Calling all BMR and TDEE experts.. (2024)

StartingAnewDay Posts: 319 Member

April 2012

bump...

as many of these threads as I see daily, I KNOW someone HAS to know something..

Justacoffeenut Posts: 3,808 Member

April 2012

chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member

April 2012

Whew. All those numbers have my brain reeling. LOL. My brain hates numbers - especially on Saturdays.

I can usually follow these types of posts, but wow.. I'm on overload right now.

My BMR is 1338 and my TDEE is 2449. I know from experience that I can easily lose weight by consuming 2100-2200 or so net calories a day, so that would be roughly a 250-350 deficit off my TDEE. If I were to lose again, I wouldn't have a lot to lose 10-20lbs MAYBE, so I'd want a smaller deficit.

theoriginaljayne Posts: 562 Member

April 2012

Glitter969 Posts: 77 Member

April 2012

heybales Posts: 18,842 Member

April 2012

I have gone to MANY sites and used many different numbers and I keep getting different results! Using this on the body building website. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981

I get that my BMR=4816!!

3/Katch-McArdle:Considered the most accurate formula for those who are relatively lean. Use ONLY if you have a good estimate of your bodyfat %.

BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM) Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

((((Now.. when I do this, I get 131 for my LBM, first off, I'm not sure if thats pounds, if so, its a completely different number than I get from fitness frog using my known BF% which is 47.5..(had BF test done and it matches my scale which measures my BF) according to FF, my LBM in Lbs. is 152 and Kg is 69... My BF in Lbs. is 138 and 63 in Kg))))

My issue is, for over 3 years now as per a nutritionist!! I have been on 1500 to 1800 calorie eating plans.. If these numbers are correct, the nutritionists are wrong and my metabolism has been severly depressed for a long time OR these numbers are wrong.. I have through spending time on the site been slowly increasing my intake. I'm up to 2000 cals. right now but I have no clue where to go from here....

can anyone shed some light on this for me??

If you think your BMR is 4816, you are misreading, or miscalculating. For one thing, it clearly says kg, and you entered in lbs.

MFP uses the Mifflin BMR calc. Most sites like fat2fit.com use the Harris calc, they also use the Katch calc for BMR.

MFP uses a different daily maintenance range of activity selector - because they do NOT include exercise - it is NOT TDEE estimates.

Fat2fit.com gives TDEE at goal weight, as paragraphs clearly explain.

That site you gave is same info as you've been reading in these threads on eating more.

Just go to www.fat2fit.com and use BMR calc, enter the same weight for current and goal, and use BF%.

There is your best TDEE guess based on your level of exercise. Be honest.

Now go back page and enter in goal weight.

There is your best TDEE guess based on goal weight, and you pick the activity level that is correct, and eat at that.
And since exercise is included, you do not eat back exercise calories.

ninerbuff Posts: 48,633 Member

April 2012

Age
Height
Weight
Gender

Let's start there and we'll see how accurate it is.

A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

theoriginaljayne Posts: 562 Member

April 2012

Katch-McArdle formula:
P = 370 + (21.6 * LBM) where LBM is in kg
You say that your LBM is 69 kg, which gives us P = 1860.4

I also entered your current weight (132 kg, or approximately 290 lbs) into an online BMR estimation calculator (http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced). I have no idea what your age is, so I guessed 32 years; height didn't make a difference. I got a BMR of 1976, which will be higher if you're younger and lower if you're older.

I'm going to estimate your BMR to be 1900 kcal, then, for simplicity's sake.

Multiply by a factor of 1.5, and you get a TDEE of 2850.

To lose weight, subtract 500 calories or 20% of your TDEE, which is: 0.2(2850) = 570.
So your calorie goal should be between 2280 to 2350. Let's say 2300, again for simplicity's sake.

You should start out eating approximately 2300 calories per day, while eating your exercise calories back to preserve the size of your deficit. Feel free to adjust this amount every few weeks if needed.

Edit: assumed gender is female in BMR calculation.

StartingAnewDay Posts: 319 Member

April 2012

I am no BMR expert, but it looks like the way you applied the formla is incorrect when you worked out your LBM. I think the part in brackets should be 100-47.5, not 100-0.475.

In math isn't 47.5 % actually 0.475??

Thought the rule was 2 spaces to the left to get rid of the percent sign when doing calculations... or divisable by 100.. incorrect?

mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member

April 2012

Jade17694 Posts: 584 Member

April 2012

heybales Posts: 18,842 Member

April 2012

I am no BMR expert, but it looks like the way you applied the formla is incorrect when you worked out your LBM. I think the part in brackets should be 100-47.5, not 100-0.475.

In math isn't 47.5 % actually 0.475??

Thought the rule was 2 spaces to the left to get rid of the percent sign when doing calculations... or divisable by 100.. incorrect?

No.

Your LBM plus BF = 100%

The are subtracting BF from 100, what is left is % of LBM. They then divide by 100 to accomplish what you are correctly thinking must be done before multiplying.

StartingAnewDay Posts: 319 Member

April 2012

Katch-McArdle formula:
P = 370 + (21.6 * LBM) where LBM is in kg
You say that your LBM is 69 kg, which gives us P = 1860.4

I also entered your current weight (132 kg, or approximately 290 lbs) into an online BMR estimation calculator (http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced). I have no idea what your age is, so I guessed 32 years; height didn't make a difference. I got a BMR of 1976, which will be higher if you're younger and lower if you're older.

