Another BMR question

johnsscarlett

Ok so I'm confused. This site has me at 1200 calories a day, yet my BMR is 1227. Based on what I have been reading here I should be eating at least that much. Could this be the reason I just am not losing weight even though I work out 6 days a week and watch what I eat. I have been eating my exercise calories but on Sunday when I don't exercise I am just eating 1200. Someone please advise me. Should I change my calorie amount to the 1227?

johnsscarlett

Ok so I'm confused. This site has me at 1200 calories a day, yet my BMR is 1227. Based on what I have been reading here I should be eating at least that much. Could this be the reason I just am not losing weight even though I work out 6 days a week and watch what I eat. I have been eating my exercise calories but on Sunday when I don't exercise I am just eating 1200. Someone please advise me. Should I change my calorie amount to the 1227?

marskids

Did you by any chance set your weight loss goals at 2 pounds per week?

This website has a built in deficite to the pounds you want to lose.
For example, my BMR is around 1500 and my weight loss goal is set to 1 pound per week.
My daily food diary allow me to have around 1400 calories per day.

100 calorie / day deficit =600-700 per week deficit =one pound lost

If your BMR is 1227 and the site has you at 1200, that means you should lose around 2 pounds per week.

Does that make any sence? It makes sence in my head but I'm not sure it came out as clear as I typed it. I hope it helps in some way.

destilynne

I have the same question and need help....thanks to anyone that can answer this question.....

Desti

johnsscarlett

Did you by any chance set your weight loss goals at 2 pounds per week?

This website has a built in deficite to the pounds you want to lose.
For example, my BMR is around 1500 and my weight loss goal is set to 1 pound per week.
My daily food diary allow me to have around 1400 calories per day.

100 calorie / day deficit =600-700 per week deficit =one pound lost

If your BMR is 1227 and the site has you at 1200, that means you should lose around 2 pounds per week.

Does that make any sence? It makes sence in my head but I'm not sure it came out as clear as I typed it. I hope it helps in some way.

I actually set it to lose 1 pound per week but that has not been happening. I'm starting to feel frustration about the whole thing. When I started this back in May I thought by Christmas I should be pretty close to my boal but here we are an I still have so much to go.

shorerider

Ok, once again!

BMR is what it takes to maintain your current weight if you were basically in a coma, ok.

Don't look at BMR!

MFP takes your BMR and then calculates, based upon your daily activity level you selected, how much it will take to maintain your current weight.

So---that number is on your "goals" page.

That number is your BMR x (whatever number comes from whatever activity level you selected.)

For example--my BMR is 1600 but my other number (some call RMR) is close to 2200.

That make sense?

So, your RMR, let's call it, is what's important.

AND--it takes 3500 calories deficit to lose a pound.

NOW--you should not be at 1200 calories a day--that is for those, like me, who have a lot to lose.

PLEASE ALL OF YOU READ THE THREADS LINKED BELOW!

THEY Will answer all of your questions--

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/post/new/9614-newbies-please-read-me

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6832-eating-all-of-your-calories-bmr

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/8977-your-body-s-thoughts-on-calories

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

pinkpixies

Online BMR things aren't really very accurate. To know for sure, you'd need to have it tested professionally.

For example, afor me...at 300 lbs...they say I should be burning roughly 2100 calories a day...but at my nutrition clinic last year, I had my metabolic rate tested and I was only burning 500 calories a day. (no wonder I was gaining weight. haha) A lot of things can effect it. For me, it was a combination of hypothyroidism, long term calorie restriction and severe dehydration...that slowed my metabolism.

Mely

I have a question:

If you choose "active" as your lifestyle based on working out a lot and then you add your excercise points on top of that won't you be overeating? I mean, isn't excercise already calculating in your needs if you choose "active" as your lifestyle? I chose sedentary and then I add my excercise calories on as I need them.

Vans

Did you by any chance set your weight loss goals at 2 pounds per week?

This website has a built in deficite to the pounds you want to lose.
For example, my BMR is around 1500 and my weight loss goal is set to 1 pound per week.
My daily food diary allow me to have around 1400 calories per day.

100 calorie / day deficit =600-700 per week deficit =one pound lost

If your BMR is 1227 and the site has you at 1200, that means you should lose around 2 pounds per week.

Does that make any sence? It makes sence in my head but I'm not sure it came out as clear as I typed it. I hope it helps in some way.

hmm I was told that there are 3,500 calories in a pound.....I'll have to ask my Doctor now

shorerider

I have a question:

If you choose "active" as your lifestyle based on working out a lot and then you add your excercise points on top of that won't you be overeating? I mean, isn't excercise already calculating in your needs if you choose "active" as your lifestyle? I chose sedentary and then I add my excercise calories on as I need them.

There is that possible--which is way I keep mine at sedentary. You choice of lifestyle level should, in my opinion, not reflect your exercise. Some people have active jobs; others, like me, work sitting a lot. Factor in your "normal" daily activities into your lifestyle activity setting, not your exercise.

shorerider

Did you by any chance set your weight loss goals at 2 pounds per week?

This website has a built in deficite to the pounds you want to lose.
For example, my BMR is around 1500 and my weight loss goal is set to 1 pound per week.
My daily food diary allow me to have around 1400 calories per day.

100 calorie / day deficit =600-700 per week deficit =one pound lost

If your BMR is 1227 and the site has you at 1200, that means you should lose around 2 pounds per week.

Does that make any sence? It makes sence in my head but I'm not sure it came out as clear as I typed it. I hope it helps in some way.

hmm I was told that there are 3,500 calories in a pound.....I'll have to ask my Doctor now

It takes 3500 calories to loss and/or gain a pound.

If you have a 700 calorie a week deficit, it should take you 5 weeks to lose a pound.

banks1850

So let's try to straighten a few things out here huh?

First, Shorerider posted some links, make sure you read them, they are long, but they give you all the information you are asking about. If you go slow, and make sure you understand all the concepts, it will become clear what role bmr, bmi, body fat %, and activity levels play in your weight loss journey.

Second, I can't tell without knowing all your numbers, but from what your profile states (24 lbs to lose) you aren't in the obese range, with that said, eating less then your bmr is probably not going to work.

Third, activity level should be based on what you do every day NOT COUNTING EXERCISE. You either associate the exercise with every day activity, say a mailman who walks 5 to 10 miles a day, in which case I would estimate your activity level as moderately active to active (because of the low cardiopulminary value of walking). Oppose that with say, a desk job where you get up maybe once an hour for maybe like 10 minutes. This would be lightly active (if you do other physical activities after or before work every day) or sedentary (if you don't).
Regardless of what you put for your activity level, exercise should not be factored in unless you don't want to add it to your exercise log. The case where this would be appropriate would be when you do something EVERY day, like say, you ride a bike to work for 20 minutes. That could be considered part of your lifestyle, and not added to your exercise log.

Please read the newbies 2nd edition post if nothing else (listed in shore's post above), it has the 3 essential reads you should know, all of the posts listed there are good to know, but those 3 will really clear things up for you.

arewethereyet

I was getting confused with all of this information and consulted a nutritionist.

She said if you really want to keep it simple you can use this formula:

15 calories x your weight - 500/1000 calories a day =1 to 2 pounds weight loss a week.

If you exercise add most or all of these calories after deduction.

The theory is it takes 15 calories to maintain a pound of weight.

151 lbs x 15 = 2265-1000 = 1265 calories a day to lose 2 lbs a week. This is the same number MFP gave me for BMR, so it is really close.

This being said-I am no professional just trying to pass on info.