BMR - should I EAT above this or NET above this?

leopard_barbie

Have my calories set at 1450 for 1lb a week weight loss and my BMR is 1241 according to fat2fitradio.com using their miltary body fat % calculator.

So I should eat back my exercise calories to ensure my net calories are over 1241, yes?

I know there are a million posts a day about this, just want to make sure I'm getting it right.

Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to reply!

yarwell

eat the 1450, log your exercise when you do it and the 1450 goes up so you eat your exercise calories. Not sure I would eat all of them, but at least half.

leopard_barbie

Thanks for the response. Was on 1200 plus exercise calories before but keep reading posts about how it's dangerous to eat below BMR but wasn't sure if this was eating or netting!

leopard_barbie

Would be grateful for any more input.

fels123

Dangerous?! I thought you had to eat below your BMR to lose weight. Where did you hear that?

reka74

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

lmfbs

You have to eat below your TDEE to lose weight.

Long term, if you eat your below your BMR, your body will strive to reach equilibrium and will reduce the number of calories you need to survive each day (that is, your BMR). This process is slowing your metabolism.

Eat above your BMR, below your TDEE.

estitom

Net above your BMR. You don't have to eat back all your exercise calories but the common advice is to eat back enough to have a net above BMR.

Squidgeypaws007

Dangerous?! I thought you had to eat below your BMR to lose weight. Where did you hear that?

BMR is basal metabolic rate. You need those calories. You should eat below your TDEE.

Think I saw something like you should eat your BMR + 200 and try to always NET your BMR. I don't think you'll die if you don't a couple of days a week but you need to make sure it averages out and you're netting more than your BMR on average

clobercow

First off people here don't know you. They don't know how you feel when you eat food. They don't know how you feel when you don't eat food. So YOU have to gauge what is comfortable to you.

Second. Don't let people tell you how little you can eat or how much you can eat. You have to figure this one out yourself. There is no magical minimum you should eat, but it's generally recommended to eat close to your BMR because it's easier and it guarantees fat loss because any and all activity you do will help burn fat. I'ts not necessary to eat your exercise calories. Fat loss happens. Nothing bad happens. Don't let people fear monger you into doing stupid or unnecessary things. Go with how your body reacts and how fat-loss is happening for you.

Just remember. Calorie deficit is needed to lose fat. Google a TDEE calculator and set a comfortable target between BMR and TDEE. If you feel you can go lower, then by all means. I eat 80% of my BMR (on most days) and I exercise 1 hour per day 6 days per week. I've lost inches and fat. I'ts all about getting a calorie deficit.

Ignore the "starvation mode" crazies out there. That doesn't happen unless you have some sort of medical issue or you are already VERY low in body-fat and haven't eaten for days. Want to know more? Google "Eat Stop Eat" and "Lean Gains"

If you want REAL advice. Check with your doctor and a reputable nutritionist. There is a LOT of bull**** out there. Do what feels good to you and tweak based on the results you want.

Feel free to add me!

leopard_barbie

Dangerous?! I thought you had to eat below your BMR to lose weight. Where did you hear that?

BMR is basal metabolic rate. You need those calories. You should eat below your TDEE.

Think I saw something like you should eat your BMR + 200 and try to always NET your BMR. I don't think you'll die if you don't a couple of days a week but you need to make sure it averages out and you're netting more than your BMR on average

BMR + 200 is what I'm aiming for each day as net (1450) so that's great thank you :-)

westmitten

Have my calories set at 1450 for 1lb a week weight loss and my BMR is 1241 according to fat2fitradio.com using their miltary body fat % calculator.

That BMR seems awfully low, but then again, I'm new to this concept. I just started doing this research for myself and calculated my BMR to be 1530 and my TDEE to be 1828. My MFP daily goal has been at 1200 for roughly the past week (I started back up with MFP on May 1) and I have been netting around there pretty consistently. I've already lost ~ 4 lbs. that way, but I just customized my daily goal to reflect my BMR today. I'm hopeful that I will still see consistent weight loss and am trying to maintain realistic expectations (i.e. not 4 lbs. per week... that actually surprised me!).

Good luck to you and I hope your calculations work well! :flowerforyou:

Squidgeypaws007

Dangerous?! I thought you had to eat below your BMR to lose weight. Where did you hear that?

BMR is basal metabolic rate. You need those calories. You should eat below your TDEE.

Think I saw something like you should eat your BMR + 200 and try to always NET your BMR. I don't think you'll die if you don't a couple of days a week but you need to make sure it averages out and you're netting more than your BMR on average

BMR + 200 is what I'm aiming for each day as net (1450) so that's great thank you :-)

Nps at all I found this post really handy when I was muddling through it all (well, I'm still muddling, but it helped xD ) if you still have any probs

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map

CoderGal

NET OVER that. You should be netting a bit below your TDEE, not your BMR. There are values that are a CUT from your TDEE on the fat2fit site you mentioned on the bmr page. If you net that value you should loose weight. Yes that works. See my profile for stats/pics of how it works.

