Best BMR calculator?

2013queen
2013queen Posts: 82
edited January 12 in Health and Weight Loss
I am getting really fed up.
Have worked out regularly for the past 9 months but only started weighing in Jan. In the month and a bit I have been weighing, I saw myself drop 9 pounds to 152, but now I am up at 155 again.
I think I am eating too little but that though terrifies me. I work out roughly 3 times a week, quite intensely and I dont eat back all my calories but I try to be above 1200 daily.
according to the Harris Benedict Equation, and this
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
I should consume 2284 calories a day?!?!? Based on a BMR of 1474.
Even if I reduced it to
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
it puts me at just over 2000.


Now Im not gonna whine and say that I cant eat all that, I am sure there are ways of getting that into my diet, but obviously I want to lose weight.

So based on this, if I up my intake to around 1500 a day, I should lose right?

Question being, should I just do 1500 a day, regardless if I exercise or not, in which case on the days I dont, it will put me over my cals on MFP, but well under on the days I do, such as yesterday, and tonight (I have prelogged my exercise).

Last time I lost weight, after my son was born, I just watched what I ate and took more walks (age 26). This time (33) it is a NIGHTMARE!!!!

Replies

  • Arwaxx
    Arwaxx Posts: 113 Member
    check your TDEE and eat between that and ur BMR or TDEE - 20 %
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    read this and you will understand.
  • 2013queen
    2013queen Posts: 82
    I do keep reading that ^^ over and over.... I know I need to work out my TDEE (I have done in the past), but Im at work so that will have to wait til I get home as I need to do measurements I dont have on me (neck??)
  • 2013queen
    2013queen Posts: 82
    Oh wait, did it on fitfrog (??) And it gives me a TDEE - 20% (even underestimating exercise) of 1677 cals a day!!!!
    Is this right?? Hell, hell hell hell.
    So its no wonder Im not losing then. Man that seems crazy.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    Unfortunately, much of weight loss is trial and error. No-one can give you a set amount of calories and say 'there, that will work'.
    At the moment, you aren't eating enough.

    There are two ways you can start off:

    1. Use the 'in place of a road map' guide and simply eat at 20% below your TDEE and DON'T eat back your exercise calories.

    2. Use the MFP way, set your goal to 1 lb per week, your activity level to sedentary, and log and eat back your exercise calories.


    Try this for a month, and weigh yourself. If you've gained, drop your cals by 100 a day and try again. If you've lost, happy days.
  • kabertrand63
    kabertrand63 Posts: 111 Member
    That seems too high. For me:

    My BMR = 1274.9
    I'm moderately active so multiply that by 1.4 = 1784.9
    Eat 20%less = 1427.9

    This includes your exercise, so don't add on top of this. General rule:

    TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure. 

    It's BMR plus a multiplier that takes into account your average activity level. 
    BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is just the calories needed to keep you alive - basic body functions, cells building, heart beating, lungs pumping, food digesting etc. 

    But most of us don't just lie in bed for 24 hours a day so we have to add a multiplier onto the BMR to account for all the other stuff we do... walking around, raising the kids, climbing stairs, playing sports etc. 

    If you're usually Sedentary (office job, rarely work out) then your TDEE is typically about BMR x 1.2. 
    If you're moderately active it could be BMR x 1.4 or more. 
    If you're an athlete it could be way higher. 

    To lose weight the best bet is to knock 15-20% off your TDEE and eat that many calories per day. That should give you a nice steady, sustainable weight loss.

    Hope this helps.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    That seems too high.

    You may have completely different stats to the OP. My TDEE is about 700 cals more than yours.
  • 2013queen
    2013queen Posts: 82
    BMR 1474, moderately active so x 1.4 = 2063 - 20% = 1719.... any way I do these calculations, I come out around 1700 mark.

    I want to lose around 25 pounds....
  • kabertrand63
    kabertrand63 Posts: 111 Member
    I'm sure we are different, I wasn't implying we were the same, just thinking she's using the higher activity level in the calculation ... probably should be moderately active. Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) and very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week). This is also a good link: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-and-daily-calorie-calculator.html.
  • 2013queen
    2013queen Posts: 82
    no I was using the moderately active and the lightly active (1-3 times a week) and basing my final figure on the lightly active number.
    Mon - body pump/combat (2hrs)
    Tues - CX, swim, balance (2.5 hrs)
    Weds - rest
    Thurs - cx, pump (1.5 hrs)
    Fri - rest
    Sat/sun - bit of gym work/swim
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    http://theskinnyequation.blogspot.com/p/weight-loss-calculators.html


    TDEE@ lightly active -20%
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    BMR 1474, moderately active so x 1.4 = 2063 - 20% = 1719.... any way I do these calculations, I come out around 1700 mark.

    I want to lose around 25 pounds....

    So, try eating at 1700 cals for a month and see where you are at. I say 1 month because if you've been eating at too low a deficit for a while, you will probably gain in the first couple of weeks. Don't be put off by this, your body will catch up. A month is a good amount of time to see if something works or not.
  • 2013queen
    2013queen Posts: 82
    BMR 1474, moderately active so x 1.4 = 2063 - 20% = 1719.... any way I do these calculations, I come out around 1700 mark.

    I want to lose around 25 pounds....

    So, try eating at 1700 cals for a month and see where you are at. I say 1 month because if you've been eating at too low a deficit for a while, you will probably gain in the first couple of weeks. Don't be put off by this, your body will catch up. A month is a good amount of time to see if something works or not.

    ok I get the point and sense in this, so just ignore that it puts me over on MFP each day? Is there a way of seeing weekly how youve done, because when I do my mega workouts, I have loads of cals to spare, I wonder how it all evens out.
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