I'm going to estimate your BMR to be 1900 kcal, then, for simplicity's sake.

Multiply by a factor of 1.5, and you get a TDEE of 2850.

To lose weight, subtract 500 calories or 20% of your TDEE, which is: 0.2(2850) = 570.
So your calorie goal should be between 2280 to 2350. Let's say 2300, again for simplicity's sake.

You should start out eating approximately 2300 calories per day, while eating your exercise calories back to preserve the size of your deficit. Feel free to adjust this amount every few weeks if needed.

Edit: assumed gender is female in BMR calculation.

This sounds more managable.. I think I will start there.. I guess what frustrates me a little is why when you go to nutritionist are they handing out these 'standard" diet packets?? 1200-1500-1800 calories, Mind you I was over 400lbs. when i first went!! She had me eating less than 1500 cals!! No wonder I dropped so much, so fast, then kept stalled out at 230 and started gaining.. It makes me kind of angry.. Between that and the "push" to just have surgery all the time instead of taking the time to really inform people.. well it's just rediculous.. and disheartening.. Thank you.

StartingAnewDay Posts: 319 Member

April 2012

Age
Height
Weight
Gender

Let's start there and we'll see how accurate it is.

42, 5 Ft 8 (or 68 inches), 290, F

A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

heybales Posts: 18,842 Member

April 2012

Katch-McArdle formula:
P = 370 + (21.6 * LBM) where LBM is in kg
You say that your LBM is 69 kg, which gives us P = 1860.4

I also entered your current weight (132 kg, or approximately 290 lbs) into an online BMR estimation calculator (http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced). I have no idea what your age is, so I guessed 32 years; height didn't make a difference. I got a BMR of 1976, which will be higher if you're younger and lower if you're older.

I'm going to estimate your BMR to be 1900 kcal, then, for simplicity's sake.

Multiply by a factor of 1.5, and you get a TDEE of 2850.

To lose weight, subtract 500 calories or 20% of your TDEE, which is: 0.2(2850) = 570.
So your calorie goal should be between 2280 to 2350. Let's say 2300, again for simplicity's sake.

You should start out eating approximately 2300 calories per day, while eating your exercise calories back to preserve the size of your deficit. Feel free to adjust this amount every few weeks if needed.

Edit: assumed gender is female in BMR calculation.

Actually, you included exercise in that TDEE estimate that you then subtracted from.

If you eat exercise calories back, you actually would not maintain that deficit.

If you are doing real TDEE as you did, which includes exercise (1.5 is Mod active), then you subtract and don't eat back calories.

Glitter969 Posts: 77 Member

April 2012

Yes 47,5% is 0.475. But looking at the formula it wants you to work out 52.5% of your total weight to give you your Lean Body Mass. (your total body weight = 100%, body fat = 47.5%, LBM = 52.5%). I think you have just jumped ahead a bit and did that part of the calc before you applied it.

PS - Sorry, don't know how to quote yet on a forum post.

heybales Posts: 18,842 Member

April 2012

PS - Sorry, don't know how to quote yet on a forum post.

You click Quote rather than Reply link.

theoriginaljayne Posts: 562 Member

April 2012

Katch-McArdle formula:
P = 370 + (21.6 * LBM) where LBM is in kg
You say that your LBM is 69 kg, which gives us P = 1860.4

I also entered your current weight (132 kg, or approximately 290 lbs) into an online BMR estimation calculator (http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced). I have no idea what your age is, so I guessed 32 years; height didn't make a difference. I got a BMR of 1976, which will be higher if you're younger and lower if you're older.

I'm going to estimate your BMR to be 1900 kcal, then, for simplicity's sake.

Multiply by a factor of 1.5, and you get a TDEE of 2850.

To lose weight, subtract 500 calories or 20% of your TDEE, which is: 0.2(2850) = 570.
So your calorie goal should be between 2280 to 2350. Let's say 2300, again for simplicity's sake.

You should start out eating approximately 2300 calories per day, while eating your exercise calories back to preserve the size of your deficit. Feel free to adjust this amount every few weeks if needed.

Edit: assumed gender is female in BMR calculation.

Actually, you included exercise in that TDEE estimate that you then subtracted from.

If you eat exercise calories back, you actually would not maintain that deficit.

If you are doing real TDEE as you did, which includes exercise (1.5 is Mod active), then you subtract and don't eat back calories.

Whoops! /facepalm

You're exactly right. I base my own TDEE on a sedentary level and log my exercise separately, so I automatically do the same thing for everyone else -- even when I'm clearly using a factor of 1.5, thus including exercise... I guess I need some caffeine. I'm glad you caught that! OP -- only eat your exercise calories back if it's really above and beyond the normal scope of your workouts.

ninerbuff Posts: 48,633 Member

April 2012

42, 5 Ft 8 (or 68 inches), 290, F

2038.7 is what I come up for BMR.

For TDEE I come up with 3509 if you're working out 6-7 days a week. If moderate then it's 3153 for 3-5 days.

A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

StartingAnewDay Posts: 319 Member

April 2012

Actually, you included exercise in that TDEE estimate that you then subtracted from.

If you eat exercise calories back, you actually would not maintain that deficit.

If you are doing real TDEE as you did, which includes exercise (1.5 is Mod active), then you subtract and don't eat back calories.

Ok, I finally understand this part. When using a TDEE, I DON"T have to eat exercise calories back because the TDEE already takes it into account. Only if I do something like workout 6 days or MORE than I estimated do I need to worry about eating back..