Calorie Confusion - Do I have this figured out correctly?

VeggieMamaChristi
VeggieMamaChristi Posts: 24 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I know this is asked all over the site and I have read post after post after post and am still confused.

I am 5' 10" and weigh 244.8 according to the BMR Calculator I am told

Your estimated BMR is: 1,891 calories/day*

The website has me eating 1360 per day

I am also working out 520-700 calories per day ( based on what my BodyBugg says I am burning)

So am I right that by eating 1360 calories base PLUS all my exercise calories I am close to the BMR so I am eating appropriately?

OR

Am I supposed to eat a base of 1891 PLUS exercise calories so closer to 21-2200 calories per day?

Anyone willing to help send me in the right direction? I don't want to further jack up my metabolism while trying to lose weight

Thank you!

Christi

Replies

  • audigal2008
    audigal2008 Posts: 1,129 Member
    Bump
  • RebelliousRibbons
    RebelliousRibbons Posts: 391 Member
    The answer is choice one. :)
  • ndakotamom
    ndakotamom Posts: 1
    Yes...Choice one is the way to go. This is my second go around at MFP after having two kids and I did choice one the first time and got to my goal weight. And I am well on my way to my goal again using this same method. Good luck!! :-)
  • Mommyof3loves
    Mommyof3loves Posts: 276
    The first one, or if you can talk to your dr, that's what I did and since eating relatively close to what she said I should be eating the weight is coming off a heck of a lot quicker and I really haven't had the gain some lose some, it's been a pretty steady loss.
  • daryna13
    daryna13 Posts: 30
    Your body will only lose weight if you burn more than you take in, so that's why you should eat less than your BMR. Your exercise calories are not accounted for in your BMR, so that's why you get to eat them back. But by eating 1360 every day, you lose weight even if you don't exercise. Hope that helped! =)
  • SarahDeeGee
    SarahDeeGee Posts: 12 Member
    You need to find a local place with a Tanita scale. It will tellyou exactly what your Basal Metabolic Rate is. For example, mine is 1364. This is how many calories my body burns per day just to stay alive...what I would burn if I literally laid in bed all day. In other words, it's really not a good idea to go below your BMR calories, because your body will plateau and start retaining the calories it knows it will need to survive rather than burning them. So I always eat at least 1375-1400 calories. ESPECIALLY when working out, because exercising builds muscle, which causes your body to burn more calories even when it's resting. If you only eat your BMR requirements, you're going to lose weight. It may be slow, but it'll happen. Then if you're exercising too, it will just make it go faster.

    Does that answer your question? I wouldn't recommend eating less than 1400. I'm 120 lbs and I need that much at least. I don't know where you are weight-wise, but just make sure you get what your body needs. :)
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    So BMR is what you'd burn if you laid in bed all day. Alone, it doesn't mean much. Then you add the calories you burn by getting out of said bed, going to work, cleaning, etc. So MFP adds these together, then subtracts a calorie deficit based on your weekly goal (500 for a pound a week, which is what I and MFP recommend), THEN you get to add in your exercise calories, and eat them. If you don't your deficit changes and becomes too big.

    However, if it has you eating that little I'm guess you have it set at 2lbs a week.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    bump
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