Can someone explain BMR?

Virginia90

The tool here says my BMR is 1,669 calories/day, and my calorie goal is 1200 (but then I add 200 calories for breastfeeding, and I also eat my exercise calories)...I'm a female, 213lbs, and 5'1". When I do the math, that leaves me with less than a pound of a calorie deficit per week even though I have a goal of 2lbs per week (since I have another 90lbs I need to lose). I know 1200 is the minimum healthy calorie goal, and I'm not going to go under that, so no worries, but I'm wondering if this means it is impossible for me to lose 2lbs a week eating 1200 calories (net) a day or am I misunderstanding? I'd love someone to explain the whole BMR/calorie deficit thing to me! Thanks!

pinkminy

not 100% sure but I think the BMR is basic metabolic rate needed if you were maintain the weight you are now

missfluffyuk

As I understand it, that's exactly what it means. You can't lose 2lb per week while maintaining your health. You might still manage to do that for a while,t hough, since you have so much to lose.

Basically, your BMR is what your body would still need if you were in a coma.

If you have a sedentary lifestyle, you multiply your BMR by 1.2 to get your maintenance calories. This is what you would eat to maintain your current weight. To lose 1lb per week, you subtract 500 from this.

Also, you are supposed to eat back your exercise calories. Your body needs fuel to burn!

missfluffyuk

not 100% sure but I think the BMR is basic metabolic rate needed if you were maintain the weight you are now

No, your basal metabolic rate is what your body needs to do things like breathe, keep your heart beating, cells replicating, etc. To stay alive.

xraychick77

the 1200 calorie as a healthy thing is a diet myth.

its an arbitrary number someone somewhere just pulled out of their.....and it caught on and got spread around.

you should go on your BMR with activity level as the main guide of how much you should reduce. most set for 1 lb a week. The reason you dont want to reduce cals so much is to prevent muscle catabolism. so a 500 cal a day reduction is typical. from there whatever you burn during exercise adds to any other weight/fat loss.

bmr is your basal metabolic rate. this is how many calories you need to intake each day to maintain your current weight, as if you were sleeping or in a coma. of course since we dont sleep all day or are in comas, we add an activity level to add calories we burn from our daily activities.

Nitachi

not 100% sure but I think the BMR is basic metabolic rate needed if you were maintain the weight you are now

True if you were in a comatose state.

Nitachi

the 1200 calorie as a healthy thing is a diet myth.

its an arbitrary number someone somewhere just pulled out of their.....and it caught on and got spread around.

you should go on your BMR with activity level as the main guide of how much you should reduce. most set for 1 lb a week. The reason you dont want to reduce cals so much is to prevent muscle catabolism. so a 500 cal a day reduction is typical. from there whatever you burn during exercise adds to any other weight/fat loss.

bmr is your basal metabolic rate. this is how many calories you need to intake each day to maintain your current weight, as if you were sleeping or in a coma. of course since we dont sleep all day or are in comas, we add an activity level to add calories we burn from our daily activities.

Spot on!

Virginia90

So...since I have a "sedentary lifestyle", I take 1669*1.2=2002.8, and then subtract 500 calories for 1lb a week? Which means 1502.8 calories a day would give me 1lb of weight loss a week? Correct?

missfluffyuk

So...since I have a "sedentary lifestyle", I take 1669*1.2=2002.8, and then subtract 500 calories for 1lb a week? Which means 1502.8 calories a day would give me 1lb of weight loss a week? Correct?

Correct.

missfluffyuk

the 1200 calorie as a healthy thing is a diet myth.

its an arbitrary number someone somewhere just pulled out of their.....and it caught on and got spread around.

This is partly true, the main reason it's not advices to go below 1200 is because it can be very difficult to get enough nutrients from less food than that. Also because most people will already be eating at a deficit on 1200 cals, and if you have too large a deficit then you will lose muscle.

Virginia90

Thank you! I knew I had to of been missing something! It was the 1.2 factor! lol

ninerbuff

So...since I have a "sedentary lifestyle", I take 1669*1.2=2002.8, and then subtract 500 calories for 1lb a week? Which means 1502.8 calories a day would give me 1lb of weight loss a week? Correct?

This is correct. Now if you exercise and say it's 300 calories burned, then your total would be 1802.8 available calories to consume to still lose one pound a week.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Virginia90

So since I'm breastfeeding, and probably burning about 200 calories a day with that, theoretically, I could eat 1700 calories a day and lose a pound/week? :noway: I must have REALLY been overeating to have kept gaining weight. Especially since my daughter didn't slow down with her nursing until recently...

ninerbuff

So since I'm breastfeeding, and probably burning about 200 calories a day with that, theoretically, I could eat 1700 calories a day and lose a pound/week? :noway: I must have REALLY been overeating to have kept gaining weight. Especially since my daughter didn't slow down with her nursing until recently...

Many people really don't realize how much they overeat. It cracks me up when I hear people at the gym say "I don't eat that bad" and they are 50lbs or more overweight.
It's usually a shock to find out that you may be superceding your daily intake by more than 1000 calories by just having a few lattes, a candy bar and some chips.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Virginia90

So since I'm breastfeeding, and probably burning about 200 calories a day with that, theoretically, I could eat 1700 calories a day and lose a pound/week? :noway: I must have REALLY been overeating to have kept gaining weight. Especially since my daughter didn't slow down with her nursing until recently...

Many people really don't realize how much they overeat. It cracks me up when I hear people at the gym say "I don't eat that bad" and they are 50lbs or more overweight.
It's usually a shock to find out that you may be superceding your daily intake by more than 1000 calories by just having a few lattes, a candy bar and some chips.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I think my biggest problem was portion size - especially with meats and carbs! I mean, of course I'm also an emotional eater, and would sit down and "drown my sorrows" in a box of multigrain cheerios (they have the word "multigrain" so they MUST be healthy!), but just my normal day to day portion sizes were way too big, and I didn't even realize it. Add in the anxiety I get when I leave something on my plate to "go to waste" (even if it goes into the fridge for later) causing me to stuff myself....and yeah...that's what got me 90 pounds overweight! :frown: I'm changing though, so that's what matters now.