Wait............ now i'm all confused

Diary_Queen

Ok, I'm admittedly a Weight Watchers Points Plus girl. This calorie thing is totally new for me. My BMR is about 1945/day. This number would keep me at my current weight, correct?

Currently, I'm consuming (on avg.) 1660/day. That's a calorie deficit is a total of 285. If I maintain that amount every day for a week, that's overall weekly total is 1995. That would be the same as a bit over 1/2 lb. lost......

Also, as far as exercise goes, I'm logging anywhere between 600-1200 calories burned/day. With that amount every day for a week, that's an overall weekly minimum total of 4200; overall weekly maximum total of 8400.

Calorie reduction weekly total of 1995 + exercise min. total of 4200 = 6195; Calorie reduction weekly total of 1995 + exercise max. total of 8400 = 10395.

So, does all this math (I'm an artist... not a math major... number make my brain hurt) mean that with my current calorie intake coupled with min. exercise levels that I currently do, I could lose almost 2 lbs. per week.... and at the max. exercise level, I could lose 2.5 lbs. per week?

This is all so confusing for me. I know I'm eating less calories... trying to make more of my calories fiber to stay fuller longer to keep from snacking and more calories form protein to help build/rebuild muscle when I'm doing strength training. That's good.... I know I'm working out more (7 days a week, rain or shine at least 60 minutes a day). And that's good as well..... I'm just not sure I'm straight on the math.

Please pardon me for having a goofy moment. I'm a person who likes facts. It's easier for me to follow a plan if I know all the ins and outs of how it works.

dls06

Did you set your settings to lose weight? If so what ever they gave you should be to lose the amount of weight you set it for. 1/2, 1, or 2 lbs a week. When you exercise and add it to your diary it will automatically give you extra calories for the ones you burned. You don't have to do any math, it does it for you.
I'm not sure if that answers your question?

MayMaydoesntrun

wait..........now i'm all confused

0SimplymeStacyLea0

Wow! Now I'm confused...... :huh:

Larius

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is what you'd burn if you slept all day. It is lower than what you burn in a typical day.

jennor8or

girl... just put in how much you wanna lose , how fast you wann lose it (keep it 1-2 lbs a week MAX), and enter in everything u eat and every calorie you burn and let this beautiful creature known as MFP do all of that crazy math work for you! ppl on here have results for a reason...it works!

Rae6503

No, BMR is how much you burn if you lay in bed all day. Your daily activity adds to that.

Honestly, just let MFP do it's thing. Enter in your activity level, your weekly weight loss goal (1-2lbs is best), tract your activity and let it tell you how much to eat each day!

But it works like this:

BMR+activity level+exercise-deficit=what you should eat.

The deficit to lose 2lbs a week is 1000 calories a day.

So for you just round numbers and guesses : 1945+300+800-1000=2045 a day.

Seems like a big number but I bet money it'll work. I eat more than that.

Pandorian

Don't over math yourself. Enter your weight, enter your chosen rate of loss... the calories given will allow you to lose weight at your chosen rate of loss. It's not get a calorie goal from MFP and then build in your own deficit beyond that. The calorie goal given by MFP if you chose a rate of weight loss other than maintaining your current weight allows you to lose weight before doing ANY exercise.

Working out extends this deficit beyond what is considered fine for safe and sustainably rate of loss so by using MFP's program we're supposed to eat back exercise calories. IE for me I eat 2040 calories a day. If I exercise and burn 500 calories I eat an additional 500 calories to keep me AT my calorie goal.

Diary_Queen

Oh yeah I put in how much I wanted to lose and I'm always under my calories and over my exercise... just was curious on the mathematical part of it. I wanna know the equation and how it works so I can use my calculator and poke numbers. LOL sorry y'all... didn't mean to cause a ruckus

alyssamiller77

Your math is correct (assuming of course your BMR and other numbers are all accurate). Calories burned through exercise should be subtracted from your total calorie intake to come up with your Net calorie intake. Your Net intake then compared with your BMR (or actually you should use your RMR) should be a deficit between 300-1000 calories/day depending on how much weight you want to lose.

SheilaSisco

You should be figuring daily, for one, as far as calories and exercise go... you should never drop below 1200 NET calories on any given day. A calorie deficit of 500 calories a day would theoretically put you at 1 pound per week lost, but it isn't an exact science and doesn't work that way for everyone. For some people (a LOT of people, actually), eating over that 1200 net will cause them to lose weight faster and more effectively. I found eating between 1250 and 1300 is my 'sweet spot'... the point at which I lose weight the easiest. And I still stall from time to time, but if I bump my calories UP for a few days (to 1400 or 1500), and then drop back down to the 1300, I'll start losing again. So... just keep in mind that as contradictory as it sounds, eating less does not always equal weighing less... sometimes you have to eat more to lose more... make sense? Good luck!!!

Larius

No, BMR is how much you burn if you lay in bed all day. Your daily activity adds to that.

Honestly, just let MFP do it's thing. Enter in your activity level, your weekly weight loss goal (1-2lbs is best), tract your activity and let it tell you how much to eat each day!

But it works like this:

BMR+activity level+exercise-deficit=what you should eat.

The deficit to lose 2lbs a week is 1000 calories a day.

So for you just round numbers and guesses : 1945+300+800-1000=2045 a day.

Seems like a big number but I bet money it'll work. I eat more than that.

