need help with my BMR and how many colories I should consume

k8tthegr8t
k8tthegr8t Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Help! I am trying to figure out my BMR but lots of sites tell me different things and I don't know how many calories I should be consuming. Does anyone know if there is a right formula/site out there? Or could they help me figure out my BMR and how to lose weight? I am 5'5'' and I weigh 135 and I would like to lose 10 pounds, ideally 1 pound per week. I do the elliptical for 40 mn/day, 6 days a week, and do light weight training about 3 days a week and I have been consuming about 1300 cal/day, but no weight loss after 3 weeks. Am I too low in calories?

Replies

  • katedevall
    katedevall Posts: 240 Member
    If you go to apps and then i think tools there is a bmr calculator on this site. I would give it another week and if you still have no loss in weight or inches i would change things up. Maybe increase your weights or increase your calories a small amount. You can also try to incorporate different types of cardio instead of always doing elliptical
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    This should help

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • Live4theLift
    Live4theLift Posts: 329
    Depending on ur age your BMR should be about 1500. That's not what you wanna go by you need ur TDEE.

    http://www.doyoueven.com/tdee/

    Go to the site put in all your info and then find your goal intake from there
  • imhungry2012
    imhungry2012 Posts: 240 Member
    Has that been your workout routine for a while or just since you started 3 weeks ago? 1lb per week with so little to go may be challenging, I would suggest setting to .5lb per week and eat at that rate and eat back all your exercise calories. I was stuck at 138 for the longest time, switched up my workout (less cardio-more strength) and increased the weight i was lifting and bam 5 lbs in 2 weeks...I love cardio which is why I do it but now I try to do it on non-lifting days.

    The calculator I used was http://iifym.com/calculators/
    Within this article there are calculations as well and it's a good read http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

    Also, I eat a lot - I average NET calories of 1900 and am definitely lowering my body fat.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Help! I am trying to figure out my BMR but lots of sites tell me different things and I don't know how many calories I should be consuming. Does anyone know if there is a right formula/site out there? Or could they help me figure out my BMR and how to lose weight? I am 5'5'' and I weigh 135 and I would like to lose 10 pounds, ideally 1 pound per week. I do the elliptical for 40 mn/day, 6 days a week, and do light weight training about 3 days a week and I have been consuming about 1300 cal/day, but no weight loss after 3 weeks. Am I too low in calories?

    you should be aiming for 0.5lbs loss per week at most.

    chnage the strength training to lifting HEAVY, cut back on the cardio and eat more!
  • jadermary
    jadermary Posts: 105 Member
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    the problem with the BMR calculator on this site is that it doesn't factor in your bodyfat % so it could be misleading.
  • xidia
    xidia Posts: 606 Member
    Katch-Mcardle, available on the Fat2Fit site already linked, takes into account BF%.
  • k8tthegr8t
    k8tthegr8t Posts: 5
    I have been excersizing at this exact level for years. The difference is cutting back on calories. Also, I am 32 and have gained these pounds just in the last year. Some places list my BMR at 1400, others say 2000!
  • k8tthegr8t
    k8tthegr8t Posts: 5
    What should I be doing to change my lifting? Right now I do 3 sets with 10 lb weights, and 3 sets with 5 lb weights, plus 150 sit ups, and about 20 push ups.
  • sugarfree123
    sugarfree123 Posts: 82 Member
    When lifting weights, you should lift heavy to make a change. You should choose a weight that by the 6th repetition you are struggling and making faces. And for the elliptical, you did not say what intensity you are doing. If you are watching tv or looking at a magazine then you are dogging it. You must have intensity to make a change. 20 minutes is enough if you are pushing so hard you can barely catch your breath. Also, all calories are not created equal. you need good clean healthy foods in your diet. gotta go for color. The more color the better and the darker color the better. Clean proteins, colorful veges and intense exercise is the answer. Use a tape measure and a fat calculator also because the scale will LIE.
  • hjcopeland
    hjcopeland Posts: 53 Member
    When you set up your goals on MFP, it actually calculates your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), which is essentially your BMR + your normal daily activity.

    MFP does all of this for you, and then calculates your daily caloric needs based on your desired weight loss goals and timeframe (i.e. 1lb/wk or whatever you choose). You can play around with dozens of BMR and TDEE calculators online, but you'll find they're all pretty close to what MFP already calculated for you.

    For example, my BMR is 1800. My TDEE is 2200 (in other words, I would burn 1800 calories if I never got out of bed, and in a normal day of sitting at my desk, walking around, etc, I would burn another 400, for a total of 2200...that's before working out).

    So...let's say my goal is to maintain a 500 calorie deficit each day (based on my weight loss goal in MFP, which is calculated for you automatically), and I do 600 calories worth of exercise today. It would look like this:

    2200 TDEE + 600 exercise = 2800 total calories I will burn today.

    -500 calorie deficit (determined when I set up my goals*) = 2300 calories I should eat today.

    *Note that a 500 calorie daily defict = 1 lb per week (500 x 7 = 3500 calories = 1 pound)

    That is how MFP works, but the point I'm trying to make is MFP DOES ALL OF THESE CALCULATIONS FOR YOU - YOU JUST NEED TO USE THE "GOALS" SECTION, then follow what it tells you with regards to calories.

    If you set up your account a long time ago, you may have forgotten about the GOALS section. But you can update it any time. It is under the "MY HOME" tab above.

    Obviously, everyone is different. So you may find that the formula is slightly off (in either direction) for you. And it can also be tricky to accurately count your calories from exercise - but I've found that I get better at this over time.

    A great way to determine if you're "dialed in" is to track your weight loss versus your calorie deficit. If you are losing about 1 lb for every 3500 calorie deficit (your TDEE + exercise - your calorie intake), then you are logging your calories (both in and out) correctly. If not, adjust accordingly.

    In my opinion, you are more likely to log your calories burned incorrectly than you are to have your TDEE calculated incorrectly by MFP.

    Hope that helps!
  • k8tthegr8t
    k8tthegr8t Posts: 5
    hjcopeland-that makes so much sense. thank you.
  • kmcosgrove115
    kmcosgrove115 Posts: 260 Member
    I posted this a while back - might help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide

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