Basics-Please post yours

Dauntlessness

The basics are lost. People write about all these new ways to lose weight but for the newcomer, they often miss the simple fundamentals on to lose weight. I figured it would be a good idea to write about them. Please add yours. Nothing complex, just the simple facts that have been proven by studies. No fad diets, no "new exercises", no super foods. Just basics.

Find out your BMR-Basal Metabolic Rate -This is what you need to eat to MAINTAIN the weight you are currently at based on your height, weight and sex. Once you figure that out, you can plan your deficits. Here is a calculator:

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

MFP is great, don't get me wrong. The whole "I want to lose 2lbs a week so it deducts calories for you" thing is good too. I find it easier to program my BMR into my diary and see what my deductions are on a daily/weekly basis.. That way at the end of the week, it is very evident how much I should have lost based on how "in the green" I am.

There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. You have to burn or eat 3500 calories less then your BMR to lose weight. Simple as that. If you only have -250 calories a day, it will take you 2 weeks to lose 1lb. Saying that, I have seen weight come off faster because of metabolic changes too. Thats another subject though.

If you want an accurate calorie burn count, get an HRM with a chest strap. Estimates are well, inaccurate... that's why they are "estimated". As you know, you don't have the same body as everyone else. Why would you think you would burn the same amount? You are either screwing yourself out of calories burned or not burning enough. The thing is that you just don't know and when you dont know, how do you manage your calories in/calories out?

The highest heart rate you should while exercising is 220-your age. I will be 33 this year so mine is: 187.

Please feel free to add your "basics". I know I missed a ton of info.

TheVimFuego

Forget the calories, forget the BMR, forget the tracking, forget macros, forget creating a 3500 calorie weekly deficit =1lb fat loss (rubbish), we have not always done this over-complicated nonsense and we were healthier in body and mind and, as a by-product, thinner (not always an indicator of health in itself).

Just Eat Real Food.

Processed nutrient poor psuedo-food is not good for us, go back to what we need.

Question everything we have been told about nutrition (Healthy whole grains?! Saturated fat is bad?! Cholesterol is a problem?!) and think about what we have evolved to eat.

Just Eat Real Food.

Stop trying to treat a biological problem with a mathematical solution.

A CALORIE IS NOT A FRACKING CALORIE!

Just Eat Real Food.

<And rest>

AliJelliBelli

Forget the calories, forget the BMR, forget the tracking, forget macros, forget creating a 3500 calorie weekly deficit =1lb fat loss (rubbish), we have not always done this over-complicated nonsense and we were healthier in body and mind and, as a by-product, thinner (not always an indicator of health in itself).

Just Eat Real Food.

Processed nutrient poor psuedo-food is not good for us, go back to what we need.

Question everything we have been told about nutrition (Healthy whole grains?! Saturated fat is bad?! Cholesterol is a problem?!) and think about what we have evolved to eat.

Just Eat Real Food.

Stop trying to treat a biological problem with a mathematical solution.

A CALORIE IS NOT A FRACKING CALORIE!

Just Eat Real Food.

<And rest>

I do agree, I really do. This is how I eat (mostly!): no margarine only butter, only full-fat milk, no sweeties, no pop/soda blah-di-blah-di-blah. And i am losing weight just really really slowly. But I do find all the mathematical stuff really interesting too! And if your eating habits are way out of whack and phrases like 'Just Eat Real Food' don't actually make any sense to you (and I think this is true for lots of people, sadly) the mathematical stuff can help people rest their portion sizes and get used to moving more.

Am I a bit on the fence? :-)

millyvanilli321

You need to read this:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Also, your BMR is your BASE metabolic rate - what your body burns in its idle - or base - state. What your body needs to MAINTAIN current weight is your TDEE - total daily energy expenditure - which is your BMR PLUS what your body needs from regular daily activity such as walking around, going upstairs etc.

If you're going to say 'basics' then leave it at basics....calories in < calories out = loss.

Eat less, move more.

lifescircle

Forget the calories, forget the BMR, forget the tracking, forget macros, forget creating a 3500 calorie weekly deficit =1lb fat loss (rubbish), we have not always done this over-complicated nonsense and we were healthier in body and mind and, as a by-product, thinner (not always an indicator of health in itself).

Just Eat Real Food.

Processed nutrient poor psuedo-food is not good for us, go back to what we need.

