BMR, exercise and nett calories help?

FearOfFrying

hi, so can anyone help? If I have say 1200 calorie a day goal and go under it I will get a warning from MFP that I haven't had enough calories. If I do 400 calories worth of exercise which takes my net calories to 800 then I don't get a warning? Am I supposed to eat the calories I burned up through exercise, which in that case I can't see the point exercising, or is it ok to have net calories at the end of the day lower than 1200 as long as you've eaten at least 1200 and then reduced it through exercise?

Thanks Rob

baisleac

Your NET calories (on your home page) should be as close to the daily goal MFP set for you as possible.

Your REMAINING calories (on your homepage and food diary page) should be as close to zero as possible.

MFP builds in a deficit for you based on the information you gave it: height, weight, lifestyle, goal weight loss, etc.. All you need to do is follow the calorie goals it gives you.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate
TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure (also called Maintenance calories)
Calorie = (unit of measurement), a unit of energy or heat variously defined. In nutrition terms, the word calorie is commonly used to refer to a unit of food energy. (The word calorie is used instead of the more precise scientific term kilocalorie.)

BMR and TDEE are two different things..

BMR is the amount of energy (calories) your body needs to function in a coma.

TDEE is the amount of energy (calories) that your body actually uses (burns) each day by living your life.

Eating less than your TDEE will give you a calorie deficit and you will lose weight.

Eat less than your BMR and you risk slowing your metabolism down; making it that much harder to continue to lose weight and that much more likely that you will regain that weight when you get to maintenance.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You can determine a rough estimate of your BMR on any web based BMR calculator. For a better estimate (without resorting to expensive tests), use your body fat percentage to determine your lean body mass (Google "Lean Body Mass Calculator") then use that number to determine your BMR. BMR = 370 + (21.6 X lean body mass in kg).

To determine your TDEE multiply your BMR by the appropriate number below:

If you are sedentary (Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)) : 1.2

If you are lightly active (Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. nurse, salesman)) : 1.375

If you are moderatetely active (Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman): 1.55

If you are very active (Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)): 1.725

Subtract your calorie deficit from this number, your TDEE; remembering that if you exercise, those exercise calories need to be recovered to maintain your calculated deficit.

*~*~*~*~*~~*

Exercise is important for way more than burning calories.

As someone very wise once said: "If you want to look good in clothes, diet. If you want to look good naked, exercise."

erickirb

hi, so can anyone help? If I have say 1200 calorie a day goal and go under it I will get a warning from MFP that I haven't had enough calories. If I do 400 calories worth of exercise which takes my net calories to 800 then I don't get a warning? Am I supposed to eat the calories I burned up through exercise, which in that case I can't see the point exercising, or is it ok to have net calories at the end of the day lower than 1200 as long as you've eaten at least 1200 and then reduced it through exercise?

Thanks Rob

You are supposed to eat all of them to keep your daily caloric deficit at your goal amount.

FYI the 1200 Net is the minimum amount that a woman should have, as a man your minimum should be 1500 Net (1500 plus the calories you burned from exercise)

Losing2Live69

You need to NET at least what MFP has suggested your daily calorie goal should be. If you exercise and burn 400 calories, then you need to eat back that 400 calories. Some people disagree...and that is fine, but I went to my doctor and my dietician and they both told me I needed to eat those exercise calories back. It is like adding fuel to the fire....the more wood you put in it the faster it burns , so you have to add more wood to keep it burning. If you begin to continuously net under your suggested calorie intake your metabolism will slow down and so will your weight loss. Your body begins to hold on to everything you put in it because it thinks you are starving it. You stop losing fat. When I was netting less than 1200 I plateaued for 3 weeks! I also started getting headaches, light headed and dizzy. That is when I went to my doc and she told me I need to NET a minimum of 1200. I net 1400 calories a day now and I have been consistently losing 2 pounds a week. I have lost 42 pounds since January 23rd.

**I know there are people who disagree with this...that's fine, but please don't get argumentative.

FearOfFrying

Your NET calories (on your home page) should be as close to the daily goal MFP set for you as possible.

Your REMAINING calories (on your homepage and food diary page) should be as close to zero as possible.

MFP builds in a deficit for you based on the information you gave it: height, weight, lifestyle, goal weight loss, etc.. All you need to do is follow the calorie goals it gives you.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate
TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure (also called Maintenance calories)
Calorie = (unit of measurement), a unit of energy or heat variously defined. In nutrition terms, the word calorie is commonly used to refer to a unit of food energy. (The word calorie is used instead of the more precise scientific term kilocalorie.)

BMR and TDEE are two different things..

BMR is the amount of energy (calories) your body needs to function in a coma.

TDEE is the amount of energy (calories) that your body actually uses (burns) each day by living your life.

Eating less than your TDEE will give you a calorie deficit and you will lose weight.

Eat less than your BMR and you risk slowing your metabolism down; making it that much harder to continue to lose weight and that much more likely that you will regain that weight when you get to maintenance.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You can determine a rough estimate of your BMR on any web based BMR calculator. For a better estimate (without resorting to expensive tests), use your body fat percentage to determine your lean body mass (Google "Lean Body Mass Calculator") then use that number to determine your BMR. BMR = 370 + (21.6 X lean body mass in kg).

To determine your TDEE multiply your BMR by the appropriate number below:

If you are sedentary (Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)) : 1.2

If you are lightly active (Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. nurse, salesman)) : 1.375

If you are moderatetely active (Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman): 1.55

If you are very active (Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)): 1.725

Subtract your calorie deficit from this number, your TDEE; remembering that if you exercise, those exercise calories need to be recovered to maintain your calculated deficit.

