BMR

pmccausland1965

So If MY BMR is say " Your estimated BMR is: 1,597 calories/day*

I am actually really confused with this, is it saying I should only be eating 1567 calories a day or lower. Right now my goal for calorie intake is 1540. so I am trying to figure out am I suppose to have 1597 calorie intake a day from the BMR and can lose weight and I set my goal at 1540 per day, or should I'd be going lower like to 1200-1300 to accomplish losing weight.. and btw I have lost 7 lbs since last week , even tho I just really buckled down my this week on eating right than I did last week. original weight 235 weighed this morning at 228.. YAY ME!!!! But can someone help explain this to me please. I am just trying to figure out how many calories a day I am really suppose to have to lose weight.

futuremanda

Tell MFP how many pounds you'd like to lose per week, and what your lifestyle activity level is. Eat the calories MFP says to. Eat back 50-75% of any exercise calories. Re-evaluate in a month to see if you're losing on average what you told MFP you want to.

You will lose weight eating any calorie level below maintenance. That creates a deficit. The larger the deficit, the faster the loss. However, food is also fuel. The minimum recommended for a female is 1200 net. (1200 + any exercise calories eaten back too.) How are you feeling at your current target? If it is too low, eat a bit more. (Tell MFP you want to lose fewer lbs per week.)

Don't overthink the calorie target, especially if you're in the beginning stages. You've been losing, so what you're doing is working fine.

And btw, your BMR is the number of calories your body would burn if you were completely not moving (sleeping 24 hours, in a coma, etc). Your maintenance is BMR + lifestyle (your movement outside of exercise) + exercise. You do not have to go down to 1200 calories unless you want to. It would be a very aggressive goal and it might not be right for you.

IMO use MFP as your starting point.

pmccausland1965

thank you , You really cleared that up for me, so really with the calorie intake of 1540 is good then. and yes I am losing the weight. The only thing that concerned me was , I wrote down everything I ate here for March 19th, and my calorie in take that I ate was low and I measured out everything. so I know its right. but it was saying I was very low with my intake and recommended I eat no less than 1000-1200 calories. my calorie intake for 03/19/15 was 874. but I eat like I should or least thought I did, I was not hungry all day. am I doing something wrong, can you go to my profile and see my food intake for 03/19/2015 and see if I am eating properly please.
Totals 874 121 11 66 492 74
Your Daily Goal 1,732 217 57 87 2,300 65
Remaining 858 96 46 21 1,808 -9
Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
*You've earned 192 extra calories from exercise today

big2strongCO

BMR is the amount of calories that if you laid around all day and did no other activity your body would burn just to keep you alive (the calories your body burns to just maintain itself). If you ate to the 1540 cal. any exercise that you would do during the day would be added to your BMR (1540 cal. (life, heartbeat, breathing, digestion, blinking etc.) + 1500 cal. (exercise, movement, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, walking during the day, etc.). So lets say you have 1540 plus 1500 (made up number for your daily exertion) equals 3040 calories burned for the day minus the 1540 cal you consume in food and beverages leaves you with a 1500 cal. deficit for the day which is too much. That is how I understand it as told to me by my dietitian. What I did to maximize my weight loss but keep it at healthy levels was to get a Bod Pod analysis (Google bod pod) to get an accurate BMR (as close to accurate as possible) then we looked at the amount of exercise/movement I was doing on a daily/weekly basis and subtracted the amount of calories that I wanted to give up so I could loose a consistent amount of weight. For me I was at about 1000 cal. a day deficit which is 2lb. per week loss. Any extra exercise i did above my expected exercise was gravy (extra weight loss) so I was averaging 3 lb. a week for the first 6 months of my life change. All the while I was watching my nutrition and especially my protein intake to try to keep as much muscle as possible with my accelerated weight loss. I have a lot more to say about how all this works for me, I am 86lb. down with my target weight with in 20lb. all since September of last year and I am much much stronger and still nutritionally healthy. Send me a message if you or any one would like and we can discuss.

fushigi1988

futuremanda wrote: »

BMR is the number of calories your body would burn if you were completely not moving (sleeping 24 hours, in a coma, etc). Your maintenance is BMR + lifestyle (your movement outside of exercise) + exercise. You do not have to go down to 1200 calories unless you want to. It would be a very aggressive goal and it might not be right for you.