Question everything we have been told about nutrition (Healthy whole grains?! Saturated fat is bad?! Cholesterol is a problem?!) and think about what we have evolved to eat.

Just Eat Real Food.

Stop trying to treat a biological problem with a mathematical solution.

A CALORIE IS NOT A FRACKING CALORIE!

Just Eat Real Food.

<And rest>

I do agree, I really do. This is how I eat (mostly!): no margarine only butter, only full-fat milk, no sweeties, no pop/soda blah-di-blah-di-blah. And i am losing weight just really really slowly. But I do find all the mathematical stuff really interesting too! And if your eating habits are way out of whack and phrases like 'Just Eat Real Food' don't actually make any sense to you (and I think this is true for lots of people, sadly) the mathematical stuff can help people rest their portion sizes and get used to moving more.

Am I a bit on the fence? :-)

I think it is more of a "first thing first" kind of thing. Meaning, change how you eat, what you eat... first. Decreasing the portion size of fried chicken is not healthy, cutting back from 4 sodas a day to 1 soda a day is not healthy... but will you lose weight by cutting back on these things?... logically, sure.

However, if want to get healthy and fit... first things first... what you eat.

Sidesteal

Create a reasonable calorie deficit. (stop trying to drop weight FAST)
Exercise (ideally, some form of resistance training for most people).
Consume adequate macronutrients (meet protein and fat mins and consume at least enough carbs to train with intensity).

Get rest



Get up tomorrow and do that sh^t again.



Trust the process.

FireBrand80

Forget the calories, forget the BMR, forget the tracking, forget macros, forget creating a 3500 calorie weekly deficit =1lb fat loss (rubbish), we have not always done this over-complicated nonsense and we were healthier in body and mind and, as a by-product, thinner (not always an indicator of health in itself).

Just Eat Real Food.

Processed nutrient poor psuedo-food is not good for us, go back to what we need.

Question everything we have been told about nutrition (Healthy whole grains?! Saturated fat is bad?! Cholesterol is a problem?!) and think about what we have evolved to eat.

Just Eat Real Food.

Stop trying to treat a biological problem with a mathematical solution.

A CALORIE IS NOT A FRACKING CALORIE!

Just Eat Real Food.

<And rest>

BRB, loosing weight on 7,500 calories a day of "real food."

Sidesteal

Forget the calories, forget the BMR, forget the tracking, forget macros, forget creating a 3500 calorie weekly deficit =1lb fat loss (rubbish), we have not always done this over-complicated nonsense and we were healthier in body and mind and, as a by-product, thinner (not always an indicator of health in itself).

Just Eat Real Food.

Processed nutrient poor psuedo-food is not good for us, go back to what we need.

Question everything we have been told about nutrition (Healthy whole grains?! Saturated fat is bad?! Cholesterol is a problem?!) and think about what we have evolved to eat.

Just Eat Real Food.

Stop trying to treat a biological problem with a mathematical solution.

A CALORIE IS NOT A FRACKING CALORIE!

Just Eat Real Food.

<And rest>

BRB, loosing weight on 7,500 calories a day of "real food."

^ Glad someone said it.

FireBrand80

There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. You have to burn or eat 3500 calories less then your BMR to lose weight. Simple as that. If you only have -250 calories a day, it will take you 2 weeks to lose 1lb. Saying that, I have seen weight come off faster because of metabolic changes too. Thats another subject though.\

TDEE, not BMR.

thedreamhazer

Find out your BMR-Basal Metabolic Rate -This is what you need to eat to MAINTAIN the weight you are currently at based on your height, weight and sex. Once you figure that out, you can plan your deficits. Here is a calculator:

This is not correct. BMR is the calories your body expends to fuel the basic functions -- organ functions, for instance. What you're talking about should be the Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE. If a person eats fewer calories than their TDEE then they will lose weight. I won't get into all of the details of TDEE, just know that it is higher than BMR. My average TDEE is 2500 calories per day. My BMR according to that calculator you posted is 1589 calories.

Google can provide more articles on the difference ebtween TDEE and BMR, but here's a site that I found that gets into it a bit: http://www.shapefit.com/basal-metabolic-rate.html

odusgolp

Create a reasonable calorie deficit. (stop trying to drop weight FAST)
Exercise (ideally, some form of resistance training for most people).
Consume adequate macronutrients (meet protein and fat mins and consume at least enough carbs to train with intensity).

