BMR Tool & Goal Setting

rat70

I also feel like I am experimenting.

My weight loss is happening but is slower this last couple of weeks. Since finding this thread I have upped my calories a bit this week. Actually only by about 200 cals in reality as I'm not eating enough at the start of the day (although I am not hungry) and ending up with too many cals to eat at the end (and I won't eat more than a couple of pieces of Lindt if I'm not hungry). It turns out that I am still under my BMR every day. I'm going to stick at this level for another week and see if my weight loss rate increases. If not, maybe I need to up it a bit more - and try really hard to eat more earlier in the day.

If it goes up perhaps I will have discovered that I actually have a really, really slow metabolism (that woundn't come as a surprise!) and I actually need to eat less???!!

I don't know, it is such an imperfect science. I am taking the attitude that I am in this for the long haul to the end (my goal weight) and I will keep working out what works until I get there. So long as my weight isn't going up at an alarming rate!

psuLemon

I also feel like I am experimenting.

My weight loss is happening but is slower this last couple of weeks. Since finding this thread I have upped my calories a bit this week. Actually only by about 200 cals in reality as I'm not eating enough at the start of the day (although I am not hungry) and ending up with too many cals to eat at the end (and I won't eat more than a couple of pieces of Lindt if I'm not hungry). It turns out that I am still under my BMR every day. I'm going to stick at this level for another week and see if my weight loss rate increases. If not, maybe I need to up it a bit more - and try really hard to eat more earlier in the day.

If it goes up perhaps I will have discovered that I actually have a really, really slow metabolism (that woundn't come as a surprise!) and I actually need to eat less???!!

I don't know, it is such an imperfect science. I am taking the attitude that I am in this for the long haul to the end (my goal weight) and I will keep working out what works until I get there. So long as my weight isn't going up at an alarming rate!

If you have a slow metabolism and you eat less, then you will continue to make it slower. Really at no point, should a person eat less calories than their BMR.

Based on your workout schedule and your lifestyle (working with children) you are constantly moving. My wife works with children and I can tell you she isn't sedentary and I would doubt you are. Sedentary is for people who have desk jobs. If you add that and the fact you workout 5 days a week, I would put you around moderately active. This would suggest you should eat aroudn 1700 calories a day. This includes days you don't work out. If you aren't losing, then you aren't eating enough, I can almost guarentee it.


Since see your food diary, it's hard to tell. If you can open it up, I will take a look for you. But my suggestion is to increase your calories again to 1700. Don't eat back your exercise calories as it's already in the equation. And work to eat that much. Do that approach for a month. If you still don't lose, then you still might not be eating enough. I know it's a crazy concept but it works. I have increased my calories 3 times. And about to do it a fourth. Each time, my weight has decreased and I have been able to turn fat into muscle. Also, try to change up your workout routine every 30 days. Your body will adjust so if you don't change it, it won't produce results.


http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

xcjumper

Hi Guys!
I found this thread while reading yesterday at work and this just makes sense to me so I did a little research and checked out the websites mentioned. I always seem to be struggling with losing about 15-20 pounds despite eating well and exercising a lot. I work three days per week, 12 hour shifts in which I am walking the whole time (I'm an ER nurse). On my days off I am exercising for a good part of the day. I ride my horse (no the horse doesn't do all the work), I run and I do hot power yoga. I am not running too much right now due to the heat and my next half marathon isn't until January so I will start back to full training in October. Right now just running 2 days per week about 3 miles each time. I do the Yoga and ride 4 days per week.

Anyway, I am currently on 1300 cals/day + I eat my exercise cals. But I am always starving even if I eat all my exercise cals. The F2F site says my bmr is 1472. I put myself as Mod active which F2F says to eat 2187/day. I am afraid to do this of course! My question is... do you guys think starting at 1800 would be reasonable? My diary is open to see but I just recently started with MFP. I am currently 5'6" and 164#. All of the body fat calc put me between 29-34% body fat. Goal is 150#. Right now I am very fit but need to get rid of this extra weight that slows me down while running and riding (I ride competitively, jumping).
Thanks!

psuLemon

Hi Guys!
I found this thread while reading yesterday at work and this just makes sense to me so I did a little research and checked out the websites mentioned. I always seem to be struggling with losing about 15-20 pounds despite eating well and exercising a lot. I work three days per week, 12 hour shifts in which I am walking the whole time (I'm an ER nurse). On my days off I am exercising for a good part of the day. I ride my horse (no the horse doesn't do all the work), I run and I do hot power yoga. I am not running too much right now due to the heat and my next half marathon isn't until January so I will start back to full training in October. Right now just running 2 days per week about 3 miles each time. I do the Yoga and ride 4 days per week.

Anyway, I am currently on 1300 cals/day + I eat my exercise cals. But I am always starving even if I eat all my exercise cals. The F2F site says my bmr is 1472. I put myself as Mod active which F2F says to eat 2187/day. I am afraid to do this of course! My question is... do you guys think starting at 1800 would be reasonable? My diary is open to see but I just recently started with MFP. I am currently 5'6" and 164#. All of the body fat calc put me between 29-34% body fat. Goal is 150#. Right now I am very fit but need to get rid of this extra weight that slows me down while running and riding (I ride competitively, jumping).
Thanks!

Funny thing is, since you are on your feet all day at work and you workout a lot, I would consider you very active. To put it in perspecitive for you, I sit at a desk for 8 hours, but I try to walk as much as possible and up stairs when I can and do 45-60 minutes of exercise 6 days a week plus golf on the weekeend and I am boarderline very active.


Now, 2100 calories truely isn't that much, especially considering there are a lot of days you eat 1800-1900. My biggest suggestion would try to start at 2000 calories and do that for two weeks. If you have no progress in terms of weight, but it to 2200. There is a great chance you should be around 2400+ calories. Now, my biggest suggestion, is it possible to get yoru body fat? F2F can be low unless you have yoru true BF% number. In fact, it's about 200 calories short of where I should be when I don't input my body fat %.

Lets start there and see how you can go. Now, i would suggest going into goals and doing a custom goal of 2000 calories. Of those calories, lets do 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat. This should be a good start.

xcjumper

Okay...thank you! I did change my ratios to 50/25/25 but I will change it to your suggestion and see how the next two weeks go. No that is not a true body fat. I just used the calculators with measurements and averaged them. I will need to figure out a better way eventually.

The problem, and if you looked at my diary, you can see that I tend to eat more on my work days (I seem to notice the hunger more then) than on my days off when I'm working out a bunch. On the days I'm off and active...I forget to eat because I am running around from one activity to the next. I have to remember to bring food along.

I'll let you know how the next two weeks go.....

psuLemon

Okay...thank you! I did change my ratios to 50/25/25 but I will change it to your suggestion and see how the next two weeks go. No that is not a true body fat. I just used the calculators with measurements and averaged them. I will need to figure out a better way eventually.

The problem, and if you looked at my diary, you can see that I tend to eat more on my work days (I seem to notice the hunger more then) than on my days off when I'm working out a bunch. On the days I'm off and active...I forget to eat because I am running around from one activity to the next. I have to remember to bring food along.

I'll let you know how the next two weeks go.....

Sounds like a plan. If after all that, you are still hungry, you might be in the next category which I think is athletic. But yes, consistant eating should help that out. Good luck!