BMR help please

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butterbeanz
butterbeanz Posts: 10 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi. Not sure if this is the right board for a BMR query but here goes.
I saw a doctor yesterday as I am really struggling to lose any weight. I went to an endocrinologist as I have a family history of thyroid problems but even though my TSH and T4 are fine I had wondered if this could be part of the problem.
Up until now I have had my calorie target at 1450 a day, but the doctor said my BMR is probably only around 1200 a day. I have looked online and most calculators have it quite a bit higher. I am currently 290lbs and 5'6'' and my lifestyle is pretty sedentary.

So my questions are
1. Is my BMR really only 1200? :(
2. What are the best ways to increase it?
And 3. How do I lower my target calories on mfp?

Thanks for any help.

Replies

  • pennyllayne
    pennyllayne Posts: 265
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    Your BMR depends on a number of things such as muscle mass, hormones, genetics...it would be impossible to say what your exact BMR is. Online calculators don't take any of these things into account and I'm assuming your doctor is just guessing. However, if you aren't losing weight at 1450 calories then it seems to make sense to assume that this is above maintenance calories for you, or your deficit is not large enough to be creating weight loss on a weekly basis and you may need to give it more time.

    Are you sure you are taking in 1450 calories a day? 1200 does sound very low for someone of your height and weight, but it's pretty difficult to increase BMR. You can try muscle building exercise, but aside from this the best way is to increase total energy expenditure and not focus as much on BMR. Get yourself checked out for any other hormonal imbalances such as insulin resistance and PCOS.

    Also, if you've been dieting for a long time your BMR decreases to adapt to your lower energy intake and this appears to be somewhat permanent. This is why eating at a large deficit for long periods of time can be problematic. Leptin and thyroid levels also decrease with long term calorie deficits so you might benefit from upping your calories for a while and focusing on increasing carbohydrates as these have the biggest impact on leptin and thyroid levels. Also try looking up Leptin Resistance.
  • gigihotetz
    gigihotetz Posts: 36
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    The best way to increase BMR is to do strength training. Lifting weights may not burn as many calories as cardio will do, but after your workout, the calories will still slowly burn off. Your cells are still working hard to repair the ripped tissue, therefore your metabolic rate is still elevated. The more muscle you have built, the more energy your body requires to maintain basal metabolic functions
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    1200 BMR at 290? With some of your levels coming back normal I wonder how your doctor explains this

    Can you share how you know you're taking in 1400 calories? Do you use a food scale to weigh and measure all your food? You'd have to be under estimating your intake by hundreds if not close to a thousand calories per day to not be losing weight. Can you open your food diary so we can check for anything that sticks out?
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    Maybe the doctor meant you should eat 1200 calories per day as that is a number commonly thrown out for weight loss? How long have you been consistently eating 1400 calories per day?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Like someone else said, you won't know your BMR without proper testing. Online calculators are just estimates based on the average population. It is possible to be higher or lower. Most are not significantly lower, however.

    You may also want to give this thread a read
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/919536-get-your-metabolic-rate-tested-my-metabolic-reset-story?hl=rmr+tested+get+your

    You also need to consider that your BMR is just what your body needs to survive if you were doing nothing all day, like in a coma. You still burn calories on top of that through everyday movements, even sitting, walking to your car, etc., plus exercise.

    Personally, I would go back and speak with the doctor further to find out if you can get it tested, and possible referrals to those who may be able to help you with this. My first step would not be eating less (that is assuming you are logging and measuring food). I would not accept a "probably around here" unless they have done some sort of testing to actually figure it out.
  • lisaabenjamin
    lisaabenjamin Posts: 665 Member
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    Is there some confusion over what BMR is? Your BMR, or basal metabolic rate, is the number of calories your body uses in a day while at complete rest, i.e. while not doing anything other than sitting and breathing. It might well be 1200, but I couldn't accurately be sure. However, you should NOT be eating at or under your BMR because then your body won't have enough energy to carry out your basic life functions. Instead, you need to eat at a small calorie deficit according to your activity level.

    Trust your doctor - if you have normal bloodwork, then it more than likely means you don't have thyroid problems, so don't try and make yourself think you have just so you can use it as an excuse.

