Eating all of your calories/BMR
Replies
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Dragonfly,
I have the same "problem" with my weight going up and down about 2-3 pounds. My doctor told me to weigh at the same time each day (upon arising and after "peeing..) She also said the body can fluctuate as much as 4-5 pounds due to water retention and monthly cycle.
I have started keeping track of sodium because I have high blood pressure. I checked back and, sure enough, the days I was up were usually caused by eating something low calorie, but high in salt like saurkraut the day before.0 -
This site has straight forward calculators!
http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators.html
If you eat below your BMR (mine is 1400), you'll lose weight....I ate 1200 cal for about a year and reached my goal, and have been at, & now, below my goal for about 3 months. Of course it's easier to eat above or right at your BMR, but if you want to lose SERIOUS weight you create a dramatic deficit.0 -
Accoring to to BMR calculator mine is 2600, MFP says I am supposed to eat around 1800 with the exercise it goes up to 2600. I am having trouble taking in the 1800 sometimes.... I am not used to eating this much food. I am wondering how I have not lost weight before when I didn't even eat close to that many calories most days. Has anyone else had this problem? According to that figure it would put me into starvation mode. I cut out sodas all together about 6 months ago... So I wasn't getting the calories there. I was only eating 2 big meals a day but most of the time there is no way they would equal 2600 calories. I was eating fast food about twice a week then also but even with that I don't see how I wouldn't lose weight.... I am sooo confused right now. I am changing all of my bad habits now, I haven't eaten out in a cuple weeks and have been cooking. I am just wondering if it is really ok for me to eat all this food. I guess time will tell. I have only been on here for a few days. Any clarification would be appreciated.0
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you'd be shocked how much two big meals can be. Trust me on this one. Especially if they were relatively high in fat. Fat is far more calorie dense than the other nutrients, and thus, smaller amounts of fat can produce larger amounts of calories.
BMR shouldn't really enter the equation guys. BMR is NOT your TDEE and it's NOT what you should be basing your deficit off.0 -
I just found this thread and had to ask...because I'm even more confused after reading this....should I just follow the suggestions MFP are giving me? My BMR is also higher (1572) than what MFP tells me to consume. WHen I workout I am eating back some but not all of my calories. I too have not lost anything since starting 2 weeks ago.0
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I just found this thread and had to ask...because I'm even more confused after reading this....should I just follow the suggestions MFP are giving me? My BMR is also higher (1572) than what MFP tells me to consume. WHen I workout I am eating back some but not all of my calories. I too have not lost anything since starting 2 weeks ago.
Yes, eat at least your BMR; MFP will let you go below that level but it's best not to. It's a life-style change, not a crash diet, so your calorie allowance should be something you can stick with in the long run.0 -
This makes perfect sense to me, thanks I was asking for this clarity on a different thread, I followed your calcs and the MFP recommended amount per day is my (BMR+Exercise levels)- 1000 = 2lb loss a week! woop!
I can sleep at night knowing my organs are not wasting away! lol!0 -
Gosh - that BMR seems kind of high! 1600 or more?? Sounds more like maintenance calories to me :laugh: (although for me right now, that is my LOSING weight calories :laugh: ) Don't know what to tell you at this point! You seem to be doing o.k. where your at and losing weight consistantly. If you stall out for a longer period of time - 2-3 weeks - maybe you should re-evaluate what your doing, but I guess for now if it ain't broke, don't fix it!! Unless something is off in how you are putting in your information, that is the only other thing I can think of!
Hallusmc - you need to be above your BMR calories to keep your body functioning. You want to be less than the calories you need to maintain your current weight to lose weight.
Took the words right out of my mouth
My BMR is 1670 which is the amount of calories I eat every day no matter how much or how little I exercise. I do this for two reason
1. I totally agree you should not eat below your BMR, your body needs to keep functioning
2. I calulated my TDEE, TDEE is the total number of calories that your body expends in 24 hours, including all activities. TDEE is also known as your "maintenance level". I based this on my current weight. Here is a rough way to calculate your TDEE. Take your BMR and multiply it according to your activity level
Activity Multiplier
Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
Extr. active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)
With my numbers I consider myself between Mod and very active so I multiply my BMR by 1.6, this gives me a TDEE of 2672. So if I wanted to maitain my current weight of 211(which I don't) at my current activity level I would eat 2,672 calories a day. But I want to lose weight. So I am reducing my caloric intake for a 2lb a week weight loss, which is 1,000 calories a day. So, to lose 2lbs a week I eat 1,672 calories a day and wouldn't you know it, that's right where my BMR is! When I actually did all these calculations I was very happy to see the numbers were supported both ways. This is also why I don't adjust my food intake for exercise, I've already worked my activity level into my calculations on my TDEE, now if I really do an extra long workout that's more than my average I'll certainly add some more calories in.
