Can someone explain the base metabolic rate?
mom23nuts
Posts: 636 Member
Trying to figure out just how MFP comes up with the numbers it sets for my daily goals outside of entering my height, weight, age and previous activity levels.
I read in a magazine how to figure out base metabolic rate but what I worked out is about 200 calories more than my fitness pal's daily allotment is
Anyone with a formula for me to use with a bit more legitimacy?
I read in a magazine how to figure out base metabolic rate but what I worked out is about 200 calories more than my fitness pal's daily allotment is
Anyone with a formula for me to use with a bit more legitimacy?
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Replies
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No formulas are 100% accurate, the only actual way to get to that accuracy would be to do some medical tests at a hospital or something. A 200 calorie difference isn't that much of a difference though, but what you could do is balance it out right between what you calculated and what MFP gave you.
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When I first started here, I calculated my BMR at 1487 or something. MFP put me at 1200 per day because I set it to lose 2lbs a week. My tdee was only in the high 1600's because I was sedentary. I found I was losing too fast and upped my calories to 1300.0
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Try the extra 200 calories for a month and see how it goes.0
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I went to a nutritionist and had a test called "Medgem" done. You wear a clip on your nose & mouth breathe into a machine for 10 minutes or so (I found it very unpleasant). It is supposed to be very accurate- and each person is different. (It gave me an *incredibly* high number- over 1900 calories!!- and I am 61 years old! WAY over what MFP and other sites estimated.) The nutritionist explained that this is the number of calories your body would need just to breathe and exist- w/out any movement at ALL- say if, God forbid, you were lying in a coma. According to her, many people fail at dieting b/c they actually do not eat ENOUGH calories, and the metabolism can slow way down. Anyway- if you want to know exactly, you can get the test done. It cost me $75 bucks out of pocket- but I think my insurance will pay for similar tests if done in a hospital setting. I'm going to try to get that done just verify the accuracy of the medgem test.0
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Interesting! I know 200 seems small but when it's a matter of putting you over 200 calories or under 200 calories, it seems pretty big.0
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Google: Harris-Benedict equation. It's basal (fundamental) not base metabolic rate. The equation yields an approximation. As it has been pointed out, to know your BMR accurately you would need the volume of oxygen uptake in a controlled environment. Factors that influence it are simply too many to list but among the most important are your gender, age, body composition, temperature.1
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eugenia94102 wrote: »Google: Harris-Benedict equation. It's basal (fundamental) not base metabolic rate. The equation yields an approximation. As it has been pointed out, to know your BMR accurately you would need the volume of oxygen uptake in a controlled environment. Factors that influence it are simply too many to list but among the most important are your gender, age, body composition, temperature.
Thanks! So before figuring in calories before activity levels...I am at 1703 calories. Mfp had me at 1600 so now I can eat more once I figured in activity levels?0 -
Once I add in 3-5 times week exercise, even though I usually exercise 6x a week...1703 x 1.55=2639 calories seems like a huge amount...THEN I subtract 500 cal a day to loose 1 lb a week...I am still at 2139 calories.
MFP had me at 1600 and I was always hungry! Could this be right? Is this why I was stuck for weeks not losing any weight?0 -
Once I add in 3-5 times week exercise, even though I usually exercise 6x a week...1703 x 1.55=2639 calories seems like a huge amount...THEN I subtract 500 cal a day to loose 1 lb a week...I am still at 2139 calories.
MFP had me at 1600 and I was always hungry! Could this be right? Is this why I was stuck for weeks not losing any weight?
It sounds like you're looking for your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), not your BMR (what you burn just from being alive). And what MFP provides is a third thing -- NEAT, which is BMR plus what you burn through your non-exercise activity.
But if you aren't losing weight, it isn't because you were not eating enough.1 -
There are 2 types of metabolic rates one that involves living in a comatose state and your calorie needs and one that involves day to day life with digestion and exercise levels. I am just getting more confused0
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It sounds like you're looking for your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), not your BMR (what you burn just from being alive). And what MFP provides is a third thing -- NEAT, which is BMR plus what you burn through your non-exercise activity.
But if you aren't losing weight, it isn't because you were not eating enough.
What is NEAT?