    Without medical complications, weight loss happens when you burn more calories than you consume, so I would agree with the other poster who said you must be underestimating your calories consumed. Either that or overestimating what you're burning, or both.

    ETA: If you open your diary we might be able to make some suggestions about what might be going wrong.
  • ChriJMitch
    ChriJMitch Posts: 70 Member
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    I agree with the other posters, we need to evaluate your food diary. Something has to be wrong with the quality of your intake, or there is some other kind of issue going on. We can help narrow it down for you.

    You should be dropping weight to the tune of ~1.5 lbs a week, if you are eating at roughly 1400 a day with your current weight (the average BMR for a person your height/weight is somewhere around 2200 calories to maintain your weight).
  • butterbeanz
    butterbeanz Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you for all the replies. More useful advice and info than I got from a £180 doctor appointment!

    I do know that I sometimes eat quite a lot of cr@p but I do try to accurately measure the calories in the cr@p :)
    My logging has been a bit hit and miss lately as I have been finding the lack of progress really disheartening. I will post this then see how to open my food diary.

    The doctor said the bmr included what I normally do in a day and that if I do nothing it would be lower. I know I must be doing something wrong as I am not losing anything at the moment.

    I was not looking for thryroid problems as an excuse - I have been overweight for more than 40 years, and this is the first time I have been tested. The reason it came up is that my daughter (a very healthy 135lbs) has just been diagnosed and they asked if she has a family history.

    Thanks again for all the help.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Thank you for all the replies. More useful advice and info than I got from a £180 doctor appointment!

    I do know that I sometimes eat quite a lot of cr@p but I do try to accurately measure the calories in the cr@p :)
    My logging has been a bit hit and miss lately as I have been finding the lack of progress really disheartening. I will post this then see how to open my food diary.

    The doctor said the bmr included what I normally do in a day and that if I do nothing it would be lower. I know I must be doing something wrong as I am not losing anything at the moment.

    I was not looking for thryroid problems as an excuse - I have been overweight for more than 40 years, and this is the first time I have been tested. The reason it came up is that my daughter (a very healthy 135lbs) has just been diagnosed and they asked if she has a family history.

    Thanks again for all the help.

    My first suggestion - if you don't want to go through the hassle of more medical appointments/don't have the coverage for it- would be to start logging everything and as accurately as possible. Get a food scale. See where that takes you first. You don't have to open your diary if you don't want to. If you are asking for advice on it is is really recommended but since you are saying that you don't always log, I don't think there is any need to see it now. If you feel you will log more honestly with it closed, then keep it close, just use it. Get an idea of what you are really eating.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    Thank you for all the replies. More useful advice and info than I got from a £180 doctor appointment!

    I do know that I sometimes eat quite a lot of cr@p but I do try to accurately measure the calories in the cr@p :)
    My logging has been a bit hit and miss lately as I have been finding the lack of progress really disheartening. I will post this then see how to open my food diary.

    The doctor said the bmr included what I normally do in a day and that if I do nothing it would be lower. I know I must be doing something wrong as I am not losing anything at the moment.

    I was not looking for thryroid problems as an excuse - I have been overweight for more than 40 years, and this is the first time I have been tested. The reason it came up is that my daughter (a very healthy 135lbs) has just been diagnosed and they asked if she has a family history.

    Thanks again for all the help.

    I felt the same way about lack of progress. Turns out my weight was fluctuating and I just wasn't watching when it would go down. Granted I didn't have a massive deficit and still don't, but I really needed to see that evidence to trust the process, from which I would get a boost to continue.

    Barring any medical conditions you do not have to eat some tiny # either. You could probably eat 1800 calories per day and lose over a pound a week. So if you start at 1400 cals and it feels too restrictive, feel free to explore other options.
  • butterbeanz
    butterbeanz Posts: 10 Member
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    I have opened my diary.
    As I said, the last month or so it has been quite erratic - probably my logging was more dedicated a couple of months ago. If I eat vegetables and salad I sometimes don't log them - so if it looks like I am just eating parsnips for a meal then it is just that I didn't log broccolli and carrots. I do all my cooking myself, so sometimes I pick a mfp entry that looks similar by weight/content.
    I have a fitbit so the exercise additions come from that. It is set to negative calories if I don't do enough, so some days my calorie target is reduced.

