BMR

harleygirl6363

Can someone please explain to me what this is and why it is so important??? When I calculate it it tells me I should be at 1479 calories a day which I dont understand bc MFP says I should be at 1200 a day. HELP?!?!?! THANKS IN ADVANCE

singfree

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the amount of calories you need to exist, just breathing and supporting your body's functions. Then you add in your daily activies like being a nurse, having a desk job, etc... So, depending on what type of lifestyle you lead and your weight loss goals, My Fitness Pal calculates a caloric number for you.

OK, say you want to lose a pound per week at 1200 calories per day. Eat those calories. Then if you exercise, it automatically calculates a new caloric number based on your exercise calories. So if you exercise 500 cals, you eat 500 more cals (1700 total) and still lose that 1 lb per week.

jtintx

What SFsaid. BMR is what you'd burn lying in bed just staying alive. Then MFP asks what type of lifestyle you have - sedentary, lightly active, active, or very active. It will then add those two numbers together to give you an estimate of how many calories you burn a day, not counting exercise. Then it asks how much weight you want to lose. If it's 1 lb a week then MFP will subtract 500 calories from the previous number and that is the number of calories it allows you for the day. If you exercise then you get to eat those calories too...so your deficit doesn't get too high and you keep your body fueled.

kgrc

I am still confused..Where does BMR come into play?

Also, while we are on BMR (I may need to start a new topic). I just received my HRM from Woot.. The last several days I have worn my HRM all day just to see how many calories I burn, are those calories the BMR? If not, say at the end of the day, the HRM says that I burned 1900 and I consumed 1300, is there a 600 calorie deficit?

Then add in if I added exercise that day? I am just trying figure this out to make sure that I am not putting my body in starvation mode...

Thanks

jtintx

It's used to help determine how many calories MFP will allot you to eat in one day.

BMR calories + How active you are calories = Calories alloted for the day.

If you exercise it then adds those calories to your allotment for the day.

MTGirl

Your BMR - Basal metabolic rate -is what you need just to exist. You really shouldn't eat less than your BMR calories. MFP will let you go down to 1200 - no lower, but really you should at least be eating your BMR. Your activity level chosen when you signed up, along with the amount you want to lose sets your base number of calories. But you can customize the plan - I would recommend eating at least your BMR + 1/2 or more of your exercise calories.

If you wear an HRM all day and you burn 1900 calories and you eat 1300 calories - yes that is a 600 calorie deficit for the day. If you exercise, you would want to up your calories eaten a little more to compensate.

Hope some of this helps! :flowerforyou:

April0815

Very confusing

singfree

kgrc-

If you wore your HRM for 24 hrs, that would be the total of:

1- Your BMR
2- Your Lifestyle
3- Your Exercise

Wearing the HRM includes ALL of those if worn for a 24 hr period.


The BMR is a rough calculation of your daily caloric requirement if you just sat around doing nothing all day.

Your lifestyle: How active you are...are you a waitress, teacher, lifeguard, student? Do these activities require much energy? Exercise is not included in your lifestyle.

Finally comes exercise. Determine how many cals you burned during exercise.


So, if you have a BMR of 1400 cals, add in your lifestyle maybe 300 cals, and then 200 cals of exercise for a total of 1900 cals total burned in a 24 hr period. Consume 1300 cals and you have a 600 cal deficeit for that day. The number of cals required will change daily accordig to your activity level and exercise.

becbec71

OK so MFP has me at 1200/day, set up to lose 1 lb a week. My BMR is 1573. I noramlly eat 1200 and half of my excersie cals per day. Am I correct in thinking I am undereating then?

singfree

bebec, depending on how hard you exercise, you could be undereating. Believe me, I've been there.

kgrc

Thank you!! I am a little less confused:blushing:

I also wanted to make a clarification; I wore the HRM for a 10 hour period (sorry for the confusion, not a 24 hr period, but that is my next test.. I really want to see that total).

