PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND BMR AND CAL DEFICITS ETC!

sazroy

Copying this from another post of mine because I want more feedback.

"Basically, I eat 1500 cals a day at the moment and haven't been doing any exercise other than walk to work, walk around work and walk home. So no "extra" exercise. 1500 is maintaining me, I am not losing nor gaining. I'm stuck on 79.7kgs. The main reason I ask this is because I'm not losing any weight now, 1kg is preferred but yes would be ecstatic with half a kilo, gee even a quarter of a kilo would blow me over.

I'm having the most difficulty trying to accept the fact "eat more to lose weight" It goes against everything I was raised with. My parents didn't instill this in me, society did. Geez when I lost the most weight and was at my goal weight was when I ate a hotdog or chicken burger for lunch everything and steak chips and veggies for dinner everyday but walked always.

I can't get my head around it. My weight issue is a psycological issue. I'm getting there though, that's why I ask so many questions over and over Cynthia (in reference to my status you commented on earlier). I need the reassurance from many to understand that yes this is right.

I'm understanding.. if 1500 is maintaining me.. Should I then say, eat 1500 as a base, but days that I exercise lets say I burnt 500cals should I then eat 250? So eating 1750 a day WITH exercise? Or if I upped. I ate 1750 as an average, then burn 500 then ate 250 back so make my daily goal 1900 with 500 burned? This last equation would make it 1900 - 500 = 1400 which is above my BMR of 1313.

Am I understanding it yet or getting it wrong because from all the info thrown at me in past topics, this is the message I've been given. "

keegannati

How long have you been at your current weight? If your BMR is 1313, 1500 might be right around your maintenance level, so if you burn 500 calories exercising and only eat part of them back that would put you at a deficit.

Spence_

How tall are you?

Laura_Ivy

I am not expert but I am having a hard time believing that 1500 is considered maintenance for you! That is only 200 calories above your bmr and should technically still be eating at a deficit.

sazroy

How long have you been at your current weight? If your BMR is 1313, 1500 might be right around your maintenance level, so if you burn 500 calories exercising and only eat part of them back that would put you at a deficit.

Been at my current weight since around February I think? After losing 8kgs from October 26th 2011 to around February some time. That was at 1200 calories (was on lite n easy) then I plateaued so upped to 1500, still haven't lost weight or gained even though I'm eating 300cals more.

sazroy

How tall are you?

5'1 ish.

sazroy

I am not expert but I am having a hard time believing that 1500 is considered maintenance for you! That is only 200 calories above your bmr and should technically still be eating at a deficit.

I'm only saying maintenance as in, I've been at 1200-1500 for a few months and weight has not changed even by 100g

FlaxMilk

Are you set at lightly active from the walking around you do? What does MFP recommend that you eat to lose 1 lb a week?

keegannati

Your BMR is more like 1600 calories. I suggest eating more, as I suspect your metabolism is running pretty slow. What does MFP say your calorie goal is? Do you have it set to lose X number of kg per week or at maintenance?


ETA: How long have you been eating 1500?

SpankyBuns

I just ordered a book called "Choose to Lose: The 7-Day Carb Cycle Solution and exercise video by the same person called "Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition: The Workout by Chris Powell...maybe the book can help you and others out...I hope it helps me understand and expand my education into weight loss.:drinker:

sazroy

Are you set at lightly active from the walking around you do? What does MFP recommend that you eat to lose 1 lb a week?

Yes, have it set to lightly active. MFP says 1540 for 1lb a week.

FlaxMilk

I would eat the 1540 and then add more for additional exercises apart from the walking.

Spence_

Try 1,600 a day and eat back at least 50% of your exercise calories. You probably won't see weight loss straight away because your metabolism needs to get kick started again, and you might retain water for a bit. Just make sure you drink loads and watch your sodium intake Good luck! Patience etc.

Zylayna

You may want to check out this group:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

erickirb

I would suggest setting your goal to lose 1lb/week (0.5kgs) and eat the amount of cals that MFP tells you to. Do this for 3-4 weeks, if you are not getting the expected results switch it up.

FlaxMilk

I forgot to add that I would begin doing some weight training or resistance band exercises, yoga, pilates, anything. There are some 10 minute weights exercises online for free (I think on Fitsugar) that may be a good place to start. I bet you'll pick up with a bit of weight training.

JBuck1914

Have you done your measurements? Maybe you are losing inches in some places also, can you incorporate some weights in with your walking. Any type of lifting could help build some muscle which will also burn more calories over time.

sazroy

Try 1,600 a day and eat back at least 50% of your exercise calories. You probably won't see weight loss straight away because your metabolism needs to get kick started again, and you might retain water for a bit. Just make sure you drink loads and watch your sodium intake Good luck! Patience etc.