*~*~*~*~*~~*

Exercise is important for way more than burning calories.

As someone very wise once said: "If you want to look good in clothes, diet. If you want to look good naked, exercise."

Thanks everyone for your help, just one thing though, when I work out my BMR in the MFP tools, it says it is 1623, so why does MFP give me a target of 1450 calories a day, as you say I shouldn't eat less than my BMR?

ladyhawk00

Your NET calories (on your home page) should be as close to the daily goal MFP set for you as possible.

Your REMAINING calories (on your homepage and food diary page) should be as close to zero as possible.

MFP builds in a deficit for you based on the information you gave it: height, weight, lifestyle, goal weight loss, etc.. All you need to do is follow the calorie goals it gives you.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate
TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure (also called Maintenance calories)
Calorie = (unit of measurement), a unit of energy or heat variously defined. In nutrition terms, the word calorie is commonly used to refer to a unit of food energy. (The word calorie is used instead of the more precise scientific term kilocalorie.)

BMR and TDEE are two different things..

BMR is the amount of energy (calories) your body needs to function in a coma.

TDEE is the amount of energy (calories) that your body actually uses (burns) each day by living your life.

Eating less than your TDEE will give you a calorie deficit and you will lose weight.

Eat less than your BMR and you risk slowing your metabolism down; making it that much harder to continue to lose weight and that much more likely that you will regain that weight when you get to maintenance.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You can determine a rough estimate of your BMR on any web based BMR calculator. For a better estimate (without resorting to expensive tests), use your body fat percentage to determine your lean body mass (Google "Lean Body Mass Calculator") then use that number to determine your BMR. BMR = 370 + (21.6 X lean body mass in kg).

To determine your TDEE multiply your BMR by the appropriate number below:

If you are sedentary (Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)) : 1.2

If you are lightly active (Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. nurse, salesman)) : 1.375

If you are moderatetely active (Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman): 1.55

If you are very active (Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)): 1.725

Subtract your calorie deficit from this number, your TDEE; remembering that if you exercise, those exercise calories need to be recovered to maintain your calculated deficit.

*~*~*~*~*~~*

Exercise is important for way more than burning calories.

As someone very wise once said: "If you want to look good in clothes, diet. If you want to look good naked, exercise."

This.

Also, a couple of little additions: 1200 is the minimum recommended by health experts for the average woman to receive adequate nutrition. The recommendation is 1500 for men, so it is not advisable for a man (unless VERY much smaller than average) to eat less than 1500. MFP created the 1200 floor to discourage unhealthy low cal levels, but it is just that, a floor - 1200 is not an appropriate minimum for everyone (and some very petite women can be ok under 1200).

MFP is different than many calorie counters/weight loss programs, or the way that many trainers set up a plan. These other plans take your “intended exercise” and use that to create a deficit, keeping your daily cal goal static. Therefore, with other plans, you would not replace calories you burn through exercise. MFP is different and you CANNOT compare them, unless you’re prepared to do some calculations to get apples vs. apples and not apples vs. oranges.

MFP was designed with the idea that many people can't exercise regularly, or at all, due to physical limitations or time. They also recognized that most people set up an exercise plan, but as we all know, that's not necessarily what actually happens every day. So they built the site to allow for weight loss with or without exercise.

MFP creates a BUILT IN CALORIE DEFICIT, based on your loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. So when you log exercise, cals are added back in to keep that deficit stable. If you don't replace those cals, you've made your deficit larger than you (presumably) intended. A larger deficit does not necessarily mean faster/more weight loss; it is usually unhealthy and unsustainable and most often backfires, leading to feelings of deprivation, binges, quitting, and weight regain. If you choose an appropriate loss per week goal, and aim to meet your cal goals, you'll have a moderate deficit and can just let MFP do the math for you.

For people with large amounts to lose, it is less critical to eat the added cals, as their bodies can withstand a larger deficit. People with less to lose need a more conservative deficit and usually do better eating at least some of them back.

FearOfFrying

Thanks everyone for your help, just one thing though, when I work out my BMR in the MFP tools, it says it is 1623, so why does MFP give me a target of 1450 calories a day, as you say I shouldn't eat less than my BMR?

ladyhawk00

Thanks everyone for your help, just one thing though, when I work out my BMR in the MFP tools, it says it is 1623, so why does MFP give me a target of 1450 calories a day, as you say I shouldn't eat less than my BMR?

You may have your loss per week goal set too high. Usually, if your goal is appropriate, it will put you pretty close to BMR. Try reading these for some guidelines on how to determine a healthy, realistic goal/deficit:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

FearOfFrying

I have it set to 1.5 pounds per week, do you think that is too high?

robin52077

you are only looking to lose 15 more pounds if your ticker is accurate, right?
So you should be set for either HALF a pound or ONE pound. No more than that.
I say go with the half.
Why do it the hard way? It's healthier to go slower.

erickirb

I have it set to 1.5 pounds per week, do you think that is too high?

Yes, if you have less than 15lbs to go your should set your goal at 0.5lbs per week. If you have 15-50ish, than 1 lb/week is reasonable 1.5 is good if you have 50-75or so and if you have over 75 you should be able to get away with 2lbs/week.

FearOfFrying

you are only looking to lose 15 more pounds if your ticker is accurate, right?
So you should be set for either HALF a pound or ONE pound. No more than that.
I say go with the half.
Why do it the hard way? It's healthier to go slower.

Yes my ticker is correct, possibly I need to lose another pound or two once I have lost the 15, but my bmi will be at an acceptable level once I have lost the 15lbs. Thanks for the advice I'll put it down to 1pm per week.

cmriverside

seriously needing a bumpage.