See at the end of 10 hours (that is my work day), I see a total of 1900 calories burned...so in my mind, I am thinking. well I have only consumed 1300, I probably shouldn't work out today. And I mainly work out to stay toned and feel energized, but In the process, it is burning calories..

Do you understand where I am trying to get at?

and harleygirl.. I am so sorry for jacking your topic...:flowerforyou:

kgrc-

If you wore your HRM for 24 hrs, that would be the total of:

1- Your BMR
2- Your Lifestyle
3- Your Exercise

Wearing the HRM includes ALL of those if worn for a 24 hr period.


The BMR is a rough calculation of your daily caloric requirement if you just sat around doing nothing all day.

Your lifestyle: How active you are...are you a waitress, teacher, lifeguard, student? Do these activities require much energy? Exercise is not included in your lifestyle.

Finally comes exercise. Determine how many cals you burned during exercise.


So, if you have a BMR of 1400 cals, add in your lifestyle maybe 300 cals, and then 200 cals of exercise for a total of 1900 cals total burned in a 24 hr period. Consume 1300 cals and you have a 600 cal deficeit for that day. The number of cals required will change daily accordig to your activity level and exercise.

jtintx

Very confusing

What don't you understand?

BMR = The calories you would burn if you stayed in bed ALL DAY
Lifestyle calories = The calories you burn brushing your teeth, getting dressed, driving to work, etc.

BMR + Lifestyle = The number of calories you can eat in one day and not gain or lose weight.

If you want to lose weight exercise, or eat less calories than BMR + Lifestyle.

I hope that helps 'cause I think it's important for people to understand this.

stef_e_b

I think what the main problem I (and maybe others) are having is that my BMR is a lot more than the 1300 cals that MFP gives me. I hear all the time don't eat less than your BMR but I think I would gain at 2300 cals a day.

becbec71

I for one am worried about matabolism. I am 37 and have dieted all my life and know mine is slow. I judt font want to put myself into starvation mode. I think that is what most of us questioning this are concerned about.

jtintx

I think what the main problem I (and maybe others) are having is that my BMR is a lot more than the 1300 cals that MFP gives me. I hear all the time don't eat less than your BMR but I think I would gain at 2300 cals a day.

If your BMR is 2300 and you told MFP that you want to lose 2 lbs. a week then you need to have a calorie deficit of 1000 calories a day. 2300-1000=1300. So if you stay at 1300 calories a day you should lose 2 lbs a week. BUT, if you exercise and burn say 500 calories then you need to eat back those 500 calories so your deficit stays at 1000, not 1500. If your BMR really is 2300 you should not gain weight if you eat 2300 calories a day. It just depends on how big you are. The more you have to lose (the more your body has to keep alive) the more calories it takes. So if you have quite a bit to lose then a BMR of 2300 sounds right to me. What I'm confused about is that you haven't mentioned what your lifestyle is...sedentary? Does the BMR calculator say 2300 or is that what MFP gives you as your calories for the day?

jtintx

I for one am worried about matabolism. I am 37 and have dieted all my life and know mine is slow. I judt font want to put myself into starvation mode. I think that is what most of us questioning this are concerned about.

I think people worry too much about starvation mode. If you are eating 1200 - 1700 calories a day, 1200 for those close to ideal body weight and 1700 for those with quite a bit still to lose, then I don't feel starvation mode is a concern. PS. How do you know your metabolism is slow? Did you have it tested?

I read an article recently that did a study on this very thing on people who thought their metabolism was slow...it wasn't. If you think it is maybe you shold get it checked. I too thought my metabolism was slow because I was exercising about 4 days a week and wasn't losing any weight. Then I started counting calories here on MFP and found out I was just eating too much! I've dropped 20 pounds in a little over 3 months.

SHBoss1673

OK guys, Here is the breakdown of BMR. Read this slowly, and grasp each part before you move on.