Yeah I only drink water
I've worked out with MFP using a day next week so I could just see for a test and I had between 1540-1640 in food and 500cals burnt in exercise (just a test) and MFP calculated I'd weight 74kgs in 5 weeks.. which is a kilo a week. So, I think I'll stick with that, really need to motivate myself to get on my bike and work HARD! Lol.

One great thing is I have worked out my calories now so my Partner and I can actually eat TOGETHER! Nothing is more upsetting when I'm eating my dinner and he's already had his or has to go buy something and we never eat together, seems so uncoupley. So I'm gonna give it a go, up my cals by about 100, but aim to burn 500. Really 500 isn't much, it's about 30 minutes on the bike and an hour walk (slowly) or about 70 minutes on the bike, and I don't have to do it all in one big hit. I could do 30 mins on the bike in the morning then 40 mins at night to make 70.
Rambling now. Sorry. Just self motivating myself haha.

beckajw

I am not expert but I am having a hard time believing that 1500 is considered maintenance for you! That is only 200 calories above your bmr and should technically still be eating at a deficit.

If she's short, then it's probably pretty close. My maintenance is only 300 above my BMR.

PLUMSGRL

also change up your exercise routine by lifting some weights (no you won't look like a man).
gain some muscle to burn more fat.
(just don't go to the gym with your BF! it's not a social time for couples)

katcod1522

Im 5'2"...133.2lbs..BMR is 1370. I have been eating 1200-1300 cals and only eating half exercise cals back on my running days 3 days a week. I am upping my cals by 50 a week to get to 1370..and not eat cals back. Im stuck at 133 for a week..wanting to get to 127.

escloflowneCHANGED

My mom is 53 years old and 5'3" and eats 1500 calories a day and loses 1-2 lbs per week and she does not exercise. I think you would be a bit higher if you exercise...and your age!

Spence_

Try 1,600 a day and eat back at least 50% of your exercise calories. You probably won't see weight loss straight away because your metabolism needs to get kick started again, and you might retain water for a bit. Just make sure you drink loads and watch your sodium intake Good luck! Patience etc.

Yeah I only drink water
I've worked out with MFP using a day next week so I could just see for a test and I had between 1540-1640 in food and 500cals burnt in exercise (just a test) and MFP calculated I'd weight 74kgs in 5 weeks.. which is a kilo a week. So, I think I'll stick with that, really need to motivate myself to get on my bike and work HARD! Lol.

One great thing is I have worked out my calories now so my Partner and I can actually eat TOGETHER! Nothing is more upsetting when I'm eating my dinner and he's already had his or has to go buy something and we never eat together, seems so uncoupley. So I'm gonna give it a go, up my cals by about 100, but aim to burn 500. Really 500 isn't much, it's about 30 minutes on the bike and an hour walk (slowly) or about 70 minutes on the bike, and I don't have to do it all in one big hit. I could do 30 mins on the bike in the morning then 40 mins at night to make 70.
Rambling now. Sorry. Just self motivating myself haha.

Sounds like a plan! Just up it slowly and see what happens Everyone's different. Good luck with it!

STrooper

Let's say your BMR is 1500 Cal (kcal)/day for the sake of discussion. That BMR value is the approximate value your body needs to operate, day-in, day out with some minimal amount of activity. As MFP puts it, in so many words, its the amount of energy your body would require if you just sat in bed with minimal activity associated with gettign food, water and getting rid of bodily wastes.

It is the sum of all the energy required for the maintenance of body temperature, to breathe, have your heart beat, your organs function (including the digestive system) and your brain to operate. Put into a different environment, the body will automatically begin to compensate to maintain temperature and bodily functions up to a point and then it begins to shut things down to preserve some level of brain function, heartbeat and breathing.

There are more detailed models than used by MFP that require more input data to estimate your BMR. But the given on MFP is that you should not ever drop below 1200 kcal/day input. There are many reasons and I will not repeat them here.

So, again, lets assume your BMR is 1550 kcal/day and the walking you are doing expends 300 kcal/day (on a treadmill set at 180 lb or about 82 kg, that is about 30 minutes at 3.5 mph or about 5.6 kph with a 10% grade, not exactly a stroll in the park). The lighter you weigh, the longer it takes to expend that 300 kcal. It was a whole lot easier to burn through 300 kcal when I weighed 220 lb (100 kg) than at 182 lb (82 kg).

