW BMR? Cut is 2100 and BMR is 1700. I do 30 min of weights and burn about 150 cals. Can I eat those back? Lord please say yes.
1 - As you can hopefully imagine - picky from 5 rough levels is hardly going to give you a "true" TDEE, it is a rough estimate.
Is 4 days of walking for 30 min each the same as 4 days of running for 90 min each?
And that is ONLY talking about exercise increasing your daily activity, there is nothing there about daily activity outside exercise being more than a bump on a log. If you are not truly sedentary outside exercise, than lightly active daily life plus lightly active exercise level is Moderately Active combo.
Hunger can be sign body is trying to make improvements and speeding up. Then again body also sends out hunger pangs when it wants to get the fat level back to where it was.
So be careful.
2 - Only if you want to gain weight. Slowly, but still gain.
Your average TDEE is based on weekly exercise and averaged to a daily level. Those exercise calories are already accounted for in your avg TDEE.
You eat them back too, and every workout day you'll likely be eating over maintenance.
Which will be great for the workout performance/recovery, terrible for fat loss.0 -
Thanks for all the feedback. It has helped.
This is all new for me. I lost about 50lbs on WW, but have plateaued for the last 5 months, losing and gaining the same 5lbs. I'm giving this a try, hoping it works. I have gained weight since the start which is VERY SCARY, but I'm willing to give this a try for the next 4-6 weeks.
Don't eat back the exercise calories unless I go beyond BMR; got it. I guess the reintroduction of food may have me going "ham." I have also invested in a fit it which will hopefully provide more accuracy regarding BMR and TDEE.
Thanks again.0 -
It will for TDEE, but it's starting with the exact same BMR formula almost as MFP does.
Also, that is the calorie burn given to all non-moving time - so it actually underestimates your daily burn.
Also, increase calories slowly, because whatever level you were eating at - that is actually your TDEE right now. Your suppressed lower than potential TDEE.
The TDEE chart is a rough estimate of your potential TDEE, but that isn't it right now - or you'd be losing weight with the level you eat at.
So if you start eating 700 over what you ate and maintained at, and your body doesn't speed up fast enough, guess what, about 1 lb of fat a week will be added, tapering off slowly.
So only increase 100 more daily for a week at a time.
Then another 100.0 -
Too late. I jumped in with both feet, but keep in mind I had NO IDEA how many calories I was consuming because WW is point based. I estimate it was around 1750-1900. Oh well. Fingers crossed. Thanks for the feedback; it's appreciated.0
