BMR and calculating weight loss

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briantauman
briantauman Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 24 years old.
I weigh 267 lbs
I am 5'11

I work out for about an hour 6 days a week.

My BMR is 2207 calories/ day
I also factor in about 500 calories for my work out
I am a waiter, so I am on my feet running for for 5-9 hours a day about 4 days a week. Now I don't calculate that because I don't know how to.

So here is my question

If there is 3500 calories in a lb

I burn 2207 just for being alive and I burn about 500 for working out
I also take in 1800 calories

So 2207+500=2707 calories a day burt
- the 1800 cal of intake
= 907 calories/day burnt

3500(1lb)/907cal=3.85

So it will take me approx 3.85days to burn 1lb?
or 1.8lb/ week?

Does this math seem right?

I have never done this before so I am basing it on a lot of assumptions.

Replies

  • briantauman
    briantauman Posts: 19 Member
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    bump
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
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    Read this post.

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • AshCash803
    AshCash803 Posts: 35
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    Hi, Brian. This is an awesome thread that has circulated around when this question comes up. Check it out! Kinda lengthy, but really good. There are also some good websites out there, too.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • Ploogy
    Ploogy Posts: 115 Member
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    I am no means a pro, but I've been wrestling with these calculations for the past couple days, and with the help of patient folks here, I believe I understand the principles.

    You are trying to use your BMR as the base reference number and add back in calories burnt by exercise. This is the right logic, but as you admit, doing it this way fails to take into account the calories burned from your significant activity as a waiter.

    Your math is right, but you are failing to account for the severe caloric deficit, one that drops you well below your BMR, which by most accounts here is not good and will eventually halt wait loss (or at least cause you to burn off alot of muscle along with that fat you are losing).
  • Weebs628
    Weebs628 Posts: 574 Member
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    Your BMR is what your body would need to survive if it were in a coma. Find out your TDEE (how many calories you burn in 24 including working, exercising, playing etc.) and take 20% off of that. Sounds like what you think is your BMR is actually your TDEE.
  • AshCash803
    AshCash803 Posts: 35
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    Also check out this site. It'll help you more accurately calculate your TDEE. It allows you to input the amount of daily time you allot to different activities, not just working out. Hope this helps! I'm not an expert by any means, but this site helped. http://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator
  • nanavickig
    nanavickig Posts: 30 Member
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    your maths looks right except you will be burning alot more than just your bmr and workouts, especially when you are working!! BMR is what you burn if you do nothing. You probably burn another 1000+ cals a day from your work and other general activities! You need to work out your TDEE + workouts to find out total cals burnt in day. Search on here for TDEE to find how to work that out!
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
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    Quick calculation...not taking into account body fat %.

    Your BMR is ~2450 a day. (This is what you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day) (had to use a different website than fat2fit since it wasn't loading for me)

    Your activity level is at least moderate based on your job and exercise. Based on the H-B Formula that's an activity multiplyer of1.55 giving you a TDEE of ~3790 calories a day (this is what you'd be able to eat on a daily basis at your current activity level and maintain your weight).

    Taking 20% off of TDEE gives you a daily calorie intake of 3030 calories.

    Seems at 1800 calories you are under eating.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Did you figure 2200 to be your BMR or did you mean TDEE? That number is a bit high for a BMR unless you have a lot of muscle mass.

    Here is another site where you can calculate your BMR by height and age, or by BF%

    http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm
  • briantauman
    briantauman Posts: 19 Member
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    So where is the sweet spot between not starving your body and Burning enough calories to lose significant weight?

    Im so new at this. I love all the feedback!
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    So where is the sweet spot between not starving your body and Burning enough calories to lose significant weight?

    Im so new at this. I love all the feedback!

    There are many different calculators and they can have varied numbers, depending on your BF%, age, activity level, genetics, and how many calories you have been eating up to now. Finding the perfect number for you takes some trial and error. Compare the different numbers, choose somewhere in the middle and try it out for a few weeks. If you don't lose like you want to, then lower it a bit. If you are losing too fast, or are getting too hungry, then up them a bit.
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
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    So where is the sweet spot between not starving your body and Burning enough calories to lose significant weight?

    Im so new at this. I love all the feedback!

    There are many different calculators and they can have varied numbers, depending on your BF%, age, activity level, genetics, and how many calories you have been eating up to now. Finding the perfect number for you takes some trial and error. Compare the different numbers, choose somewhere in the middle and try it out for a few weeks. If you don't lose like you want to, then lower it a bit. If you are losing too fast, or are getting too hungry, then up them a bit.


    Use the fit2fat BMR calculators, they take into account body fat, age, sex, height and current weight.

    You don't want to eat below your BMR, especially for any sustained amount of time.

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