1) BMR is one part of a 3 part equation used to calculate what SHOULD be your maintenance calories. It is the amount of energy required (in calories) to make your organs work, that's it, nothing else. The other two parts are activity calories (walking, breathing, changing the channel with the remote; using any, ANY non-autonomic muscles in your body), and thermogenesys + nervous system function. Thermogenesys is the production and dissipation of heat by the body when converting energy (food and glucose) into fuel for the body.

2) BMR is (depending on your specific body) anywhere from 60% to 75% of your maintenance calories, activity is usually 15 to 25% of your maintenance calories and thermogenesys and nervous function is usually between 10 and 20% of your maintenance calories.

3) For people that have a normal (or close to it) BMI and Body Fat %, you should never really go below your BMR calories, BUT for people in the obese category, there is a lot of extra stored energy for the body to pull from, and it is usually safe to go below the BMR calories for a while, until you significantly reduce your body fat %.

4) MFP doesn't use BMR at all from what I can tell. It doesn't factor into it's equations even a little bit. It's just a tool Mike threw up there because it's weight related and a good fact to know for those of us that are far enough along to be able to use it as a guide.

5) *********************IMPORTANT****************************
BMR is an ESTIMATE!!!!!!! It's not exact, and should not be treated as such. As humans, there are thousands of variables in our body that can change the amount of calories we burn in a day, without direct VO2 MAX testing done by a laboratory environment, you cannot know, precisely how many calories you burn in a day. Even Heart Rate Monitors are estimates, although they come very close in most cases (usually within 5% of actual).

6) See #5, because we are all different, everyone has a slightly different amount of calories they need to lose weight sucessfully. Two people can be the exact same height, weight, age, sex , and activity level and yet can still lose weight at different calorie amounts and require different types of exercise to be sucessful. Remember, just because you are similar to someone on the outside, doesn't mean your body chemistry, hormone levels, bone mass, organ density, and tissue composition are all the same, all of these things can change your results, and you must be patient, and use a little common sense when developing your own plan. Tweaking calories, food types, and exercise routines are all part of the journey.

7) Metabolic depression can happen, people who have been eating too little for a long time develop a stunted metabolism, it can take months to return it to normal, and during that time you can and probably WILL see weight gain, despite your best efforts. Don't be fooled into thinking that just because you aren't loosing right away, it's because you are eating too much. that's very rarely the case if you follow the MFP guidelines. More often your body is trying to adjust to the new calorie levels and exercise routine. Give it time people, let your body get back to where it should be, then watch the weight fall off like water!

becbec71

I for one am worried about matabolism. I am 37 and have dieted all my life and know mine is slow. I judt font want to put myself into starvation mode. I think that is what most of us questioning this are concerned about.

I think people worry too much about starvation mode. If you are eating 1200 - 1700 calories a day, 1200 for those close to ideal body weight and 1700 for those with quite a bit still to lose, then I don't feel starvation mode is a concern. PS. How do you know your metabolism is slow? Did you have it tested?

I read an article recently that did a study on this very thing on people who thought their metabolism was slow...it wasn't. If you think it is maybe you shold get it checked. I too thought my metabolism was slow because I was exercising about 4 days a week and wasn't losing any weight. Then I started counting calories here on MFP and found out I was just eating too much! I've dropped 20 pounds in a little over 3 months.

I am borderline hypothyroid. I am also insulin resistant. I havent had any bloodwork done in a couple of years so I went this am and the work up done. I get my results Friday when I have my pysical, which I havent had done in probably 10 years. So I will know for sure Friday. My history and dieting yo-yo's drop 100 pounds gain 50 ect leads me to make a self educated guess that my body is pretty off kilter. I also have PCOS which makes it very easy for my hormones to go out of wack making it even harder to lose. I know I am losing at a good rate per my dr but I want to make sure I doing everything I can to senisbly loose weight the healthy way and keep this life style change for the rest of my life.

SHBoss1673

I for one am worried about matabolism. I am 37 and have dieted all my life and know mine is slow. I judt font want to put myself into starvation mode. I think that is what most of us questioning this are concerned about.

