Beginning to think it's Calories consumed vs. NET instead

bcattoes

Once you take activity calories earned and eaten back out of the equation, if you eat over your BMR you will gain weight.

That's only true if you include every single activity. Like typing, walking to the bathroom, brushing your hair...

I don't think little things like make enough of a difference in such a generic calculation. If we were somehow able to know exactly what our own body really used at rest, that might make a difference, but how many of us know anything other than the generic formula.

It's really not much different than BMI. It's a formula for the masses.

Even though a formula may not give you an accurate number, BMR is still a real thing, and it's less than the total calories you burn during the day. You can't make a statement like "if you eat over your BMR you will gain weight". That's a ridiculous thing to say. How do you think people maintain their weight when they aren't dieting?

*sigh* Read my post re: taking activity out of equation If you are at rest and you give your body more calories that it can use at rest (BMR), you will gain weight. I never said BMR wasn't real (???)

LOL......of course if your at rest and do nothing all day and eat over your BMR you could potentially gain weight, but most people use BMR as a wake up number and go from there. Your explaination of BMR isn't doing anybody any good. Non exercise thermogenesis can be as much as 700+ calories, without doing any exercise whatsoever.

My "explanation of BMR"?? I wasn't even aware I gave one.

deksgrl

I said that and I know perfectly well what it means. Once you take activity calories earned and eaten back out of the equation, if you eat over your BMR you will gain weight. If you lose, that would just mean that the calculated BMR isn't correct for you (which it often isn't). You have to consume (absorb) less calories than your body will use in order to lose weight.

I eat over BMR and I am not gaining weight. Not including any activity calories earned / eaten back.

My BMR is 1360 and I rarely eat that little. I normally eat in the 1500-1800 range. If I exercise, then MFP gives me more but I don't eat them usually. My TDEE is 2200.

p.s. - my exercise I log is typically about 225 in a day, so I am not going under BMR.

tabinmaine

Deleted because I confused myself.:drinker:

:laugh:

lmao

bcattoes

This topic can easily be summed up by saying listen and do whats best for your body

Now that is the best advice there is. If the formulas work for you, congrats, you are average. If not, tweak the plan till it works for you.

zukkiz

Okay so I figure things out a little differently, since I am a breastfeeding mommy.

I calculate my BMR just as anyone else does and it comes to 1499.

I then do the Fat2FitRadio idea of eating the TDEE of my goal weight, which is 150 lbs. So that TDEE is 1696. This is all set towards sedentary. Trust me I am not sedentary I am a mom of 6 (5 of which are boys).

I have to add in only 300 calories for breastfeeding since my little one is 10 months old.

My TDEE would be 1996, basically 2000.

This week I started to eat about that much daily and net around 1700-1800. I haven't exercised this week really, but when I do I eat a lot of them back. (I use a HRM)

I weigh in "officialy" tomorrow, but this week I am already down 2.5 pounds. That will make 32 pounds lost since January.

You see though we all have different genetics, and what works for me might not work for others.

I don't believe in going to far from your BMR or under 1200 just because I would not be able to function.

carld256

I go by MFP's calorie suggestion, in my case 1780, and eat near or a bit below that. I exercise a minimum 500 calories a day and don't eat those calories back. It seems to work for me.

tabinmaine

This topic can easily be summed up by saying listen and do whats best for your body

Now that is the best advice there is. If the formulas work for you, congrats, you are average. If not, tweak the plan till it works for you.

and while I agree with you, the problem seems to be that no one even knows what darn formula to begin with...let alone to start tweaking it.....LOL

blytheandbonnie

Can you people in the know look at my diary and tell me what I can do to start losing again. I already feel like I'm eating WAY too much. Maybe I'm not burning what I think when I exercise... Gaahhhh! I don't know. I will probably try to start lifting eventually but as out of shape as I am I think I'm getting enough resistance from the swimming at the moment. Especially when I put those swim fins on... grrrr!. Maybe? Anyway... some help and/or advice would be appreciated. Also, if I could maybe see someone's 'eat more to lose more' diary to see what you are eating it would help. Thanks.

Jacwhite22

I think most of the time this is a result of underestimating calories eaten and/or overestimating calories burned.

shan_0517

bump

leeslim4life

This month I have been burning an avg of 1000 cals and have been eating my BMR give or take 100 cals over or under it and I have been losing weight each week thus far. My Net is ridiculously low but, like some have said "everyone is different" right now this is working for me and I will adjust when I hit a plateau. I've also been switching up my workouts each day!

NicolePatriot

omg BUMP. I need to read this later.

jlawson113

math is hard

jessicaoliver79

I have a question.. I still have not figured this all out yet and I have been using this for almost 2 months now.. According to the calculator on this site it says my BMR is 2,280 ... after putting in my weight, height, age, sex, MFP gave me a calorie allowance of 1870 daily.. Is this too much? Should I lower it to 1200? I have a lot of weight to lose, so how important is it that I eat back my exercise calories?? Thanks for any info!

ElHombre23

Thats just it..its impossible to apply one formula to every human body especially when you have so many variables in every physical body. The formula is that there is none...just keep throwing curve balls at your body...

bcattoes

This topic can easily be summed up by saying listen and do whats best for your body

Now that is the best advice there is. If the formulas work for you, congrats, you are average. If not, tweak the plan till it works for you.

and while I agree with you, the problem seems to be that no one even knows what darn formula to begin with...let alone to start tweaking it.....LOL

True. I'm 50 and I've been thin most of my life. Starting having to work harder at it after age 40. I'd never even heard of BMR or TDEE before I joined this site last year. I just did crazy things like eating only when hungry, limiting processed carbs and exercising regularly. :noway:

zsaoosh

What about a marathon runner? Net comes into play there. What about if you want to keep your muscle mass? Your body will eat away at your muscles if you dont feed them. You will loose, but will it be fat or muscle? Never net under 1200 (give or take 100, depending on the person). Do you want to be skinny or healthy....I vote for healthy.

tabinmaine

Okay so I figure things out a little differently, since I am a breastfeeding mommy.

I calculate my BMR just as anyone else does and it comes to 1499.

I then do the Fat2FitRadio idea of eating the TDEE of my goal weight, which is 150 lbs. So that TDEE is 1696. This is all set towards sedentary. Trust me I am not sedentary I am a mom of 6 (5 of which are boys).

I have to add in only 300 calories for breastfeeding since my little one is 10 months old.

My TDEE would be 1996, basically 2000.

This week I started to eat about that much daily and net around 1700-1800. I haven't exercised this week really, but when I do I eat a lot of them back. (I use a HRM)

I weigh in "officialy" tomorrow, but this week I am already down 2.5 pounds. That will make 32 pounds lost since January.

You see though we all have different genetics, and what works for me might not work for others.

I don't believe in going to far from your BMR or under 1200 just because I would not be able to function.

I like your thought process, and eating for "the future you"

AmandaPandah

This gives me so much hope!

SaraTN

math is hard

This site can help! http://bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov/