I'm SO confused...

spicy618

... about the calories MFP shows I should be consuming and what the BMR calculator shows.

Hi everyone. I'm new to the site and am very thankful to have come across this place. It seems you all are very supportive to everyone. I want to thank you in advance.

When I first set up my profile it shows I should 1,200 daily calories is my goal, however, after reading some of the topics many of you are recommending to use the BMR number instead. Well, when I changed my goal to 1,449 as it calculated. I will only lose 0.7 pounds a week at that amount, It will take me years to lose the weight I want.

I'm 5'4, 175 lbs. I have been averaging 4 days of exercise and about 1200 calories for the last 2 weeks and I have not lost an ounce I incorporate weight training with every visit to the gym and I've been drinking a protein shake with bananas every morning and after every workout.

My routine is as follows:

35 minutes on the elliptical ( 11 incline, 8 resistance)
3 or 4 strength training machines after cardio. (3 sets of 20).

On the weekends I either walk with my dog (3 miles within 1 hour) or Rollerblading (60 - 90 minutes).

I have had my Thyroid checked often and the blood work says I'm ok..... I'm really frustrated because I've been consistent since June or July and I have not seen quick enough results.... WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

ANY help or advice is greatly appreciated. :flowerforyou:

spicy618

... about the calories MFP shows I should be consuming and what the BMR calculator shows.

Hi everyone. I'm new to the site and am very thankful to have come across this place. It seems you all are very supportive to everyone. I want to thank you in advance.

When I first set up my profile it shows I should 1,200 daily calories is my goal, however, after reading some of the topics many of you are recommending to use the BMR number instead. Well, when I changed my goal to 1,449 as it calculated. I will only lose 0.7 pounds a week at that amount, It will take me years to lose the weight I want.

I'm 5'4, 175 lbs. I have been averaging 4 days of exercise and about 1200 calories for the last 2 weeks and I have not lost an ounce I incorporate weight training with every visit to the gym and I've been drinking a protein shake with bananas every morning and after every workout.

My routine is as follows:

35 minutes on the elliptical ( 11 incline, 8 resistance)
3 or 4 strength training machines after cardio. (3 sets of 20).

On the weekends I either walk with my dog (3 miles within 1 hour) or Rollerblading (60 - 90 minutes).

I have had my Thyroid checked often and the blood work says I'm ok..... I'm really frustrated because I've been consistent since June or July and I have not seen quick enough results.... WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

ANY help or advice is greatly appreciated. :flowerforyou:

Theresa35

Good morning Spicy...

You didn't specify, so let me ask...are you eating your 1200 calories PLUS the calories you burn from the exercise??? If not, there is your problem. There are several great links on here about eating your exercise calories, although I'm not sure how to post them here for you, but someone will jump in and help I'm sure...

It is a bit confusing in the beginning and we are soo programmed to thinking that we keep needing to eat less and less and exercise more and more and that is simply just not the correct formula. We must keep our bodies fueled to burn efficiently, and all over balance is the key.

Good luck on your goals! :flowerforyou:

kerrilucko

2 weeks is NOT long enough to know if this is working or not. It took me more than that to lose my first pound. It's weird, I know. Some people lose 8 lbs their first week and others lose nothing. Stick with it though. Patience. And make sure you're eating those exercise cals!

AugustBaby1973

Don't get discouraged! I was disappointed when I didn't lose the weight I though I'd lose after walking 2 miles per day, eating right and exercising. Then....about a week and a half into my workout, my weight just CHANGED! :happy: Be sure to input your daily exercise on the MFP log, and eat the correct amount of calories it tells you to, because your body may throw itself into "starvation mode" if you cut back on too many calories, and it will preserve the fat! But, keep working! Don't quit!!! You can do this! Just be patient, and try not to jump on the scale daily....do it every week!

spicy618

Thanks Teresa,

I will search for some of those links.

I just tracked my calories correctly this past week and it showed an average of about 1,300. These are the same foods I've been eating for the last few months. So the answer is no, I most likely have not been eating my "exercise calories".

Once I get this figured out, I'm gonna be hot

Is your calorie goal based on the BMR?

spicy618

Don't get discouraged! I was disappointed when I didn't lose the weight I though I'd lose after walking 2 miles per day, eating right and exercising. Then....about a week and a half into my workout, my weight just CHANGED! :happy: Be sure to input your daily exercise on the MFP log, and eat the correct amount of calories it tells you to, because your body may throw itself into "starvation mode" if you cut back on too many calories, and it will preserve the fat! But, keep working! Don't quit!!! You can do this! Just be patient, and try not to jump on the scale daily....do it every week!

It takes me about a week to convince myself to get on the scale after I haven't noticed a change :laugh:

Thanks.

spicy618

2 weeks is NOT long enough to know if this is working or not. It took me more than that to lose my first pound. It's weird, I know. Some people lose 8 lbs their first week and others lose nothing. Stick with it though. Patience. And make sure you're eating those exercise cals!

That makes me feel better... I will continue to stick with it. Thanks

Theresa35

Thanks Teresa,

I will search for some of those links.

I just tracked my calories correctly this past week and it showed an average of about 1,300. These are the same foods I've been eating for the last few months. So the answer is no, I most likely have not been eating my "exercise calories".

Once I get this figured out, I'm gonna be hot

Is your calorie goal based on the BMR?

I base my daily calories on 1200, which is lower than my BMR, so if I do go over a bit, I am still okay, and I almost always eat the majority of my exercise calories. I would suggest eating your exercise calories and see what happens...my guess is that you'll be pleasantly surprised...and your body will be happier too!

sarabear

How do they calculate the BMR, mine is like 1540, is it because I'm so heavy?

songbyrdsweet

How do they calculate the BMR, mine is like 1540, is it because I'm so heavy?

There are a few different equations for BMR. They're based on age, weight, gender, height, body fat, or any combination of those factors. Theoretically, the larger you are, the higher your BMR. But in many cases that assumes an average amount of muscle mass, and some large people have a lot and some have very little. So that's why BMR is just an estimate (and the calculators that include body fat % are a bit more accurate).

janiebeth

Hi spicy,

The only thing I can add to what has already been said is to make sure you are drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.

It is amazing what water can do to help.

Good luck. janiebeth