    I do know that I eat a lot of stuff that isn't great, but most of the time I try to restrict the amount of it, and eat it as part of my overall calorie intake not on top of it.

    I don't want miracles - just some loss would be great. I am definitely going to work on muscle building exercise, and the quality of what I eat.
    I think it is fair to say that 40 years of dieting has not done my metabolism any favours, but I'm not giving up.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
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    Hi. Not sure if this is the right board for a BMR query but here goes.
    I saw a doctor yesterday as I am really struggling to lose any weight. I went to an endocrinologist as I have a family history of thyroid problems but even though my TSH and T4 are fine I had wondered if this could be part of the problem.
    Up until now I have had my calorie target at 1450 a day, but the doctor said my BMR is probably only around 1200 a day. I have looked online and most calculators have it quite a bit higher. I am currently 290lbs and 5'6'' and my lifestyle is pretty sedentary.

    So my questions are
    1. Is my BMR really only 1200? :(
    2. What are the best ways to increase it?
    And 3. How do I lower my target calories on mfp?

    Thanks for any help.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Use this calculator. Most doctors are clueless about weight loss, BMR, TDEE, etc since this is not typically taught in medical school. A nutritionist or dietitian would be more helpful in this area. The Scooby calculator has helped me tremendously! I had always subscribed to the notion of restricting my calories or cutting out certain macros and typically I have failed. I've been eating my BMR + exercise calories since 1/1/14 and have lost 18 pounds :) It can be done. Make sure you are measuring everything with a food scale. Plan your meals. Drink water. Watch sodium. Eat food!! Don't give up!!! Best of luck to you!!
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Honestly some docs seem to know nothing about nutrition and the body, and some even give damaging info. When in doubt: get a 2nd opinion. While we're not doctors if I had been to THAT doctor I'd be asking for him/her to pay for me to visit another.

    If you've been inconsistent: the lack of consistency is likely the direct cause of lack of results.

    Based on your height, weight, etc. you certainly do not want to starve yourself. Put a plan in place for the next 4 weeks. If you've had consistency issues in the past, you want a plan that is destined for success rather than failure. Use the online calculators based on sedentary lifestyle to estimate your TDEE. Eat at 500 calories less 6 days of the week, and on the 7th day aim for TDEE. Pick a goal for walking each week. Perhaps 20 minutes x 5 days the first week, and each week increasing slightly. Look up some body weight exercises, make a list of 4-8 and do them 3x a week. Squats, wall pushups, bicep curls with household items, etc.

    That's just an example - think about what works for you. You want to challenge yourself but you don't want to make an impossible goal. If you walk none now don't set out to walk a marathon next week. Make a goal and shout it to the world. Find someone to check in with on a regular basis. (Feel free to friend me here if you want.) Tell them your goal, and expect them to follow up and give you grief if you didn't follow thru.

    Check your weight tomorrow morning, after waking up/undressed/after using the bathroom. Log your measurements. Check again in 4 weeks.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    I have opened my diary.
    As I said, the last month or so it has been quite erratic - probably my logging was more dedicated a couple of months ago. If I eat vegetables and salad I sometimes don't log them - so if it looks like I am just eating parsnips for a meal then it is just that I didn't log broccolli and carrots. I do all my cooking myself, so sometimes I pick a mfp entry that looks similar by weight/content.
    I have a fitbit so the exercise additions come from that. It is set to negative calories if I don't do enough, so some days my calorie target is reduced.

    I do know that I eat a lot of stuff that isn't great, but most of the time I try to restrict the amount of it, and eat it as part of my overall calorie intake not on top of it.

    I don't want miracles - just some loss would be great. I am definitely going to work on muscle building exercise, and the quality of what I eat.
    I think it is fair to say that 40 years of dieting has not done my metabolism any favours, but I'm not giving up.