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There are 2 types of metabolic rates one that involves living in a comatose state and your calorie needs and one that involves day to day life with digestion and exercise levels. I am just getting more confused
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is what you need if you do nothing at all, just for your body to survive.
TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It includes BMR, plus the energy you need for day to day living, your job, moving about, etc. And it includes your exercise. Basically, if you eat at TDEE you would neither gain or lose weight.
You figure TDEE and subtract 500 calories from it ( some people do 20%) for roughly 1 lb a week weight loss.
NEAT - non exercise activity thermogensis is basically BMR plus your daily life but does not include exercise.
MFP uses a NEAT equation so it expects you to log exercise and eat those calories back. So if MFP gave you 1600 calories and you did a workout that burned 500 calories, you are supposed to eat 2100 calories that day. If you don't exercise that day, you eat 1600 calories.
If done correctly both should average out over the week to pretty much the same intake.0 -
Thank you 3dogsrunning. So I guess it is ok to eat back my calories? Everyone said leave them as more of a deficit.0
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So how is it that mfp uses NEAT but considers daily living setting me at 1600 calories and Harris Benedict equation gives me 1703? For basic life functions at a lower level than NEAT? Seems like NEAT would be higher caloric requirement no?0
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Unfortunately, any formula is just a guess. Some people have much higher or lower BMRs depending on the amount of muscle, their gut flora, the number of dormant fat cells in their body and a host of other things. In the end, your BMR is whatever you can cut 500 calories from and lose weight.0
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BMR is what you would burn if you stayed in bed all day long and didn't move.
TDEE is BMR plus what you burn from your daily activity.1 -
So how is it that mfp uses NEAT but considers daily living setting me at 1600 calories and Harris Benedict equation gives me 1703? For basic life functions at a lower level than NEAT? Seems like NEAT would be higher caloric requirement no?
Because you set MFP to lose weight. I also suspect that you chose sedentary.
Sedentary is BMR x 1.2.
When you subtract a lb a week that will put you below BMR.
But again, you need to factor in exercise whether you use MFP method of adding them in or TDEE where they are factored in.0 -
Espressocycle wrote: »Unfortunately, any formula is just a guess. Some people have much higher or lower BMRs depending on the amount of muscle, their gut flora, the number of dormant fat cells in their body and a host of other things. In the end, your BMR is whatever you can cut 500 calories from and lose weight.
OMG so now what do I do after reading that? it sounds like a crap shoot...plus with metabolic syndrome and PCOS I do get stuck for weeks at a time. How would I know if it was because my calories were set at too high of a threshold or that my health issues were the thing causing me to stall at losing weight? Grumble Grumble!
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3dogsrunning wrote: »So how is it that mfp uses NEAT but considers daily living setting me at 1600 calories and Harris Benedict equation gives me 1703? For basic life functions at a lower level than NEAT? Seems like NEAT would be higher caloric requirement no?
Because you set MFP to lose weight. I also suspect that you chose sedentary.
Sedentary is BMR x 1.2.
When you subtract a lb a week that will put you below BMR.
But again, you need to factor in exercise whether you use MFP method of adding them in or TDEE where they are factored in.3dogsrunning wrote: »So how is it that mfp uses NEAT but considers daily living setting me at 1600 calories and Harris Benedict equation gives me 1703? For basic life functions at a lower level than NEAT? Seems like NEAT would be higher caloric requirement no?
Because you set MFP to lose weight. I also suspect that you chose sedentary.
Sedentary is BMR x 1.2.
When you subtract a lb a week that will put you below BMR.
But again, you need to factor in exercise whether you use MFP method of adding them in or TDEE where they are factored in.
no I originally chose exercising 3-5 times a week. I tried to keep it apples to apples for MFP as well as the Harris Benedict formula until today when I knew that 1600 was just too low and the stress of coming in under was making me nuts0 -
3dogsrunning wrote: »So how is it that mfp uses NEAT but considers daily living setting me at 1600 calories and Harris Benedict equation gives me 1703? For basic life functions at a lower level than NEAT? Seems like NEAT would be higher caloric requirement no?
Because you set MFP to lose weight. I also suspect that you chose sedentary.
Sedentary is BMR x 1.2.
When you subtract a lb a week that will put you below BMR.