Note: All calculations are estimates and can vary person to person. For me, I find the calculations under estimated.

First of all we need to learn a couple things.

TDEE

Figure out your total daily energy expenditure by applying the Harris Benedict Principle. This is the number you should be able to eat without gaining or losing a pound. Remember these are estimates. For me, I was still loosing a pound a week at my TDEE value at 5'7 and 122 pounds. To calculate, read the links below.

TDEE Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris-Benedict_equation
Calc: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

BMR

BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate. It estimates what your vital organs (heart, lungs, nervous system, kidneys, liver, intestine, etc) would use if you were unconscious and not moving a limb or eyeball. Figure out your BMR by using the BMR estimation formulas. The Harris Benedict equation and Katch-McArdle Formula are available. Personally, I use the Harris Benedict equation. Be careful with the others, there are many different ways to calculate your body fat and it tends to give a large range of values. However, this can be a good thing if you expect you have either a very low or higher then average amount of fat. To calculate both equations, read the links below.

BMR/Equation Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate
Harris Benedict Equation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris-Benedict_equation
Calc (both equations): http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

RMR

I haven't been able to get a clear cut for sure definition on the differences between RMR and BMR. But there's another formula used for your resting metabolic rate called the Cunningham formula. To find out about this formula see the BMR link above. for the sake of MFP, when someone says always net above your BMR, they also usually mean always net above your RMR.

Weight Loss Simulator:

There was a scientific paper published based on the quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. The authors of this study made this addorable little calculator that lets you play with all the numbers mentioned above. They take the changes in the human metabolism into account, looking at the fact that a 3500 calorie deficit equaling 1 lb of weight loss isn't that percise.

Study: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)60812-X/fulltext
Calc: http://bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov/

dlwyatt82

Comparing your "Net Calories" to your BMR is pointless; net calories depend on what your original target was versus how much gets logged in your exercise diary. Example:

My BMR is 2000, I set a target of 2700 (expecting to burn 3200 with a 500-calorie deficit). I log an extra 300 calories of exercise, pushing my TDEE to 3500, and I eat 3000 calories. MFP shows my Net Calories as 2700, exactly my original target (3000 - 300)

Now, the exact same example, but with a smaller initial target and bigger number in the exercise diary, still reaching a TDEE of 3500:

I set a target of 1900 (expecting to burn 2400, with the same 500-calorie deficit). I log 1100 calories worth of exercise, and eat all 1100 calories back. I've still burned 3500 calories for the day, and I've still eaten 3000 calories for the day. Except this time, MFP displays my Net Calories as only 1900 (3000 - 1100). MFP's displayed target calories and net calories move together, but cannot correctly be compared to any other static number.

There is absolutely no science to back up the recommendation to "net your BMR", because the math behind that recommendation is flawed. Make sure your total caloric intake is over your BMR and between 500 and 1000 calories less than your TDEE, and you'll be fine. You can accomplish this by just eating back all your exercise calories so your "Net Calories" number is as close to your original target as possible (whatever number that target may be).

myfitnessnmhoy

The site does all the math for you. You're overthinking this.

Log your exercise, get the "calories remaining" number (the green one) as close to zero as you can. Try for something within -100 to 100 calories.

dlwyatt82

The site does all the math for you. You're overthinking this.

Log your exercise, get the "calories remaining" number (the green one) as close to zero as you can. Try for something within -100 to 100 calories.

I like your version. It's the TL;DR version of what I posted. :laugh:

BenChase

First off people here don't know you. They don't know how you feel when you eat food. They don't know how you feel when you don't eat food. So YOU have to gauge what is comfortable to you.

Second. Don't let people tell you how little you can eat or how much you can eat. You have to figure this one out yourself. There is no magical minimum you should eat, but it's generally recommended to eat close to your BMR because it's easier and it guarantees fat loss because any and all activity you do will help burn fat. I'ts not necessary to eat your exercise calories. Fat loss happens. Nothing bad happens. Don't let people fear monger you into doing stupid or unnecessary things. Go with how your body reacts and how fat-loss is happening for you.

Just remember. Calorie deficit is needed to lose fat. Google a TDEE calculator and set a comfortable target between BMR and TDEE. If you feel you can go lower, then by all means. I eat 80% of my BMR (on most days) and I exercise 1 hour per day 6 days per week. I've lost inches and fat. I'ts all about getting a calorie deficit.

Ignore the "starvation mode" crazies out there. That doesn't happen unless you have some sort of medical issue or you are already VERY low in body-fat and haven't eaten for days. Want to know more? Google "Eat Stop Eat" and "Lean Gains"

If you want REAL advice. Check with your doctor and a reputable nutritionist. There is a LOT of bull**** out there. Do what feels good to you and tweak based on the results you want.