    2 things. You definitely want to be consistent as stated by another poster. Log the good days and the bad days, and you'll have your answer right there. This was hard for me to read, but reason #1 a poster had seen folks not lose weight was inaccurate logging. Reason #2 after that was just plain eating too much after tackling reason 1. That's why it's so important to log each day. At least if you determine you're eating too much, you'll come up with a game plan to stay on track. Also don't think of food as good or bad but rather as a source of nutrition. Calories, carbs, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals. You *can* have your treats in moderation and still lose weight and be healthier

    Second thing is to check out the recipe function if you haven't already. You can start with picking close sounding meals, but if you cook most of your own meals that is actually a great way to be very precise with your logging. You can enter each ingredient and MFP adds them up for you. I also do not log veggies with very few calories. Just have to make sure I log the veg at least once to know how many calories it is. That way if I eat two pounds of baby carrots in one sitting, I at least know to log *that*
  • ChriJMitch
    ChriJMitch Posts: 70 Member
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    So I analyzed a couple days of your entries, and honestly you are doing pretty well as far as food quality. My only suggestion would be to increase your protein intake and slightly decrease carb/fat intake; You had only about 30g of protein a day which is way too little. Try to hit the goal MFP set for you at ~70g per day. A lot of your foods seem to be processed breads, flours, and grains, which are not that great if you are trying to drop weight.

    Easy ways to get lean protein are greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, and fish. Obviously, the easiest would be to replace snack food with a protein shake (I would recommend a whey isolate powder). These really aren't that expensive, and some actually taste really good ( I like to mix vanilla flavor with skim milk).

    Make sure you are drinking plenty of water too; your body needs excess water to metabolize fats.

    Other than that, just be patient and consistent. Fitness plans take time; everybody wants instant results, but like all good things, you have to put constant work in to get the reward at the end. I would encourage you to NOT use weight as your measurement of success during your journey to get healthy, as your weight is going to have ups and downs by the day. The best way to measure progress is your Body Mass Index (same thing as body fat %). I posted about it in another thread, I will copy some of the links for you here:

    There are several ways that BMI can be measured, with varying degrees of accuracy and cost:

    http://www.builtlean.com/2010/07/13/5-ways-to-measure-body-fat-percentage/

    Also, here are what the BMI (body mass index) ranges are for men and women, and what they look like in general. Aim for what you want your body to look like, and shoot for that body fat %:

    http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
  • pennyllayne
    pennyllayne Posts: 265
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    Thank you for all the replies. More useful advice and info than I got from a £180 doctor appointment!

    I do know that I sometimes eat quite a lot of cr@p but I do try to accurately measure the calories in the cr@p :)
    My logging has been a bit hit and miss lately as I have been finding the lack of progress really disheartening. I will post this then see how to open my food diary.

    The doctor said the bmr included what I normally do in a day and that if I do nothing it would be lower. I know I must be doing something wrong as I am not losing anything at the moment.

    I was not looking for thryroid problems as an excuse - I have been overweight for more than 40 years, and this is the first time I have been tested. The reason it came up is that my daughter (a very healthy 135lbs) has just been diagnosed and they asked if she has a family history.

    Thanks again for all the help.

    I really think it sounds like your doctor does not know what he's talking about, or you're confused as to what he said. There is no way your maintenance calories are 1,200. Someone half your size would have a higher BMR and it's quite odd that he'd make such an assumption without any evidence to suggest your BMR is that low. It is very damaging to give someone a number that low and then telling them they have to reduce it by 500 a day just to see around half a pound loss per week, because that is essentially what he is saying. And no, your BMR does not include your daily activity - that would be maintenance calories. BMR is basal metabolic rate, otherwise known as RMR or resting metabolic rate (emphasis on resting). So those are the calories your body would need if you did nothing but sleep all day. If this is what a medical professional tells someone about the definition of BMR, then I wouldn't even trust him to test my thyroid correctly. Honestly. Get a second opinion on your thyroid and get the rest of your hormones checked out while you're at it.

    Looking at your food diary I am really wondering if you are feeling hungry all the time. You are not getting enough protein to rebuild muscle after your workouts and if you are having a lot of difficulty you might find reducing your carbs to be helpful. I'm not seeing many fruits or veg and honestly 14g of protein on a 1600 calorie day as well as exercising? You are going to stress your body out so much doing that. Please try switching around your macronutrients and getting in more nourishment from your food and you may find you have an easier time getting the weight off.

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