I think people worry too much about starvation mode. If you are eating 1200 - 1700 calories a day, 1200 for those close to ideal body weight and 1700 for those with quite a bit still to lose, then I don't feel starvation mode is a concern. PS. How do you know your metabolism is slow? Did you have it tested?

I read an article recently that did a study on this very thing on people who thought their metabolism was slow...it wasn't. If you think it is maybe you shold get it checked. I too thought my metabolism was slow because I was exercising about 4 days a week and wasn't losing any weight. Then I started counting calories here on MFP and found out I was just eating too much! I've dropped 20 pounds in a little over 3 months.

I am borderline hypothyroid. I am also insulin resistant. I havent had any bloodwork done in a couple of years so I went this am and the work up done. I get my results Friday when I have my pysical, which I havent had done in probably 10 years. So I will know for sure Friday. My history and dieting yo-yo's drop 100 pounds gain 50 ect leads me to make a self educated guess that my body is pretty off kilter. I also have PCOS which makes it very easy for my hormones to go out of wack making it even harder to lose. I know I am losing at a good rate per my dr but I want to make sure I doing everything I can to senisbly loose weight the healthy way and keep this life style change for the rest of my life.

before you make any changes, IMHO I would go and get your T3 and T4 levels checked. That's the only way to tell if your thyroid is working properly. Go to a specialist, forget your GP, GP is good for certain things, but they are a generalist and probably haven't done the research and training needed to know what your levels should be at. You should have them checked every year if you are borderline, sometimes the thyroid (after eating right and exercise) can make a comeback, and sometimes they degenerate over time, without knowing for sure, you are going to have a difficult time.

becbec71

SHBoss1673 #7 exactly. I think we have all fallen into the conditioning that if you want to lose weight you eat less. I have been guilty of not eating to lose weight. Off and on since High School. It is hard to get all the right concepts on how to do it through our hard heads, mine anyways. Enough years of doing that and you can pretty much assume you metabolisim is stunted. I have lived for years eating no breakfast, a small lunch and dinner and thinking that was the right way to do it. I have never been a big eater. I shoudl really be a size 2 they way I would eat. But due to medical conditions I couldnt take the weight off. That is what is great about this site and everyones trial and errors and expierance that is shared here freely.

I think I am finally understanding what was confusing to me all this time with this thread. I for one am a firm believer in MFP. 20 pounds in 3 months isnat as fast as I wanted but its a healty loss and I will keep at it till I am where I want to be. THen will still be around to help myself keep on target and helps others.

SHBoss1673

SHBoss1673 #7 exactly. I think we have all fallen into the conditioning that if you want to lose weight you eat less. I have been guilty of not eating to lose weight. Off and on since High School. It is hard to get all the right concepts on how to do it through our hard heads, mine anyways. Enough years of doing that and you can pretty much assume you metabolisim is stunted. I have lived for years eating no breakfast, a small lunch and dinner and thinking that was the right way to do it. I have never been a big eater. I shoudl really be a size 2 they way I would eat. But due to medical conditions I couldnt take the weight off. That is what is great about this site and everyones trial and errors and expierance that is shared here freely.

I think I am finally understanding what was confusing to me all this time with this thread. I for one am a firm believer in MFP. 20 pounds in 3 months isnat as fast as I wanted but its a healty loss and I will keep at it till I am where I want to be. THen will still be around to help myself keep on target and helps others.

I'm glad you are "seeing the light" lady. Hey 7 lbs a month is a speedy and really good weight loss level. I don't know why you would want more then that. That's just shy of 2 lbs a week average, which is about as fast as most people's bodys can handle without doing some pretty drastic body chemistry shuffling (which tends to cause people to plateau). I say stick with what you are doing, 20 lbs in 3 months is good. If you keep at that level, by the Winter you will be at your goal (although, the last 20 or so are harder, so I wouldn't put too much pressure on yourself to do that). And that is great! remember, do this stuff to fast, and you tend to re-gain the weight, do it slowly, forming good habits and repeatable actions, and you develop a lifestyle, which is way better then just "dieting". Yuck, that's such a dirty word!