BMR Calculation Help!

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Finding_Freedom
Finding_Freedom Posts: 34
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! I am a 20 year old college student and weigh 120 pounds. My goal is to get down to 115 pounds. I am currently 5'3 and love my frame at 115 lbs. Anyways, lets say that I was sedentary what would my BMR be. There are so many calculators out there and each one gives me different numbers. I am currently eating 1500 calories plus exercise but I end up binging uncontrollably! I am thinking I may set it to 1550 for just a few extra calories.

Is this silly? Would I gain weight at 1550 (even if it is slow gain), because I really want to lose the last five.

Replies

  • 86_Ohms
    86_Ohms Posts: 253 Member
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    Can you open up your diary to public so we can see your eating habits and goals?

    Also, BMR isn't calculated from your activity. It's based on your height, age, and weight to determine how many calories you would need for your organs and internal processes just to function if you essentially laid in bed all day.

    What you're describing is your TDEE, or "Total Daily Energy Expendature".

    Here's a full description:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

    Calculate your goal with "in place of a road map" or IPORM spreadsheet:
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGVTbGswLUUzUHNVVUlNSW9wZWloeUE

    At your size and only wanting to lose 5 lbs, your TDEE should probably be 10% or less... to lose 0.5 lbs a week.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    This is the one I like best:
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    Your BMR is around 1375. Assuming a sedentary lifestyle, your calorie goal should be around 1300 or so. This means you have to add exercise calories back on top of that ("eat back exercise" in other words).
  • Lammerchops
    Lammerchops Posts: 68 Member
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    I'm not sure what you mean when you say you "love your frame @115". 115 is just a number on a scale that doesn't reflect composition. Did you used to be smaller? Or harder?

    How active are you during exercise, and how many days per week?

    What exactly are you eating to hit your 1500 calories per day?

    Are you simply trying to lose 5 lbs, or 5 lbs of fat specifically?
  • Finding_Freedom
    Finding_Freedom Posts: 34
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    Thank you for the responses- I really appreciate it! Let's see my daily caloric goal is 1500-1550 plus whatever I earn from exercise. I generally do cardio 5-6 days a week and light weights 2-3 days a week. I need to start lifting more, I just have not done that yet. I burn about 200-400 calories during my exercise routine per day (HRM). I eat (the following...)
    **I find that I often go over fat.
    I want to lose five pounds of (FAT) but really I just want to see 115 lbs again!! Ha

    94 grams for protein.
    42 grams for fat.
    188 grams for carbohydrates.
    30 grams of fiber (25-30 ideally).
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Thank you for the responses- I really appreciate it! Let's see my daily caloric goal is 1500-1550 plus whatever I earn from exercise. I generally do cardio 5-6 days a week and light weights 2-3 days a week. I need to start lifting more, I just have not done that yet. I burn about 200-400 calories during my exercise routine per day (HRM). I eat (the following...)
    **I find that I often go over fat.
    I want to lose five pounds of (FAT) but really I just want to see 115 lbs again!! Ha

    94 grams for protein.
    42 grams for fat.
    188 grams for carbohydrates.
    30 grams of fiber (25-30 ideally).

    Sounds like a plan, though I think your calorie goal is high if you plan on eating back exercise. That's close to maintenance. I'd go for 1400 max.
  • 86_Ohms
    86_Ohms Posts: 253 Member
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    Settings-Diary Settings-Public (at the bottom). Or add as a friend. Either way.

    Fat really isn't an enemy, though media likes to hype it up like it is. There's a lot of people who incorporate 50% of their calories from animal fats (myself included). It can be used in place of carbs for energy, and helps with many bodily functions. Plus, it keeps you full for quite awhile.

    So, main question here before even looking at your diary: Are you eating enough?

    You need to go to your recommended value that MFP sets for you, or you need to use that spreadsheet from google docs (IPORM) to set your own goals away from MFP (since it only does a so-so job for you). The goal is to get that daily number as close to 0 as possible. The more you exercise, the higher the number, but only because you had that much more physical activity throughout the day and need the extra calories from your deficit to compensate.

    If you don't eat enough, then your body won't want to give up excess storages of fat since it believe it won't be able to get enough food to survive on through your actions. It will even take away muscle tissue before giving up precious fat.

    Feel free to read this post on MFP (though you're nowhere near obese) to get an idea of very low calorie lifestyle problems:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    Edit: Link to a post I thought was better than the last.
  • sandviper888
    sandviper888 Posts: 10 Member
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    Very well said bro!
    I am new to the forums but its good to know there are knowledgable ppl in this forum
    Settings-Diary Settings-Public (at the bottom). Or add as a friend. Either way.

    Fat really isn't an enemy, though media likes to hype it up like it is. There's a lot of people who incorporate 50% of their calories from animal fats (myself included). It can be used in place of carbs for energy, and helps with many bodily functions. Plus, it keeps you full for quite awhile.

    So, main question here before even looking at your diary: Are you eating enough?

    You need to go to your recommended value that MFP sets for you, or you need to use that spreadsheet from google docs (IPORM) to set your own goals away from MFP (since it only does a so-so job for you). The goal is to get that daily number as close to 0 as possible. The more you exercise, the higher the number, but only because you had that much more physical activity throughout the day and need the extra calories from your deficit to compensate.

    If you don't eat enough, then your body won't want to give up excess storages of fat since it believe it won't be able to get enough food to survive on through your actions. It will even take away muscle tissue before giving up precious fat.

    Feel free to read this post on MFP (though you're nowhere near obese) to get an idea of very low calorie lifestyle problems:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    Edit: Link to a post I thought was better than the last.
  • Finding_Freedom
    Finding_Freedom Posts: 34
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    Thanks for the help! I am kind of ASSUMING that I will lose weight at 1500 calories plus exercise due to the fact that I binge so often and so much that I think I will lose weight with this number. I could be wrong... It is just a thought?!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Thanks for the help! I am kind of ASSUMING that I will lose weight at 1500 calories plus exercise due to the fact that I binge so often and so much that I think I will lose weight with this number. I could be wrong... It is just a thought?!

    Well one way to find out! Best of luck!

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