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BMR/Calorie intake

chsa22
chsa22 Posts: 33 Member
edited March 6 in Health and Weight Loss
I am wondering how accurate a BMR calculator is. It's an estimate, of course, but could it be off by as much as a hundred pounds?? It says mine is 1451 calories and my calorie goal for each day is 1560 (based on wanting to lose .5 per week). I have it set at sedentary b/c I have a desk job and I try to work out at least a few times a week. I figure it's better to underestimate my activity level.
Should I make any adjustments? I'm not seeing much of a change in my weight after the first couple weeks where I lost 5.5 lbs. (I've put back on all but 2 of those) any advise would be great! Thanks!

Replies

  • karenj_m
    karenj_m Posts: 215
    edited October 2014
    Can you list all your stats please:

    Gender
    Height
    Current Weight
    How much you want to lose
    Types of workouts you do per week (and how many times per week)

    Thanks
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    chsa22 wrote: »
    I am wondering how accurate a BMR calculator is. It's an estimate, of course, but could it be off by as much as a hundred pounds?? It says mine is 1451 calories and my calorie goal for each day is 1560 (based on wanting to lose .5 per week). I have it set at sedentary b/c I have a desk job and I try to work out at least a few times a week. I figure it's better to underestimate my activity level.
    Should I make any adjustments? I'm not seeing much of a change in my weight after the first couple weeks where I lost 5.5 lbs. (I've put back on all but 2 of those) any advise would be great! Thanks!

    BMR cant be off by pounds? do you mean 100 calories?
  • pinkiezoom
    pinkiezoom Posts: 409 Member
    edited October 2014
    Mine was pretty similiar to yours for calories, and i had to up mine and change my activity to moderate, i go to the gym 5 days a week, and no way i could survive on the low calories it was telling me to, it was making me miserable, i think you have to find a balance yourself as you know your own body, it has to be sustainable as its really a lifestyle change, and not the dreaded "diet"! I am now on 1800 and it has lifted my mental state massively, I was having to do super long sessions at the gym just to earn a few extra calories so i could have an evening meal!
    I have only just changed my calories, but now i wont eat back any i work off at the gym, and just log the exercise.
    No doubt someone will be along soon to give you some proper advice, but in the mean time, keep your chin up hun, you are doing well.
  • chsa22
    chsa22 Posts: 33 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    chsa22 wrote: »
    I am wondering how accurate a BMR calculator is. It's an estimate, of course, but could it be off by as much as a hundred pounds?? It says mine is 1451 calories and my calorie goal for each day is 1560 (based on wanting to lose .5 per week). I have it set at sedentary b/c I have a desk job and I try to work out at least a few times a week. I figure it's better to underestimate my activity level.
    Should I make any adjustments? I'm not seeing much of a change in my weight after the first couple weeks where I lost 5.5 lbs. (I've put back on all but 2 of those) any advise would be great! Thanks!

    BMR cant be off by pounds? do you mean 100 calories?

    sorry...calories, not pounds. I'm still sleeping I guess!
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    BMR is an estimate of the amount of calories your body needs to properly function, minus activity. Estimate is the key word there. I tend to use 2-3 different calculators and average them out to get my BMR.

    Typically you don't set an activity level for your BMR, so I'm thinking you may have looked at TDEE as well. If so, following a TDEE -10% (or 15% or 20%) model may be easier for you for establishing what you should eat. It'll also give you a fairly reasonable estimate as to what you should be losing each week.

    The above poster is right though, without your stats, it's hard to give you targeted advice or gauge why your weight loss has slowed. Know that weight loss is not linear, that exercise can induce you holding onto water weight, especially if you've recently introduced more or new exercise to your schedule. Sodium is also a typical culprit for water weight. To be accurately logging (which I don't) you need to be using a food scale for all solid food. Not every banana is 105 calories exactly, and so on.
  • chsa22
    chsa22 Posts: 33 Member
    karenj_m wrote: »
    Can you list all your stats please:

    Gender
    Height
    Current Weight
    How much you want to lose
    Types of workouts you do per week (and how many times per week)

    Thanks

    Female
    5'6''
    163lbs
    I'd like to lose at least 10lbs
    I walk for 30 minutes most days of the week, I do Jillian Michaels' Shred It kettle bell dvd 1/2x week, lift weights and do Pilates and planks. I used to be great at working out every morning Mon-Fri, but I've fallen out of that a bit. So I aim to workout 3-4 times per week.

    Thanks!!
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
    edited October 2014
    BMR estimates can easily be off by 100 calories, or more. Everyone's metabolism is different and no one-size-fits-all tool is going to be accurate for everyone. Having said that, your daily estimate of calories consumed or calories burned through exercise can each also be off by 100 calories or more.

    Don't get too hung up in the numbers. Just use them as guides to get you started, and use your progress over time (scale or measurements) to gauge of how accurate your particular numbers are.
  • chsa22
    chsa22 Posts: 33 Member
    I have looked up my TDEE. It puts me at 1997 with 3x week workouts. So if I take 15% away, it gives me 1697 calories. Maybe since I am underestimating my activity level, I could possibly be eating too few calories? I don't weigh my food, I try to estimate and I'd rather overestimate calories. I have never been on a 'diet', I've just slowly changed the way I eat over the years to be healthier and base what I eat on how I feel afterward. I've worked out regularly for years, and I prefer exercises that focus on building muscle than just cardio, but I work that in for regular health.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    chsa22 wrote: »

    sorry...calories, not pounds. I'm still sleeping I guess!

    about 70% of people fall within 10% of predicted BMR so being 100 calories out is entirely possible. When you restrict food intake their may well be some restriction of BMR as well, which is not taken into account by the estimates.
This discussion has been closed.

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