BMR, exercise, and calories

GreenValli

I just checked my BMR under the APPS tab. It told me my BMR is 1336 calories. I have been limiting myself to 1100-1300 calories a day. I usually stay 1100-1200 on days I do not go to the gym, but do approach 1300 on gym days.

As I have been losing weight, the cardio machines tell me I am burning up less and less calories as my weight has been decreasing. I still have 25-30 pounds to go though. I work out very strenuously for about an hour and now I am only burning up about 300 calories exercising, if the machines are accurate.

I have been losing so slowly already, about 2-4 pounds a month. How can I create a deficit to lose 25-30 more pounds? It seems like I am approaching a zero deficit quickly. Already, I have been told by several people I should be getting more protein, but am always low on protein because I cannot fit more protein in without eating more calories.

Any thoughts?

_John_

2-4 pounds/month is a perfectly normal, healthy, and acceptable weight loss rate.

lemurcat12

Remember your BMR isn't how much you burn -- even a sedentary person should burn about 1.2x BMR, and a lightly active person burns more like 1.5x BMR.

That can make a big difference. Mine comes out around 1280 (according to at least one calculator, I'm 5'3/125) so around 1550 if sedentary, but about 1920 if lightly active -- a difference between normal calories (for maintenance) and depressingly low ones, IMO. That's all before exercise.

So for me the best thing I can do is go out of my way to increase daily activity/walking even before intentional exercise.

That said, 4 lb/month seems really good with a BMR where yours is, and even 2 is reasonable.

I think the deal with more protein, in addition to health/muscle maintenance, is that it tends to fill you up better for many people, so can sub for other calories more satisfyingly. People will be different, though.

BurnWithBarn2015

Take the average of the calories you ate over that time.
than take the amount you lost ( every pounds is 3500 calories) and ad that to it.
Divide it by the days you took the whole average of.
Now you have maintenance level ( about)

Now you can eat 500 less a day of that average amount and that is 1 pound a month etc etc

Example

you ate in 10 days 15.000 calories
you lost in 10 days 2 pounds is 7000 calories
Then maintenance is 22000 calories So 2200 calories a day

Now you can determen how big you make your deficit for 1 pound a week you eat 500 less than 2200 calories


Now the trick is to take this average over a long period of time like 90 days. Then it is more accurate
And forget about the time you just started because you lose a lot of water weight in the beginning


Hope i wasn't to confusing.

******************

In edition to it.
Weigh everything very accurate on a digital scale, dont use cups and spoons and you will have an accurate as possible calorie intake.

GreenValli

Thanks for your input. It helps. I was worried the BMR was IT, and I would have to super exercise every day to lose anything at all!