Yes, do not go below BMR

esjones12

BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to just exist. You should really never eat under that for a prolonged period of time. Your body needs fuel to continue operating properly.

What you need to figure out is your TDEE (totaly daily expenditure). MFP uses this equation:

TDEE - deficit for weight loss + exercise calories = daily calories.

If you enter things into MFP as it prompts you to and use it as you are supposed to, it takes all the guess work out of it

futuremanda

pmccausland1965 wrote: »

thank you , You really cleared that up for me, so really with the calorie intake of 1540 is good then. and yes I am losing the weight. The only thing that concerned me was , I wrote down everything I ate here for March 19th, and my calorie in take that I ate was low and I measured out everything. so I know its right. but it was saying I was very low with my intake and recommended I eat no less than 1000-1200 calories. my calorie intake for 03/19/15 was 874. but I eat like I should or least thought I did, I was not hungry all day. am I doing something wrong, can you go to my profile and see my food intake for 03/19/2015 and see if I am eating properly please.
Totals 874 121 11 66 492 74
Your Daily Goal 1,732 217 57 87 2,300 65
Remaining 858 96 46 21 1,808 -9
Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
*You've earned 192 extra calories from exercise today

Your food diary is private so we can't see it. But if you open it up, I'm sure people will be happy to take a look.

Sometimes when we severely undereat, we are not hungry for a variety of reasons. It doesn't make it a good idea though. You'll notice that you were way under on all of your nutrition targets, for example. Every once in awhile won't hurt you, but you do need to fuel your body properly on a regular basis.

And I'm not sure what you mean by eating like you think you should. There is no one right way to eat. And getting enough calories IS part of eating properly. You do not have to use fat free things (fat is good for you, you need it in your diet) or diet things or sugar free things. You don't have to avoid food groups or packaged foods or takeout. You just have to make everything fit in your calorie target, time your eating so that it keeps you feeling well, and meet any nutrition goals you may have. (Nutrition goals vary per person.) Make sure you get some treats and things, or you'll crash at some point. Think long-term sustainability.

Also, weighing solid foods is more accurate than measuring. A cup of cereal measured out and compared to the calories on the box may be very different than if you weigh it to get the grams. It may not matter right now but if you ever plateau or stall (no weight loss for a month or two) then it would be good to grab a kitchen scale. (I like having one anyway, it makes things like chicken much easier!)

pmccausland1965

thanks to the response this makes more since now. it really does... I am going to get this weight off , I am so proud to have lost 7 lbs in just 9 days... I know some is water weight, but hey I will take that.. but it all makes perfect sense now

pmccausland1965

ok I went in and changed my setting on my diary, so if someone has time to look at it for 03/19/2015, I would appreciate it. let me know if I am getting enough food intake? I dn't won't to get sick with not enough food. or lose too fast and get sick....and again thanks for the tip , I really appreicate it.. I am a starter so its all new

determined_14

Can I piggyback on this with a BMR question, rather than creating a whole separate thread?
Someone posted in the forums recently that he/she had "eaten below my BMR for over a year, and it's working well for me."
Am I right in thinking that this cannot be true, that he/she is only eating below some number they THINK is their BMR? Because if we eat below BMR for an extended period of time, we're essentially dying, right? Or does someone have more info on this that I'm missing? Thanks!

pmccausland1965

sure go ahead piggyback.. no problem.... we are here to help each other

barbecuesauce

determined_14 wrote: »

Can I piggyback on this with a BMR question, rather than creating a whole separate thread?
Someone posted in the forums recently that he/she had "eaten below my BMR for over a year, and it's working well for me."
Am I right in thinking that this cannot be true, that he/she is only eating below some number they THINK is their BMR? Because if we eat below BMR for an extended period of time, we're essentially dying, right? Or does someone have more info on this that I'm missing? Thanks!

According to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ my current sedentary BMR is 1477 and I ate under that level almost every single day for about 6 months. I am currently eating over that because I ramped up my exercise. I think it can be done safely, but I began suffering ill effects because I was not properly fueling my workouts.

brianpperkins

BMR is not a hard line to never eat under ... if it were, some people could never generate a sizable enough deficit to lose weight. It is just one data point in the calculations for weight loss. For those with more to lose, there is a greater chance of initial caloric goals dipping below BMR to generate that needed deficit for loss. As one gets closer to goal weight, the deficit should shrink which eliminates the need to eat below BMR.