So, that's just my two cents.
This makes perfect sense to me, thanks I was asking for this clarity on a different thread, I followed your calcs and the MFP recommended amount per day is my (BMR+Exercise levels)- 1000 = 2lb loss a week! woop!
I can sleep at night knowing my organs are not wasting away! lol!0 -
Accoring to to BMR calculator mine is 2600, MFP says I am supposed to eat around 1800 with the exercise it goes up to 2600. I am having trouble taking in the 1800 sometimes.... I am not used to eating this much food. I am wondering how I have not lost weight before when I didn't even eat close to that many calories most days. Has anyone else had this problem? According to that figure it would put me into starvation mode. I cut out sodas all together about 6 months ago... So I wasn't getting the calories there. I was only eating 2 big meals a day but most of the time there is no way they would equal 2600 calories. I was eating fast food about twice a week then also but even with that I don't see how I wouldn't lose weight.... I am sooo confused right now. I am changing all of my bad habits now, I haven't eaten out in a cuple weeks and have been cooking. I am just wondering if it is really ok for me to eat all this food. I guess time will tell. I have only been on here for a few days. Any clarification would be appreciated.
This article explains that. It has a lot to do with your metabolism & what you eat.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
My BMR is 1775 & my MFP calories are 1740. I've got it set to 1lb a week, I'm losing 2-3 most weeks, but none other weeks. I recalculate my BMR & calorie intake every 2-3 weeks, as my weight changes, so do those amounts. I eat SO much less food than I used to, but I'm not nearly as hungry as I used to be (opposite issue in a way).
It's all about healthy choices. A McD's cheeseburger is 300 calories. So is a spinach salad with almonds/feta cheese/celery/carrots/sunflower seeds/raspberry vinaigrette dressing that fits in a bowl the size of my 2yr old's head! It's more work, and it's a challenge to get around baseball/soccer/church with 3 kids & still stay under & there are drive-thru days that just can't be helped, but all in all, it's a change of life, not a diet, so what's the rush if you get there eventually?0 -
Okay, so I have a question..... I am allowed 1200 cal a day and I wear a pedometer everyday. So do I eat all of the calories that my pedometer says I burned from just walking around my house doing daily activities or do I only record calories from my exercise? On an average day I burn 250 calories just doing my daily activities and another 260 on my evening 1 hour walk, at 3.5 mph with 3 lb weights. How many of these daily calories am I supposed to be eating?0
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bump0
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Agree0
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bump0
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OMG people, you are driving yourself crazy with all these numbers! MFP already calculates it correctly... and if you have a big workout, you can eat a little more. Simple as that0
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BMR shouldn't really enter the equation guys. BMR is NOT your TDEE and it's NOT what you should be basing your deficit off.
:flowerforyou: 0 -
Gosh - that BMR seems kind of high! 1600 or more?? Sounds more like maintenance calories to me :laugh: (although for me right now, that is my LOSING weight calories :laugh: ) Don't know what to tell you at this point! You seem to be doing o.k. where your at and losing weight consistantly. If you stall out for a longer period of time - 2-3 weeks - maybe you should re-evaluate what your doing, but I guess for now if it ain't broke, don't fix it!! Unless something is off in how you are putting in your information, that is the only other thing I can think of!
Hallusmc - you need to be above your BMR calories to keep your body functioning. You want to be less than the calories you need to maintain your current weight to lose weight.
Took the words right out of my mouth
My BMR is 1670 which is the amount of calories I eat every day no matter how much or how little I exercise. I do this for two reason
1. I totally agree you should not eat below your BMR, your body needs to keep functioning
2. I calulated my TDEE, TDEE is the total number of calories that your body expends in 24 hours, including all activities. TDEE is also known as your "maintenance level". I based this on my current weight. Here is a rough way to calculate your TDEE. Take your BMR and multiply it according to your activity level
Activity Multiplier
Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
Extr. active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)
With my numbers I consider myself between Mod and very active so I multiply my BMR by 1.6, this gives me a TDEE of 2672. So if I wanted to maitain my current weight of 211(which I don't) at my current activity level I would eat 2,672 calories a day. But I want to lose weight. So I am reducing my caloric intake for a 2lb a week weight loss, which is 1,000 calories a day. So, to lose 2lbs a week I eat 1,672 calories a day and wouldn't you know it, that's right where my BMR is! When I actually did all these calculations I was very happy to see the numbers were supported both ways. This is also why I don't adjust my food intake for exercise, I've already worked my activity level into my calculations on my TDEE, now if I really do an extra long workout that's more than my average I'll certainly add some more calories in.
