HRM and BMR?

cheshirechic

Hello, fabulous MFPers!

So, I got my first HRM (Polar FT4), and love its gentle chirps while I have sweat dripping down my face, but I was wondering if I should subtract my BMR (according to the amount of time exercised) from the "calories burned" that my HRM gives me at the end of a workout.

For example, my BMR is 1850 (according to MFP). That means I'm burning about 77 calories/hr, roughly 1.3 cals/min. If my HRM says that I burned 485 calories for 55 minutes of exercise, should I multiply those 55 minutes by the 1.3 cals/min of my BMR, and then subtract that from the HRM reading? So I really only should log 413 calories for my "exercise" for today, right?

Sorry for the math overload. I'm dwelling on teeny bits of cals because I don't get that many in the first place, and always want to do more good than harm to my body (by eating those 413 calories worth of raspberries or something amazing and decadent like that).

Thank you!

igora_soma

bump

tapp52000

bump

ESVABelle

I personally do not subtract BMR. If you subtract BMR, you're getting a "net calorie burn", which isn't a bad calculation to use, but it's a bit more technical than necessary, in my opinion. Consider this, if you subtract your BMR for the hour long work-out, how are you going to account for your elevated metabolism/calorie burn during your post-workout period? I feel like the BMR during work-out and the elevated metabolism after work-out balance out. Or maybe I just don't like that much math.

Also, are you eating back your exercise calories? I checked your diary, and you're at a very low calorie intake. If your BMR is 1850 - which, I would do a little research, go to a few fitness sites, get multiple "opinions" - then 1350 would be your 500 cal deficit for a 2lb/wk loss - but for someone without a lot of weight left to lose, that's a lofty goal and a bit unrealistic to be honest. You've got 13lbs to go - so not a high BF% to begin with. I'd increase calories to a 250cal/day deficit (1lb/wk), maybe change your macro ratio to reduce carbs and increase protein. Maybe a 40% carb, 40% protein, 20% fat (start gradually, I've whittled it down to 45% protein, 30% carb, 25% fat).

Play with the numbers, but don't overthink them. :-)

Hope this helps!

cheshirechic

I personally do not subtract BMR. If you subtract BMR, you're getting a "net calorie burn", which isn't a bad calculation to use, but it's a bit more technical than necessary, in my opinion. Consider this, if you subtract your BMR for the hour long work-out, how are you going to account for your elevated metabolism/calorie burn during your post-workout period? I feel like the BMR during work-out and the elevated metabolism after work-out balance out. Or maybe I just don't like that much math.

Also, are you eating back your exercise calories? I checked your diary, and you're at a very low calorie intake. If your BMR is 1850 - which, I would do a little research, go to a few fitness sites, get multiple "opinions" - then 1350 would be your 500 cal deficit for a 2lb/wk loss - but for someone without a lot of weight left to lose, that's a lofty goal and a bit unrealistic to be honest. You've got 13lbs to go - so not a high BF% to begin with. I'd increase calories to a 250cal/day deficit (1lb/wk), maybe change your macro ratio to reduce carbs and increase protein. Maybe a 40% carb, 40% protein, 20% fat (start gradually, I've whittled it down to 45% protein, 30% carb, 25% fat).

Play with the numbers, but don't overthink them. :-)

Hope this helps!

This was super helpful and really rational. Thank you for the thorough look; I didn't even think about how to consider after-burn. I truly appreciate it!

Thanks to igora and tapp for bumping, too.