Feel free to add me!

along with what is said here i would like to add i had a body composition test done by a professional personal trainer/nutritionist team and my BMR is 1964, and my target calorie intake a day is set at 1636 (both these numbers are from them) and that is to LOSE FAT, NOT STARVE, and BUILD MUSCLE. straight from the professionals i was told to eat under my BMR and still be completely healthy for me!! in the end i would say do what feels right, don't let yourself feel like you are starving and you should be fine, and like this guy says "If you want REAL advice. Check with your doctor and a reputable nutritionist."

sunshinesquared

BUMP!

jenluvsushi

First off people here don't know you. They don't know how you feel when you eat food. They don't know how you feel when you don't eat food. So YOU have to gauge what is comfortable to you.

Second. Don't let people tell you how little you can eat or how much you can eat. You have to figure this one out yourself. There is no magical minimum you should eat, but it's generally recommended to eat close to your BMR because it's easier and it guarantees fat loss because any and all activity you do will help burn fat. I'ts not necessary to eat your exercise calories. Fat loss happens. Nothing bad happens. Don't let people fear monger you into doing stupid or unnecessary things. Go with how your body reacts and how fat-loss is happening for you.

Just remember. Calorie deficit is needed to lose fat. Google a TDEE calculator and set a comfortable target between BMR and TDEE. If you feel you can go lower, then by all means. I eat 80% of my BMR (on most days) and I exercise 1 hour per day 6 days per week. I've lost inches and fat. I'ts all about getting a calorie deficit.

Ignore the "starvation mode" crazies out there. That doesn't happen unless you have some sort of medical issue or you are already VERY low in body-fat and haven't eaten for days. Want to know more? Google "Eat Stop Eat" and "Lean Gains"

If you want REAL advice. Check with your doctor and a reputable nutritionist. There is a LOT of bull**** out there. Do what feels good to you and tweak based on the results you want.

Feel free to add me!

along with what is said here i would like to add i had a body composition test done by a professional personal trainer/nutritionist team and my BMR is 1964, and my target calorie intake a day is set at 1636 (both these numbers are from them) and that is to LOSE FAT, NOT STARVE, and BUILD MUSCLE. straight from the professionals i was told to eat under my BMR and still be completely healthy for me!! in the end i would say do what feels right, don't let yourself feel like you are starving and you should be fine, and like this guy says "If you want REAL advice. Check with your doctor and a reputable nutritionist."

This makes me want to punch a puppy......Go get your RMR tested with a real professional at a doctor's office (sports lab) and see the difference. Trainers are not doctors and their goal is to keep you putting money in their pocket. You can eat below BMR and see results....are you ruining your metabolism though? When I had my RMR tested at a sports lab by a real professional they urged me to eat well above my RMR.....I have been and am losiing steadily. And you cannot build muscle on a deficit....that's crazy and shows how unprofessional those trainers really are. They have you hook, line, and sinker dude!

edit after posting~ one more thing, unless you slept in the lab overnight, they did not test your BMR...it was your RMR.

kellyward33

You absolutely need to eat below your BMR to be able to lose any weight. Your BMR demonstrates how many calories your body burns on a daily basis just by being you! You use energy (ie. burn calories) no matter what you’re doing, even if you’re sleeping! This is not 100% accurate and I urge you to check with a doctor before starting or changing anything with your health, but if you want a basic idea of what is going on in your body, here it is.

The calculations are as follows:

[(your weight in lbs x 10) + (10% of your weight)] = BMR

(BMR + however many calories you burn by working out) = how many calories you'll burn each day

Take that number (how many calories you burn each day) and subtract the number of calories you eat per day. That gives you your calorie deficit. Essentially, you MUST be burning more calories by a combination of BMR and exercise, than you're eating... that's how you'll lose weight.

To go one step further, you can calculate how much weight you should expect to use by just 1 more simple step. Take your deficit that you've just figured out, and multiply it by 30 to give you a rough estimate of how many extra calories you'll burn in a month, then divide it by 3500 to convert it into pounds!

For example, I weight 145 lbs, burn about 600 calories extra each day by working out, and am on a 1300 calorie diet.

[(145 x 10) + (145 x 10%)] = 1464.5 That means my BMR is 1464.5, so that's about how many calories I burn a day. Now I add 600 to that because I burn about that when I work out.

1464.5 + 600 = 2064.5 <-- thats how many calories I can afford to eat each day without gaining OR losing weight. If I want to lose weight, I'm sticking to a 1300 calorie diet, so I'll subtract 1300 from 2064.5.

2064.5 - 1300 = 764.5 <-- thats my calorie deficit. That means I burn 764.5 MORE calories a day than I eat! If I take that number and want to calculate how much I should lose in a month, I simple multiply it by 30 (for the number of days in a month), then convert it to pounds.

764.5 x 30 = 22,935. This is how many calories I will "lose" in a month and divide this number by 3500 to convert it to pounds.

22,935 / 3500 = 6.55 lbs. I should expect to lose 6.55 lbs in 1 month if I stick to the diet plan and exercise plan I set above.

Please feel free to email me at kellyward33[at]gmail.com if you have any questions and good luck with your weight loss!

--Kelly