What's the matter with BMR?

Optimus6128
Optimus6128 Posts: 3
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
How to calculate it? There are many different sites producing slightly different results. I always thought I was at 2000 as it's the usual limit and I am not exercising. But with my weight (133kg) and height (185cm) and age (35 years old) I get between 2300 to 2500. However, when I test the Goals section by saying I want to maintain weight, I get 2900 as my net. Isn't that too much?

Also, how do I know even 2300 is not it? How do I know I am not joking with myself? So I could be eating 2100 cals while my net was 2000? Also, what should I aim? What if you must have small deficiency of 100-200 cals and if you have way more, you will starve and your metabolism will drop?

I also had some bad experiences where I decided to eat salads and fruit and avoid all fast food and even go 3 times per week to the gym and hoping it will work miracles, but somehow I am feeling very tired, not losing weight. And then I am mad about it and one Sunday I eat pizza. And voila, the weight drops next day. Of course friends would say it was stupid to do this, the weight loss was from previous days, while I think I boost up my metabolism (I was considering the fasting/feasting diet at the point). I wish it was easier to know how my body works, of course sometimes I got fat because of laziness and addiction to food, but when I decide to turn things around it proves to be very hard, because I don't get much positive feedback. I remember once I decided to really do gym, both cardio and weights, 1 hour stuff, very tired, and I thought I will definitely lose weight, because normally I lose (but then gain it back) with less effort. This is frustrating, it's like telling you "it's not worth it, just go back to your old eating habits". A little more positive feedback from my body would tell me "hey, it seems to be working".

I wish I know (or feel) more how my body works.

Replies

  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    You're describing TDEE, not BMR.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,254 Member
    I'm no expert on the rest, but you don't eat at BMR to maintain. BMR is what your body needs to function in a coma. TDEE is what you would need to maintain.
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    How about this...don't worry about losing weight right now. Do a test of your TDEE. And make sure that you are calculating it with all your exercise and other activity (such as on your feet walking a lot, running around after kids, active job, etc). Do the test for four weeks - have you gained, lost or stayed the same. If gained, your estimated TDEE is too high. If you lost, it's too low. Stayed the same, why not add an extra 100-200 calories and do another four weeks. This is so worth it. I took several months to figure out mine and it was worth it. THEN, do a 15% cut.

    Make sure you are weighing everything on a scale (except liquids) and be honest with everything that goes into your mouth.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    You are thinking about short term effects. Change that attitude immediately.
    Choose a reasonable number. Track at that number for a month, see how much you lose. Adjust.

    Track what you eat.
    Move more.

    Continue to read here to learn more. (See the stickies or the links in my profile.)

    Keep it simple, long term adherence wins.
  • Optimus6128
    Optimus6128 Posts: 3
    So, wait I messed up the terms? I understand now BMR is the minimal. So, it's even higher than this? TDEE indeed reports 2700+ in various sites. This makes me even more confused. Because it's higher. In my MFP goal I set 1800cals. Too little? Too much? I thought that if I underestimate what I eat, it's a safe mechanism. But now you tell me 2300 is the coma condition? I am seriously confused. That gives more free cals ahead, but makes me wonder if when I was not dieting I was eating 3000 cals? Seems hard to reach. Or not..
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    too many words

    OK MFP gives you a calorie based on your BMR plus your general activity level but excludes any purposeful exercise. If you work a desk job you're sedentary, if you're on your feet a lot probably lightly active.

    MFP is called NEAT (BMR + Activtiy level and based on your stated weight loss requirement per week) - you get 1800 calories

    When you do exercise you log it in the exercise section, drop the calories down by half because MFP database overestimates and eat those too

    Your NEAT plus your exercise is your TDEE

    Then you judge your actual physical weight loss over time by the amount of calories you've been consuming (over 6-8 weeks) and if you're losing faster than you prediccted start to eat more, if slower start to eat less

    That's all you need to worry about
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,226 Member
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    You are thinking about short term effects. Change that attitude immediately.
    Choose a reasonable number. Track at that number for a month, see how much you lose. Adjust.

    Track what you eat.
    Move more.

    Continue to read here to learn more. (See the stickies or the links in my profile.)

    Keep it simple, long term adherence wins.
    This.

  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    edited March 2015
    Optimus6128 wrote: »
    So, wait I messed up the terms? I understand now BMR is the minimal. So, it's even higher than this? TDEE indeed reports 2700+ in various sites. This makes me even more confused. Because it's higher. In my MFP goal I set 1800cals. Too little? Too much? I thought that if I underestimate what I eat, it's a safe mechanism. But now you tell me 2300 is the coma condition? I am seriously confused. That gives more free cals ahead, but makes me wonder if when I was not dieting I was eating 3000 cals? Seems hard to reach. Or not..

    Your BMR is *likely* somewhere in the 2200-2500 range.
    Your TDEE is *likely* in the 2500-2900 range.

    Choose a number. Subtract twenty percent. Eat that for a month or two. Profit.
    Don't complicate it. You will learn along the way. Promise.

    (If you really want all of the data and information now and NEED TO UNDERSTAND to make it work for you - read every link in my profile. Then download my worksheet and read the references)

    Good luck.

    (Track all you eat, move more, adhere)
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