Liftng4Lis

brianpperkins wrote: »

BMR is not a hard line to never eat under ... if it were, some people could never generate a sizable enough deficit to lose weight. It is just one data point in the calculations for weight loss. For those with more to lose, there is a greater chance of initial caloric goals dipping below BMR to generate that needed deficit for loss. As one gets closer to goal weight, the deficit should shrink which eliminates the need to eat below BMR.

BAM

futuremanda

pmccausland1965 wrote: »

ok I went in and changed my setting on my diary, so if someone has time to look at it for 03/19/2015, I would appreciate it. let me know if I am getting enough food intake? I dn't won't to get sick with not enough food. or lose too fast and get sick....and again thanks for the tip , I really appreicate it.. I am a starter so its all new

No, that is not enough food.

The number of calories MFP told you to eat is what you should eat, as per my prior comments. But 1200 would be your minimum, if you must.

You barely had any fat. Did you not cook your meat or veggies in anything? Oil or butter?

Your breakfast was very low in protein and fat. Protein and fat are essential.

Your lunch had... no fat, somehow, despite including chicken. I am pretty suspicious of that entry actually.

Stop eating fat free foods, low fat foods, etc if you aren't going to eat more food overall. You really do NEED to have fat in your diet. Use oil (carefully portioned) to cook your meat and veg. Consider adding some protein to breakfast -- egg or greek yoghurt, for example. Add cheese to your salads (though if you don't have a scale, be careful, as cheese is notorious for being tough to measure accurately otherwise).

And watch your entries. Why are you using a Generic entry, when presumably you have the package for your cottage cheese?

Liftng4Lis

Why are you eating under 800 calories?

pmccausland1965

I did not know I had only had that much intake on the 19th,until I saw it at the end of the night but I felt fine .My husband cooked my Grilled chicken on the grill nothing added. my veggies were steamed and no added butter or oil or anything. The cottage cheese I scanned with my phone , so I know all that I put in the diary is correct, but I won't do that again, I know eating that low of calories can make you sick if I did that everyday. but I guess once in awhile if I do that low of calories again it could not hurt me .... today I am better with what I ate I think.. if someone would look at my entries today and let me know. I am very new to about losing weight , I have never really known what is good or bad to eat for my weight to lose the weight. so I am going to need alot of help. I pretty much have eaten anything I wanted and never thought about the consequences of the weight I have put on... but now I feel it in my health... so any help would be greatly appreciated...

pmccausland1965

my problem is I don't know what good fats to eat, what good proteins to eat, what or how much sugar and carbs I can have. I just know I want to get this weight off. My doctor told me if I don't lose weight , I am borderline from being a diabetic and my over all cholestrol is borderline... she recommended I slow down on the carbs alot and the sugar....

Liftng4Lis

pmccausland1965 wrote: »

I did not know I had only had that much intake on the 19th,until I saw it at the end of the night but I felt fine .My husband cooked my Grilled chicken on the grill nothing added. my veggies were steamed and no added butter or oil or anything. The cottage cheese I scanned with my phone , so I know all that I put in the diary is correct, but I won't do that again, I know eating that low of calories can make you sick if I did that everyday. but I guess once in awhile if I do that low of calories again it could not hurt me .... today I am better with what I ate I think.. if someone would look at my entries today and let me know. I am very new to about losing weight , I have never really known what is good or bad to eat for my weight to lose the weight. so I am going to need alot of help. I pretty much have eaten anything I wanted and never thought about the consequences of the weight I have put on... but now I feel it in my health... so any help would be greatly appreciated...

The day before that was 765. This is not acceptable for your nutritional needs.
All that is necessary is a deficit for weight loss. Getting lots of proteins and fats (avocados, nuts etc), as that will keep you sated longer. Pretty much everything else goes. Move more and eat less, but do so in a healthy sustainable way. You want to keep what you earn here.

brianpperkins

Here is the simplest way of approaching this ... MFP gave you a number that has the deficit built in. Find foods you like and eat them in quantities that reach that number ... a little over or a little under one day is no big deal, those average out. No food in moderation is bad ... too much of any food can be ... too little food is bad. If you like steak, eat it, just keep the portions reasonable. Calorie management is the key to weight loss ... within that framework you can juggle the foods to ensure you meet your macronutrient needs.

mirrim52

Also, make sure the entries you are using are accurate. 850 calories for a chicken sandwich at TGIF and 0 fat? Very suspect.