But again, you need to factor in exercise whether you use MFP method of adding them in or TDEE where they are factored in.3dogsrunning wrote: »So how is it that mfp uses NEAT but considers daily living setting me at 1600 calories and Harris Benedict equation gives me 1703? For basic life functions at a lower level than NEAT? Seems like NEAT would be higher caloric requirement no?
Because you set MFP to lose weight. I also suspect that you chose sedentary.
Sedentary is BMR x 1.2.
When you subtract a lb a week that will put you below BMR.
But again, you need to factor in exercise whether you use MFP method of adding them in or TDEE where they are factored in.
no I originally chose exercising 3-5 times a week. I tried to keep it apples to apples for MFP as well as the Harris Benedict formula until today when I knew that 1600 was just too low and the stress of coming in under was making me nuts
did that because I have always exercised 6 days a week since college. I thought that was the proper category to pick since I might not have a job to put me on the move all day long, I do exercise with consistency.0 -
3dogsrunning wrote: »So how is it that mfp uses NEAT but considers daily living setting me at 1600 calories and Harris Benedict equation gives me 1703? For basic life functions at a lower level than NEAT? Seems like NEAT would be higher caloric requirement no?
Because you set MFP to lose weight. I also suspect that you chose sedentary.
Sedentary is BMR x 1.2.
When you subtract a lb a week that will put you below BMR.
But again, you need to factor in exercise whether you use MFP method of adding them in or TDEE where they are factored in.3dogsrunning wrote: »So how is it that mfp uses NEAT but considers daily living setting me at 1600 calories and Harris Benedict equation gives me 1703? For basic life functions at a lower level than NEAT? Seems like NEAT would be higher caloric requirement no?
Because you set MFP to lose weight. I also suspect that you chose sedentary.
Sedentary is BMR x 1.2.
When you subtract a lb a week that will put you below BMR.
But again, you need to factor in exercise whether you use MFP method of adding them in or TDEE where they are factored in.
no I originally chose exercising 3-5 times a week. I tried to keep it apples to apples for MFP as well as the Harris Benedict formula until today when I knew that 1600 was just too low and the stress of coming in under was making me nuts
MFP does not change your calorie goal when you enter your exercise goals. MFP also doesn't give you the option to pick 3-5 times a week. It gives you an option to pick a number workout and how long they will be.
You can't compare apples to apples because they don't calculate the same thing.
MFP does not include exercise even if you select an exercise goal. It does not factor exercise into your calorie goal until you log your exercise that day.
The other equation includes exercise.Espressocycle wrote: »Unfortunately, any formula is just a guess. Some people have much higher or lower BMRs depending on the amount of muscle, their gut flora, the number of dormant fat cells in their body and a host of other things. In the end, your BMR is whatever you can cut 500 calories from and lose weight.
OMG so now what do I do after reading that? it sounds like a crap shoot...plus with metabolic syndrome and PCOS I do get stuck for weeks at a time. How would I know if it was because my calories were set at too high of a threshold or that my health issues were the thing causing me to stall at losing weight? Grumble Grumble!
This is not correct. There are variances, however, those who fall outside the norm are not that far outside with the exception of medical conditions.
Also, BMR is NOT what you cut calories from.
If you are not losing weight it is not because you aren't eating enough.
Keep it simple, pick a number, log as accurately as possible, log everything, weigh as much as you can. Monitor for 4-6 weeks. If you aren't losing, adjust 100-200 calories downward. If you are losing too fast, add some.
If you have metabolic syndrom and PCOS you may want to look at your macros. Many people with PCOS choose to limit carbs. Search out the PCOS groups fro advice there.1 -
[/quote]
This is not correct. There are variances, however, those who fall outside the norm are not that far outside with the exception of medical conditions.
Also, BMR is NOT what you cut calories from.
If you are not losing weight it is not because you aren't eating enough.
Keep it simple, pick a number, log as accurately as possible, log everything, weigh as much as you can. Monitor for 4-6 weeks. If you aren't losing, adjust 100-200 calories downward. If you are losing too fast, add some.
If you have metabolic syndrom and PCOS you may want to look at your macros. Many people with PCOS choose to limit carbs. Search out the PCOS groups fro advice there. [/quote]
I have just gone in to adjust for lower carbs higher fats and proteins...we'll see where that goes.0
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