How will not gain weight when I maintain, using my BMR

chulie

Ok, so heres the facts, what am I missing?

My BMR says that if I do nothing, my body will burn approx 1,400 cal (using round numbers here)

When I go to my maintenance calories, I get approx 1,800. This was with 3 workouts a week at 30 minutes each.

If I am consuming 400 calories more a day, and only working out 3x a week, how will I not gain weight?

Obviously I dont intend to stick to this plan, I like to work out a few times a week and do more than just 30 minutes but just mathematically....according to this plan, how would I not gain weight? Im consuming 400 calories more per day which is 2,800 a week and lets just say at max burn 300 cal a workout, thats still only 900 cal I've worked out......the math doesnt add up! Help! I've done so well to lose weight, I dont want to screw this up.

chulie

Ok, so heres the facts, what am I missing?

My BMR says that if I do nothing, my body will burn approx 1,400 cal (using round numbers here)

When I go to my maintenance calories, I get approx 1,800. This was with 3 workouts a week at 30 minutes each.

If I am consuming 400 calories more a day, and only working out 3x a week, how will I not gain weight?

Obviously I dont intend to stick to this plan, I like to work out a few times a week and do more than just 30 minutes but just mathematically....according to this plan, how would I not gain weight? Im consuming 400 calories more per day which is 2,800 a week and lets just say at max burn 300 cal a workout, thats still only 900 cal I've worked out......the math doesnt add up! Help! I've done so well to lose weight, I dont want to screw this up.

havingitall

Are you going by the calories that MFP allows you? The deficit is already built into that amount.

For example if you say you want to lose a pound a week, it removes 500 calories per day from your allowance (500 X 7 = 3500 or 1 lb )

LuckyLeprechaun

Ok, so heres the facts, what am I missing?

My BMR says that if I do nothing, my body will burn approx 1,400 cal (using round numbers here)

When I go to my maintenance calories, I get approx 1,800. This was with 3 workouts a week at 30 minutes each.

If I am consuming 400 calories more a day, and only working out 3x a week, how will I not gain weight?

Obviously I dont intend to stick to this plan, I like to work out a few times a week and do more than just 30 minutes but just mathematically....according to this plan, how would I not gain weight? Im consuming 400 calories more per day which is 2,800 a week and lets just say at max burn 300 cal a workout, thats still only 900 cal I've worked out......the math doesnt add up! Help! I've done so well to lose weight, I dont want to screw this up.

"doing nothing" means very literally that. if you lay in a bed, and only breathe, your heart beating, then you will burn those 1400 cals. if you get out of bed, you're burning calories. if you brush your teeth, you're burning calories. if you drive your car, you're burning calories. if you...... get the idea? You burn more than that 1400 just by having a regular day. 1800 is about right for a lightly active person. when you exercise, you earn more calories, because you are creating an even bigger deficit. try it for 2 weeks and see.

lotusfromthemud

Your BMR is not your maintenance calories, but the calories you would burn literally doing nothing. . .as in nothing but breathing.

Everything you do all day long burns calories (walking from place to place, getting up from a chair, brushing your teeth, etc) that adds to your BMR to get your maintenance calories.

For example, my BMR is 1560, and my maintenance calories (set at a sedentary activity level) is 1850. If I workout, then I've burned additional calories, and eat even more.

I'm maintaining my weight on an average calorie intake of 1950 per day.

Your workouts aren't counted in your daily calorie allowance until you enter them.

chulie

Gotcha...ok...makes perfect sense!!! Thanks everyone!!! I just am so worried about letting myself "slip" back 1 calorie at a time or something.......but I see what your saying..makes perfect sense!! I shall give it a try