If you took in exactly 1500 kcal/day and expended 1800 kcal/day it would take you, at minimum 12 days to lose a single pound (2.2 kg). And as I've discovered, it is easy to underestimate your calorie intake. I have become much more aware of "serving size" since my weight basically plateued at 190 lb for most of 2011. I was still doing my 20,000 steps per day (average) with at least half of them as "aerobic steps" (more than 10 continuous minutes of walking at more than 60 steps per minute. My pace is typically 110-120 steps per minute when my pedometer is counting aerobic steps.

Here's the thing I discovered, unless you press up the walking or really carefully track your food and every bit of it, you will eventually establish an equilibrium or a very, very slow decrease in weight. As I approach my goal and the steady-state average weight, it feels like I'm creeping up on it. But to people who don't see me frequently, even the plateau still looks like I'm losing weight (I call it losing the bubble-wrap).

One other thing...eat breakfast. I did not do that until recently and that also seems to have helped.

Beginning on January 1, I pressed my step count goal to 22,000/day with 11,000 as aerobic. I started using MFP to track all my activities outside of normal getting from point A to point B and I became conscious of all my intakes. I still haven't stopped putting sugar in my coffee, but I have decreased the input by about one-third.

Don't fret and keep on tracking.

psuLemon

Based on Fat2Fit, your estimated BMR is 1600 (unless you have a lot of fat and little to no muscle) using the Harris Benedict formula. If you can figure out your body fat, we can refine the equation a bit more. With that said, you are also lightly active and since you don't have much to lose, then you should be eating a bit more calories or you body will hold onto the fat. Below is a breakout of your calories.'


TDEE = 1600 * 1.375 = 2200 (about your true maintenance calories)

CN = 2200 * .8 = 1760


I would recommend eating 1760 calories a day based on the Math. Also, generally aim for 35% carbs, 40% protein and 25% fats. Your body is currently maintaining as you put too much stress on it. Calorie deficits are stress.


ps- this equation is set up where you don't need to eat back exercise calories and you eat the same calorie level every day. The deficit is baked in over the week.

sazroy

I am not expert but I am having a hard time believing that 1500 is considered maintenance for you! That is only 200 calories above your bmr and should technically still be eating at a deficit.

If she's short, then it's probably pretty close. My maintenance is only 300 above my BMR.

Lol I am short. Only 5'1 or just under.

sazroy

Have you done your measurements? Maybe you are losing inches in some places also, can you incorporate some weights in with your walking. Any type of lifting could help build some muscle which will also burn more calories over time.

Yeah I've done my measurements and unfortunately no change

To everyone who is suggesting lifting, thank you, yes I will do that just gotta save up for some heavier weights, at the moment I've only got 1kg dumbells that I bought to walk with.

sazroy

Based on Fat2Fit, your estimated BMR is 1600 (unless you have a lot of fat and little to no muscle) using the Harris Benedict formula. If you can figure out your body fat, we can refine the equation a bit more. With that said, you are also lightly active and since you don't have much to lose, then you should be eating a bit more calories or you body will hold onto the fat. Below is a breakout of your calories.'


TDEE = 1600 * 1.375 = 2200 (about your true maintenance calories)

CN = 2200 * .8 = 1760


I would recommend eating 1760 calories a day based on the Math. Also, generally aim for 35% carbs, 40% protein and 25% fats. Your body is currently maintaining as you put too much stress on it. Calorie deficits are stress.


ps- this equation is set up where you don't need to eat back exercise calories and you eat the same calorie level every day. The deficit is baked in over the week.

I used Fat2Fit and that said 1313. 45.1% body fat. Mainly carried in the middle. Which frustrates me cos I would proudly say I love my legs and jaw line.. just have a tyre.

neanderthin

Depending on where you get your calorie data, it mostly out on a good day, on the low side. I would weigh and record everything you eat for a few days and use a data based like nutrition data to check for accuracy. No cheating.

Coco_Puff

My mom is 53 years old and 5'3" and eats 1500 calories a day and loses 1-2 lbs per week and she does not exercise. I think you would be a bit higher if you exercise...and your age!
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This is spot on. I'm 54 and 5'2. I exercise, weight lifting, 4 days a week, I eat 1765 cal. per day everyday.

Awkward30

Sounds to me like 1500 is your maintenance and you should lower it from there. I use bodybugg and at 5'4" and 142 pounds, I pretty much have to go to the gym to burn more than 1700 calories in a day and you are even shorter than I am, with less lean mass (which is mostly what burns the calories). I think, as much as it sucks, you should lower your cals. Also, I walk about a mile a day and have a job that requires standing for a couple hours and a little walking (most days) and I burn the calories mfp predicts for my height/weight at sedentary. I dont know what all you are doing, but it does take a bit to qualify as non-sedentary