If I'm not supposed to eat below my BMR...

cbh142

From what I understand your BMR is what you burn even if you were in a coma. Eating below your BMR is not a good idea.

angng

This was helpful to me: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

gomisskellygo

Can someone please answer this: Should I never net under BMR? I mean if I eat my BMR calories around 1600 and then burn 600, do I need to eat all of my exercise calorie back? Or if I eat 1800 (200 above BMR) and burn 600, should I only eat back 400 exercise calories? I am asking because I have not netted below my BMR for 8 weeks now and have only lost 2 pounds. I usually eat my exercise calories and gauge my burn with a HRM.

Thanks!

Edited to say 2lbs...lost 2lbs..I typed 8 lost by accident and that would be fantastic!

Sabine_Stroehm

This was helpful to me: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Me too.

jsapninz

If you don't have alot to lose, you ARE going to have to eat below your BMR if you want to lose at any seeable (.5 lbs a week or 1 lb a week) weight. It's just the way the math works. However, don't be trying to lose at too quickly of a rate for your weight (ie: 2 lbs a week if you only have 15 lbs to lose is too quickly).

Just don't go way below your BMR, ignore the fear mongers (starvation mode is largely a myth), and you will be fine. :flowerforyou:

jsapninz

To maintain your weight you need to eat your BMR. If you are looking to lose weight then you need to eat at least 500 under your daily BMR. Hope this makes sense.

Many people get confused on this

Close, but not correct.

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is your maintenance calories. This is your BMR times a multiplier (1.2 for sedentary lifestyle, for example). This is where you want to get your cut from.

jsapninz

Can someone please answer this: Should I never net under BMR? I mean if I eat my BMR calories around 1600 and then burn 600, do I need to eat all of my exercise calorie back? Or if I eat 1800 (200 above BMR) and burn 600, should I only eat back 400 exercise calories? I am asking because I have not netted below my BMR for 8 weeks now and have only lost 8 pounds. I usually eat my exercise calories and gauge my burn with a HRM.

Thanks!

It is ok to eat under your BMR, as long as you aren't WAY below. It is more common when you don't have alot to lose. However, when you don't have alot to lose you shouldn't be trying to lose at 2 lbs a week either.

If you are accurately calculating your cals burned with a HRM, then yes you should eat them if you are close to your BMR. However, please note that your cut should be off your TDEE, not your BMR. You can create your cut with exercise, eating or both. So if your goal is 1800, you eat 1600 cals and exercise 200 off and don't eat them back, your cut is 400. (If you aren't eating them back they just add to your cut.)

8 lbs in 8 weeks is a good rate, 1-2 lbs a week is healthy and from your discussion I assume you don't have awhole lot to lose.

gomisskellygo

It's BASIC MATH people.

I really wish this was true. In my 20's it was. Now not so much!! However, I will find my magic number:)

jsapninz

It's BASIC MATH people.

I really wish this was true. In my 20's it was. Now not so much!! However, I will find my magic number:)

Your BMR is your BMR. Yes, it slows down as you age, just like it slows down as you lose weight. But this is because you are burning less (and therefore NEEDING less). AGE IS NOT AN EXCUSE.

It requires a 500 cal cut to lose 1 lb a week, whether you are 20 or 80 years old, 500 lbs or 150 lbs. PERIOD.

Sabine_Stroehm

It's BASIC MATH people.

I really wish this was true. In my 20's it was. Now not so much!! However, I will find my magic number:)

I whole heartedly agree. As someone in my late forties, in menopause, it IS HARDER.

gomisskellygo

It's BASIC MATH people.

I really wish this was true. In my 20's it was. Now not so much!! However, I will find my magic number:)

Your BMR is your BMR. Yes, it slows down as you age. But AGE IS NOT AN EXCUSE. It requires a 500 cal cut to lose 1 lb a week, whether you are 20 or 80 years old.

Thank you for your responses, I appreciate them! I lost 2lbs in 8 weeks though. I went back and edited my original post. Bummer. I have bloodwork scheduled for tomorrow (again). I have lost weight in the past pretty easily.. I have the knowledge, ambition, and motivation. It's not working, Who knows. No excuses here, just saying I have never had a hard time before.

gomisskellygo

It's BASIC MATH people.

I really wish this was true. In my 20's it was. Now not so much!! However, I will find my magic number:)

I whole heartedly agree. As someone in my late forties, in menopause, it IS HARDER.

Thanks!

jsapninz

It's BASIC MATH people.

I really wish this was true. In my 20's it was. Now not so much!! However, I will find my magic number:)

I whole heartedly agree. As someone in my late forties, in menopause, it IS HARDER.

That is not true: a pound is 3500 calories. You have to burn 3,500 calories more than you eat to lose a pound. It doesn't matter who you are, how old you are, what color your skin is, your weight, your location, your sex, your ANYTHING. Losing a pound is the same amount of calories for EVERYONE.

However if you want to make excuses to yourself to say that "THINGS ARE HARDER FOR ME," go for it. But don't pass it off as fact.

Sabine_Stroehm

It's BASIC MATH people.

I really wish this was true. In my 20's it was. Now not so much!! However, I will find my magic number:)

I whole heartedly agree. As someone in my late forties, in menopause, it IS HARDER.

That is not true: a pound is 3500 calories. You have to burn 3,500 calories more than you eat to lose a pound. It doesn't matter who you are, how old you are, what color your skin is, your weight, your location, your sex, your ANYTHING. Losing a pound is the same amount of calories for EVERYONE.

However if you want to make excuses to yourself to say that "THINGS ARE HARDER FOR ME," go for it. But don't pass it off as fact.

You're in menopause as well?

ps: no excuses here. I'm hard at work, and not over weight.

gomisskellygo

This is a perfect example of karma!!! I remember rolling my eyes at my moms friends complaining about how much "easier" it was to lose weight at my ages (teens/20's). Lazy *kitten* old ladies, I thought. LOL. Jokes on me!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

jsapninz- I hope you are well in to your 30's as I wouldn't wish this on anybody.:drinker:

No excuses here. I will do whatever work that it takes. Just looking for some support/experiences of other MFP'ers.:drinker:

Sabine_Stroehm

This is a perfect example of karma!!! I remember rolling my eyes at my moms friends complaining about how much "easier" it was to lose weight at my ages (teens/20's). Lazy *kitten* old ladies, I thought. LOL. Jokes on me!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

jsapninz- I hope you are well in to your 30's as I wouldn't wish this on anybody.:drinker:

No excuses here. I will do whatever work that it takes. Just looking for some support/experiences of other MFP'ers.:drinker:

You've GOT my support. I know that it got harder to maintain every few years. I KNOW that it's harder to lose a few pounds now than it was. Keep up the good work!

pitbullmama

bump

gomisskellygo

[/quote]You've GOT my support. I know that it got harder to maintain every few years. I KNOW that it's harder to lose a few pounds now than it was. Keep up the good work!
[/quote]

Thank you!!

jsapninz

Sorry to pee on your pity party. Carry on.

I look forward to living in a world that does not conform to basic science and math.

DakotaKeogh

You know what? Diet. Just freaking diet. We're all different. We all have opinions based on our own experience and success or lack of it. Just diet. Try things. Try other things. Experiment. Find what works for you and then go with it. Everything else from everyone else is just noise.