So, that's just my two cents.
Bump. Thanks for the info.0 -
Zombie thread.0
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bump to keep an eye on this!0
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Bump for later :happy:0
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Wow this is a very informative thread!! My BMR is 1435, with maintenance of lightly active need 2000....aim lose 1.5 to 2 pounds a week so a week need cut ou 5250 to 7000 a week...so my nett calories should be 1000 to 1250 / day. Means if I exercise then I can eat back the amount of calories I lost via exercise! Such an eye opener as I had targeted 1000 kcal/day but trying to keep under calorie goal, sumtimes nett of bout 700-800 after exercise. Next day I'll feel abit faint n jittery.
from now on I will follow all the experts here and aim to achieve a nett of 1000-1250kcal/day, and not trying to aim less than that!!
Thanks so much for the eye opener. Im sure by this way I wont hit a plateau or yoyo from starving myself.1 -
Bump for a later read. Too sleepy.0
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Bump0
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So, just to be sure I understand what I have been reading...
MFP tells me to eat 1760 calories
my BMR according to MFP is 1702
And the last few weeks I was eating 1500 calories and excercising for 200-300 which makes a netto 1200.
I have been starving my body ??!! I should eat way more ?0 -
This link may shed some light. http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-0
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I am sorry but it doesnt help out.
I understand the way MFP works, but I dont get the BMR part...
I just really want to know I I understood correctly what I previously posted:
MFP tells me to eat 1760 calories
my BMR according to MFP is 1702
And the last few weeks I was eating 1500 calories and excercising for 200-300 which makes a netto 1200.
I have been starving my body ??!! I should eat way more ?
Edit: According to MFP I understand that I dont, but what of the BMR part?0 -
I am sorry but it doesnt help out.
I understand the way MFP works, but I dont get the BMR part...
I just really want to know I I understood correctly what I previously posted:
MFP tells me to eat 1760 calories
my BMR according to MFP is 1702
And the last few weeks I was eating 1500 calories and excercising for 200-300 which makes a netto 1200.
I have been starving my body ??!! I should eat way more ?
Edit: According to MFP I understand that I dont, but what of the BMR part?
Your BMR may not be 1702. If you're trying to lose weight, all of your above text doesn't make any sense.
Read this.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants0 -
After reading this, I am wondering what the point is of eating all your calories that MFP suggests, or eating back your exercise calories? BMR (the calories your body burns while laying in bed), needs to be adjusted for your body composition. For most people, a good quality BMR calculator can estimate pretty well, but if you have a lot of fat--it burns little or no calories--whereas if you are very lean and muscular, your muscles will burn more calories. The BMR calculators don't take this into account. If you are carrying a lot of fat, some medical professions suggest lowering your BMR calculation by 500 calories or more. If you are very lean, adding calories. These are all different than Total Daily Energy Expended. It is my understanding, that a true TDEE, does not include you BMR, but many of them do seem to try to do this. TDEE helps you calculate your average daily activity. I could see an argument for eating calories for your adjusted BMR+TDEE, but not calories expended during exercise. Two highly credible medical doctors, specialized in weight loss (NIH researchers, etc) have told me specifically to NOT eat back my calories, if I want to lose weight. I am saving you thousands of dollars here. If overweight, most of us were probably eating well beyond our BMR/TDEE. Of course, as you lose weight, you need fewer calories and need to adjust your caloric intake down. If you build muscle through exercise, your BMR will go up. So, you have to keep tweaking. The healthiest way to create a calorie deficit is to eat just what your body needs to function at its relatively sedentary American existence (would that our genes would keep up with our new existence) and exercise to burn a deficit while building muscle--which will increase your BMR. Cannot understand why anyone would suggest eating those calories to lose weight--but only to maintain. So, I say--recognize that all of this is very approximate--and eat in a close range of your adjusted BMR on MFP, not the suggested calories you earn through additional exercise or if you happen to be a little more active that day--which MFP doesn't know about. This issue is really a concern for users of Fitbit Flex which interfaces with MFP.0
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BMR estimates are based on averages of people your gender, age, height AND WEIGHT. Most of us can use the averages.BMR (the calories your body burns while laying in bed), needs to be adjusted for your body composition. For most people, a good quality BMR calculator can estimate pretty well, but if you have a lot of fat--it burns little or no calories--whereas if you are very lean and muscular, your muscles will burn more calories.0 -
I noticed that this post is for newbies, which I am....so therefore- what is a BMR- LOL0
This discussion has been closed.
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