30randwick

Jumping on board this conversation...my total calorie consumption per day according to MFP is 1200. If I burn 500 calories per day exercising and I don't eat those back will it accelerate or hinder my weight loss?

janejellyroll

30randwick wrote: »

Jumping on board this conversation...my total calorie consumption per day according to MFP is 1200. If I burn 500 calories per day exercising and I don't eat those back will it accelerate or hinder my weight loss?

I would be more concerned about netting 800 calories a day (which you will be doing if you eat 1,200 and then burn 500) than I would be enhancing my weight loss. MFP's estimates, if you entered everything correctly, tell you that you will lose weight if you net 1,200 calories a day. You should eat at least a portion of your exercise calories back so that you maintain energy while you're losing weight.

lemurcat12

pmccausland1965 wrote: »

my problem is I don't know what good fats to eat, what good proteins to eat, what or how much sugar and carbs I can have. I just know I want to get this weight off. My doctor told me if I don't lose weight , I am borderline from being a diabetic and my over all cholestrol is borderline... she recommended I slow down on the carbs alot and the sugar....

Can you ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietician? That might be very valuable for you. I think you are going way overboard avoiding fat, for example--fat is good for you, you need it. You say in your profile that you have had trouble sustaining a diet in the past. One reason for that, I think, is that people think they must eat very strictly and without anything that might seem too tasty when dieting--that they must avoid fat in particular or eat no meat but chicken breast or the leanest fish. In fact, all you need to do is eat at the calorie deficit that MFP gives you (and if you ask for 2 lb/week, that might not even be necessary, of course--you could eat more and still lose 1 lb/week, depending on your current weight and how active you are).

I think one thing that is helpful for new people is to log a more normal version of your diet for a few days rather than going overboard and trying to cut everything and then use the tool to look at where you are getting the most extra calories and what you can cut. Some things are obvious--if lots of high calorie fast food or restaurant meals or lots of sweets, cut down on those. Other things may be a matter of excess calories due to larger portion sizes or a lack of mindful eating (I used to get excess calories from various foods I don't even like that much, like rice, so I just mostly stopped eating it).

After a bit you will start to understand also what makes you feel more satisfied vs. less (a lot of times people are satisfied on very little at first, but that doesn't last), and be able to play around with that. Keep track of when you are hungry and not.

Eating well (although a RD will help more) is really IMO a matter of common sense and the things everyone knows about nutrition. People make it too complicated. MFP helps by giving you certain nutrition goals, such as a good breakdown of fat, protein, and carbs (many find different breakdowns help them, but this is a decent one to start with, especially since you may struggle with eating enough protein and fat at first). It is not good to always try to stay below everything--your balance matters. But also don't panic about these--you will lose weight if you eat at or below your calorie level (but going too low is unhealthy and not sustainable). Instead, if you are low on fat and protein think of ways to get more in your diet.

What helps me is to think first of getting protein at each meal and then also getting veggies and add extras on to that to try and reach my calorie goal. I cook my veggies in olive or coconut oil or sometimes butter (not a lot, but a little--it helps you use the nutrients from them, and fat is filling). For example, for breakfast I like eggs (which have protein), add veggies (a vegetable omelet), some cheese in the omelet, and more protein (usually dairy) and sometimes fruit on the side, depending on how many calories I want. For lunch I have some kind of protein with veggies (maybe meat on a salad) or perhaps a wrap with protein and veggies in it. I'd add dressing with a little olive oil to the salad. I might have a snack with fruit or nuts (nuts are another great source of fat that are non-controversially considered healthy). For dinner I'll pick out a protein (any lean meat or fish is good), veggies, and then depending on my calories add a reasonable portion of something like potatoes or sweet potatoes.

