Hold the FN Train.....

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farmers_daughter
farmers_daughter Posts: 1,632 Member
in Food and Nutrition
*** This was in a different Topic Section than I wanted it sorry if you are re-reading this.

There was an post on here recently about how many calories you should eat and the topic got put on BMR.

Sooo....curious, I found the BMR calculator. Here goes I'm putting ALL the dirty undies on the line...........


Me = Female 5'4" Weighs 205 Age 29 - BMR is 1711.25 (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/) taken from this calculator

MFP has my calories at 1760 for a day? Am I missing something? Shouldn't there be a deficit?

WTF and how do I tell MFP to get bent? I've been struggling to keep it under 1760, which makes me sound like an even bigger pig. And what should I be eating? Please keep the math as simple as possible (if possible). I'm kinda siderailed (and a little pissed) at the moment.

I know, I also post too much, but thank you for all the input. I really do appreciate it.

Replies

  • rankailie
    rankailie Posts: 144
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    Your BMR is how much you burn if you spent all day laying in bed unmoving. Which I doubt is the case. You'll burn well above and beyond your BMR based on your activity level.

    Take me for example. My BMR is in the 1800's but I burn on average 2600+ calories a day by being active and exercising. So my proper calorie intake level is closer to 1800-1900 which would give me a good deficit so I continue to burn but not be starved.

    Edit: Forgot to say MFP will give you a proper calorie goal based on your goal and input. Mine is actually a bit lower then I should eat but I take that into consideration as I'm generally more active then even the "active" activity setting.
  • ak_in_ak
    ak_in_ak Posts: 657 Member
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    Pretty much what the poster above said, BMR is if you were to just lay in bed. The calories MFP gives you are good. If you are having trouble with your calories I would suggest eating back some of your work out calories. Also. check out peoples diarys to see how others are eating.
  • farmers_daughter
    farmers_daughter Posts: 1,632 Member
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    Wait, I know the 1711.25 calories if I were to do nothing all day. but that's to maintain where I'm at right now. Correct?

    If I want to lose weight don't I need to lower my calorie intake a little bit, and I do know that I need to eat back my exercise calories.

    Am I just not getting it? LOL
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
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    Your BMR is the number of calories you would burn/require for healthy body function (aka to live) if you were completely bed - ridden, so your result of 1760 is accurate

    MFP calculates a deficit based on the fact that therer are roughtly 3500 calories in 1 lb of fat, thus spread over a week (7 days), you get a deficit of 500 calories per day.

    Taken together, this is where it would give you 1260 (or 1200 as most people claim to be a magic number) 1760 - 500 = 1260

    Now, laws of thermodynamics ot fat burning don't work as simple as the math, but the standard premise is that if you take in 500 less calories than you need, that extra energy has to come from somewhere (energy transferrence), which ideally will come from body fat stores.

    That being said, it doesn't always work that way since individual lifestyle factors, hormones, stres, exercise and such all come into play as well so, but the basic principle stays the same.
  • ❤B☩❤
    ❤B☩❤ Posts: 634
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    bump
  • bigislandgrrl
    bigislandgrrl Posts: 196 Member
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    I went to that website and calculated mine.

    Heres my dirty stuff:

    Female
    5'7"
    233
    33 Years old (In November)

    It calculates my BMR at 1828.35

    I then did as suggested to figure my true daily expenditure using the Harris Benedict Equation, and the results of that based on a Sedentary lifestyle ( I work out, but dont figure that into my daily living as I work an office job) were a WHOPPING 2194 CALORIES!!!
    I dont think I would lose at all if I were eating that much, with the exception of my BIG workout days.
    I then read the following about the Harris B equation:

    "The Harris Benedict Equation is a formula that uses your BMR and then applies an activity factor to determine your total daily energy expenditure (calories). The only factor omitted by the Harris Benedict Equation is lean body mass. Remember, leaner bodies need more calories than less leaner ones. Therefore, this equation will be very accurate in all but the very muscular (will under-estimate calorie needs) and the very fat (will over-estimate calorie needs)."

    Being as that I am considered VERY FAT (Obese is what Wii Fit tells me, ha ha) then this has to be very true! The equation doesnt work for very muscular people or very obese people.

    I consume 1300 on regular days and up to 2000 on heavy workout days. I can assure you there IS a deficit and I believe MFPs calculations to be closer to correct (although they tend to be a little high when you calculate calories burned working out WITHOUT a heart rate monitor to validate your personal numbers)
  • rankailie
    rankailie Posts: 144
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    Wait, I know the 1711.25 calories if I were to do nothing all day. but that's to maintain where I'm at right now. Correct?

    If I want to lose weight don't I need to lower my calorie intake a little bit, and I do know that I need to eat back my exercise calories.

    Am I just not getting it? LOL

    No to maintain where you are at right now you would need to eat the 1711 + whatever you burn with normal activity.

    To calculate your daily calorie needs that exceed your BMR you have to multiple your BMR times a number based on your activity level.

    To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

    If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
    If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
    If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
    If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
    If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

    So using your numbers lets say you are lightly active, you exercise some and try to get some movement in each day.

    You'd multiply: 1711.25 x 1.375 = 2352.96875

    The number you get as a result is your maintenance calories, IE the calories you would need to eat to maintain your weight. The deficit is calculated from that number not your BMR.
  • Soultwist
    Soultwist Posts: 19 Member
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    Wait, I know the 1711.25 calories if I were to do nothing all day. but that's to maintain where I'm at right now. Correct?

    Not quite correct, its to maintain if you were living in a coma. But since you are up and moving around you are using more calories then the stated 1711. To get the number used you need to multiply by an activity level factor. For example, If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2; so 1711 X 1.2

    formula lifted from: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/
  • farmers_daughter
    farmers_daughter Posts: 1,632 Member
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    OMG, Thank you all, I obviously was having a cow.

    I didn't see the expenditure calculator to see what I'm burning, so I will have to do that as well.

    I can breathe now....thank you!
  • rainydaydreamr
    rainydaydreamr Posts: 6
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    Whoa! That BMR calculator has me at 1559 a day! I've only been eating between 1200-1300 net calories. But I've been feeling fine, full of energy, etc... and I've been on this count since April. Am I doing something wrong?

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