I'd also take that bet.

watergirl626

No, it isn't that straightforward and simple, because if your body isn't getting enough fuel, your metabolism slows in defnese and you won't lose weight as quickly. If you are taking your deficit from 1945/day, then you are talking about 13,615 calories per week to maintain (btw, you should multiply your bmr by 1.2 if you are sedentary and that is what you need to maintain), and then taking a 6195-10395 weekly deficit, then you are talking averaging net calories of 460-1060 calories per day. That's not enough, especially at the low end (max deficit, as you referred to it).

Everyone's body is different, and you have to find what works for you, but part of that is not being afraid to give your body more if it needs it. And the numbers don't always follow an equation. If I did straight math at a 2 lb loss per week, I'd have to be netting 900 something calories. I've been netting 1400+, and have averaged 2.1 lbs/week since the beginning of June. If you just plugged that into a calculator, my loss should only have been 1 lb/week.

Awkward30

As other have said, mfp does all the math for you, your job is to net whatever it tells you. So if you exercise off 500 and it tells you to eat 1200, for the day eating 1700 would give you a net of 1200. To do calculations yourself you would multiply bmr by activity level to get the number of calories you burn on average in a day. Subtracting 1000 would give you the number that nets you a 2 lb loss per week. So again, net means that anything you burn in exercise gives you more calories to eat (my motivation for going to the gym). Other people have other calculations, but by far it is easier to just put in your info to mfp and do what it tells you

millionsofpeaches

I was bad at math in high school.. #shakes head.

thedreamhazer

You are using BMR incorrectly, as others have pointed out. You need to find your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and use THAT where you were using your BMR previously.

Google TDEE for some help figuring it out.

Awkward30

No, it isn't that straightforward and simple, because if your body isn't getting enough fuel, your metabolism slows in defnese and you won't lose weight as quickly. If you are taking your deficit from 1945/day, then you are talking about 13,615 calories per week to maintain (btw, you should multiply your bmr by 1.2 if you are sedentary and that is what you need to maintain), and then taking a 6195-10395 weekly deficit, then you are talking averaging net calories of 460-1060 calories per day. That's not enough, especially at the low end (max deficit, as you referred to it).

Everyone's body is different, and you have to find what works for you, but part of that is not being afraid to give your body more if it needs it. And the numbers don't always follow an equation. If I did straight math at a 2 lb loss per week, I'd have to be netting 900 something calories. I've been netting 1400+, and have averaged 2.1 lbs/week since the beginning of June. If you just plugged that into a calculator, my loss should only have been 1 lb/week.

While I agree that you have to do what your body wants, you can't defy the laws of physics. A calorie defecit causes weight loss, and the magnitude of this eficit determines how much. More than likely there is wiggle room in your calculations. I did that with mine to make up for the inherent tendency to underestimate portion sizes. So I set my lifestyle to sedentary even though it's probably more lightly active and I only log actiities when my intent was to burn calories.

juliapurpletoes

Ok, I know all the numbers can be mind blowing, so let me try to explain and simplify a few points:

BMR is only what you burn laying around in a coma so you don't ever want to eat that few (unless you are in a coma and trying to maintain your weight - LOL)

You want to eat this to maintain:

BMR plus DAILY ACTIVITY CALORIES plus EXERCISE CALORIES

OR to lose weight:

BMR plus DAILY ACTIVITY CALORIES plus EXERCISE CALORIES (MINUS a deficit of 250 for 1/2 pound, 500 for 1 pound loss per week)


The Goals section here does all this for you depending on what you select. It is important however to be thoughtful and accurate when choosing daily activy.....Sedentary is your at the computer most of the day, Lightly Active is well like a teacher-type, etc.

Each one of those activity levels will add 250-300 calories on to your basic BMR.

Then you will add on your exercise calories and these also should be as accurate as possible using a good heart rate monitor with chest strap to know what they are. (the database is so general and machines are usually wrong!)

Hope some of this help answer a few questions, I'm like you and want to know the facts!

chachii26

Read this blog...it explains the math: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/stroutman81/view/more-calorie-and-exercise-expenditure-talk-138010

Diary_Queen

What I'm used to doing via the WW Points Plus is eating all my daily allowance of 'Daily Points' (i.e. calories from good stuff and not junk) and never eating back any of the 'Activity Points' I've earned. Daily Points were enough to lose weight and Activity Points were just a feel good bonus. Perhaps this is wrong? It's just what I'm used to doing

Diary_Queen

Thank you all for your input. Knowing how and why things work are very important for me... even when I'm confused and seem to be causing confusion for others. I set my rate here at 1.5 lbs. loss per week. I put in my sedentary desk job (which seems like a bummer cause I work out so darn much)... so, I'm sure everything's on the up & up. I eat my 1660 calories then log my exercise at the end of the day usually. Thanks again for the support

aph1234

yes you can and it still amazes me how easy it is but its not until you reach that 15 to 20 pound loss that it sinks in best of luck your gonna do it

Rae6503

Thank you all for your input. Knowing how and why things work are very important for me... even when I'm confused and seem to be causing confusion for others. I set my rate here at 1.5 lbs. loss per week. I put in my sedentary desk job (which seems like a bummer cause I work out so darn much)... so, I'm sure everything's on the up & up. I eat my 1660 calories then log my exercise at the end of the day usually. Thanks again for the support

I'm sure this will work for now, but as you get closer to your goal, I'd encourage you to eat back those exercise calories.

And I'm not sure that WW was designed for people who burn a ton of calories. They do things like cap your activity points and tell you you don't have to eat them. This works for people who have a lot to lose and/or people who don't burn that much. I'm not sure it's the best plan for those who work out a ton or those who are close to their goal.