All this depends on your preferences, though--I am just illustrating how I approach it. The point is that you can eat what you like and also meet your nutrition goals. If you are pre diabetic you will probably want to be especially careful to eat carbs only with protein and fat--another reason to not cut fat too much.

lemurcat12

Another thing, however, is that it takes a bit of time to get the logging right. For example, you want to seek out entries without asterisks, ideally, for whole foods like meat and produce. Those are from the USDA and entered by MFP, not users. (They read like "chicken-breast, meat only, raw"). Searching USDA and using entries that have lots of confirmations is also a good way to do it.

I am skeptical about the chicken breast entry you have been using and also about the 4 oz measurement always. Most pieces of chicken breast are more than 4 oz (weighed raw). Using a food scale is not necessary, but can be quite helpful and informative. If you weigh, you will want to weigh raw if possible, but make sure you use an entry that identifies the state the meat was in when weighed. (In other words, if you weigh cooked, the entry should say "chicken-breast, meat only, cooked, grilled" or maybe "cooked, dry heat."

(If you are actually eating a bit more chicken breast, that's good--it would add some protein and calories to the day.)

Sued0nim

Re: your diary ...here's some learning curve advice

- Buy a digital scale and use it for everything
-Do not trust measuring cups or pack sizes, weigh it
-When using MFP database take care - look for entries, on website, without asterisks or with lots of member confirmations
- Never use a "homemade" entry build your own recipe and use that

It is ok to zig zag your calories, so if you ate 800 one day, save those extra calories for the next, it is not ok to regularly eat under 1200, or your MFP goal whichever is higher

pmccausland1965

thank you to all of you , this information is really helping me. I am a beginner of this diet thing , so I am learning and appreciate all the help. I know my diary is pretty much about what I had... and yeah , I am scared to use things like butter, or oils in my cooking,I am scared to use breads, anything that might cause me to put on weight, I am a woman in her menopausal stage ( over a yr now) and I packed on 10 more lbs in one year, seemm like everything I ate , made me gain weight. when I was 18-20 years old I was 110 lbs, and then I had 4 children and put on 70-80 pds with each child, everytime I have one of my children, I would lose most of the weight except maybe 10-15 lbs, til my last child, I got up to 226 and really never lost it.. and just this last year being menopausal, I gained 10lbs. so I want to get this weight off, my lower back hurts alot, my legs, , I am not as physically active anymore because of the weight, and messing with my mental and emotional feelings as well, I am proud that I have lost 7 pds just in 10 days now, and my goal and determination is to keep going and lose this weight and feel good at age 49 almost 50! Thats my goal and I know its a slow process and it just don't come off over night, or days, but I am determined. I know MFP is going to be great, I see it already , great place and great people for support!

yarwell

the data for "Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich" looks wrong - zero fat. Calories probably right

lalawaterlala

To figure out the most accurate BMR for you, you should use the Mifflin St. Jeor equation.
This is the equation for females:
(9.99 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (4.92 x age in years) - 161

This is the equation for males:
(9.99 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (4.92 x age in years) + 5

lalawaterlala

pmccausland1965 wrote: »

thank you to all of you , this information is really helping me. I am a beginner of this diet thing , so I am learning and appreciate all the help. I know my diary is pretty much about what I had... and yeah , I am scared to use things like butter, or oils in my cooking,I am scared to use breads, anything that might cause me to put on weight, I am a woman in her menopausal stage ( over a yr now) and I packed on 10 more lbs in one year, seemm like everything I ate , made me gain weight. when I was 18-20 years old I was 110 lbs, and then I had 4 children and put on 70-80 pds with each child, everytime I have one of my children, I would lose most of the weight except maybe 10-15 lbs, til my last child, I got up to 226 and really never lost it.. and just this last year being menopausal, I gained 10lbs. so I want to get this weight off, my lower back hurts alot, my legs, , I am not as physically active anymore because of the weight, and messing with my mental and emotional feelings as well, I am proud that I have lost 7 pds just in 10 days now, and my goal and determination is to keep going and lose this weight and feel good at age 49 almost 50! Thats my goal and I know its a slow process and it just don't come off over night, or days, but I am determined. I know MFP is going to be great, I see it already , great place and great people for support!

You should be really proud of yourself for getting your diet back on track and losing excess weight! 7 pounds in 10 days is great. You will feel the benefits and your body will thank you down the line since excess weight contributes to diabetes, heart disease, and many others.
MFP is great for logging calories and communicating with others that have similar goals as you. Getting active will also greatly help you reach your goals!
Best of luck with your journey!