Get rest



Get up tomorrow and do that sh^t again.



Trust the process.

*swoon*

manderson27

Very basic

Eat less
Move More
Lift Heavy

DeTaart

Just Eat Real Food.

Processed nutrient poor psuedo-food is not good for us, go back to what we need.

EAT FOOD. NOT TOO MUCH. MOSTLY PLANTS.




It really works! (Disclaimer: Food has to be of the real variety).

leanne9876

Mine says - 1858 kilocalories per day.
Basal Energy Expenditure - also known as basal metabolic rate (BMR) or (incorrectly) as resting metabolic rate (RMR) - is the minimum number of calories your body needs at rest to fuel its metabolic activity, for example to maintain functions such as heart beat, breathing and temperature

Does this mean this is the minimum I should be eating to stay at this weight? Or does it mean I need to at least eat this amount just to fuel my body properly? I'm confused.

Should I eat less than 1858 calories a day and exercise or should I eat more than 1858 cals and exercise enough so that my net calories are 1858 ?

millyvanilli321

Mine says - 1858 kilocalories per day.
Basal Energy Expenditure - also known as basal metabolic rate (BMR) or (incorrectly) as resting metabolic rate (RMR) - is the minimum number of calories your body needs at rest to fuel its metabolic activity, for example to maintain functions such as heart beat, breathing and temperature

Does this mean this is the minimum I should be eating to stay at this weight? Or does it mean I need to at least eat this amount just to fuel my body properly? I'm confused.

Should I eat less than 1858 calories a day and exercise or should I eat more than 1858 cals and exercise enough so that my net calories are 1858 ?

I think you are mixing up two separate calculations here - you need to know BMR (basal metabolic rate) and TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). BMR is what your body needs to fuel its basic metabolic function - heart beat, breathing etc if you do NO activity whatsoever that day. TDEE is your BMR PLUS any calories your body needs to fuel your daily activity - such as walking to the shop, driving to work, going up stairs etc. In my opinion, to lose weight in a sustainable way, you should eat BETWEEN these numbers, and not below your BMR as this *can possibly* hinder weight loss. (not because of some silly myth about starvation but because your body won't have enough energy for you to complete a workout well!)

In terms of eating back calories burned during exercise - do whatever works for you, you don't have to eat if you're not hungry! I would say just ensure you are NET calories at least your BMR, sometimes this entails eating back some calories. Your TDEE includes your calories burned if you put in your workout level - so be careful not to over eat if you're using that number to calculate a deficit.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: to be more helpful, here are the links to the calculators

BMR http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

TDEE http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

yoovie

I basically just cringed.

here's my basics.

I am my height and weight, I workout as often as I can go do it within reason- not sure how many hours a week exactly - but I walk about 35-45 miles a week and strength train both in the gym and at home on the floor and go for a very long run every weekend, I eat beautiful healthy food and dont log the calories, aim to get stronger every week and do all of these things so i can enjoy the natural benefits.

mcclelland0484

I started at 360 Lbs at 6'6. I am now 230. I started using MFP at the 340 mark because I was counting calories already and the app made it easier. TDEE, BMR, BMI, blah, blah blah. I don't know or care what those things are.
Steps
1. Enter data into MFP.
2. Set a goal
3. Track food and exercise
4. Don't cheat.
5. Buy smaller clothes.
Its really that simple. They say that you are fluent in a foreign language when you think in that language. Follow the steps above and you will start to think healthier. I still use MFP to trim up here and there but I now think healthier and therefore I don't track all the time. I just make healthier decisions whenever possible and check the scale occasionally to make sure I'm not of track.

shadowfax_c11

*Use a food scale
*Log everything, even if it gives you the big red numbers.
*Keep your net calorie intake at or below the goal MFP sets for you.
*If you go over a bit, don't sweat it. Do better tomorrow.
*Be reasonable about your goals. Extreme calorie cutting won't bring you long term success. Avoiding all the bad foods is a great way to set yourself up for binging and failure.
*Be patient, weight loss is not a steady slope.
*Do this 24/7/365

999tigger

Dont argue with cico.

OsricTheKnight

Eat consistently from day to day.
Chart with a trend to see what your deficit or surplus is.
Adjust weekly if the trend isn't going fast enough for your taste.



Osric