BMR, Maintenance Calories and their importance!!!!!

Helloitsdan
Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
So here goes!
I've asked the question so many times over the last 2 days and most people dont understand what im talking about.
BMR
Basal Metabolic Rate
The rate a person burns calories to power "VITAL ORGANS" while at rest.
While at rest
While at rest
not doing anything...
COMATOSE!
So if you wake up in the morning and stay in bed all day and do nothing then you should be fine eating enough calories for your BMR.
Unfortunately we dont live our lives that way.
We get up and run around and take our kids around and drive to work and talk on the phone and work 9-5 if were lucky and make dinner and take showers and etc etc etc.

All these things use calories as fuel for organs and such.
So if Suzie Q decides "I'll go on a diet!"
Suzie Q
is a female age 35
235lbs
shes 5'3"
She decides because somebody on MFP suggests eating at 1600calories per day that she will do that!
She looses a couple of pounds and stalls.
You see Suzie Qs BMR, the amount of calories she burns if she just stays in bed all day long and does nothing, is appx 1800calories. Maint calories 2500ish.
those 1800 calories are used for brain function, vital organs etc...
Lets say Suzie Q does diet correctly for 10 weeks and gets herself down to 218lbs her BMR drops to about 1750.
Her maintenance calories drops to about 2200.
If she ramps up her activity level her calories need to go up as well.
Is this starting to make sense?
If you starve your vital organs you may as well continue eating poorly.
The name of this game is dieting as a lifestyle for a better future!
Add years!
So please before you take any advice including mine...do the research then diet the right way!
A good diet is 20% less than maintenance calories unless prescribed by a doctor.
I'm posting this because I care!
Hugs!

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

http://www.caloriecontrol.org/healthy-weight-tool-kit/weight-maintenance-calculator-women

http://www.caloriecontrol.org/healthy-weight-tool-kit/weight-maintenance-calculator-men


http://www.linear-software.com/online.html <---body fat calculator

Macros!!!

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=133163973 <---important info on Fat/Protein/Carbs
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Replies

  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    I wish you had used 1200 as the magic number ---- so many people seem to think that's the gospel!
    Maybe this will help them understand why it's not...
  • tschmelzer
    tschmelzer Posts: 120
    Wow!!!! Thanks for all the great information!!! :)
  • kagenw
    kagenw Posts: 260 Member
    Wait, i'm still confused. Does this mean that your BMR is what your body burns while just laying in bed all day breathing?
  • Samerah12
    Samerah12 Posts: 610 Member
    Wait, i'm still confused. Does this mean that your BMR is what your body burns while just laying in bed all day breathing?

    yep.
  • kykykenna
    kykykenna Posts: 656 Member
    Ok, this being said, I checked your links and according to what I am "supposed to eat" calories and what I am getting I am really quite a bit under where I should be. I just cant wrap my damn head around the fact that if I eat more, I am going to lose weight. (yes, the right foods. ) ;)
  • kagenw
    kagenw Posts: 260 Member
    Wait, i'm still confused. Does this mean that your BMR is what your body burns while just laying in bed all day breathing?

    yep.

    So, how do we calculate how many calories we actually burn while moving around and doing stuff (in addition to our BMR value)?
  • chrisc16
    chrisc16 Posts: 94
    You can check this site out for no BS info on dieting. It's what got me started.
    http://www.theloseweightdiet.com/
  • ksmith2187
    ksmith2187 Posts: 53
    I'm the same way, i just worry either way i go (ie: following the first post or following what I think) im going to get no where. As we go along we will see what fits, its silly to start i diet that you cannot carry on with after you have reached you GW.

    So i currently weigh 96kg and i want to get to 80kg (and then maybe 72) and i have selected i would like to loose 2 pounds per week on mfp, they say my maintenance calories are 2260 or around about but they suggest to lose that 2 pounds i should eat no more than 1360 calories. Where as above says 20% less than my maintenance number of 2260 which is 1800?

    So your saying i would lose more weight if i ate 1800 calories a day instead of 1360?
  • LiL_MisS_C
    LiL_MisS_C Posts: 332 Member
    I'm so confused now. Are you saying we should manually increase our caloric intake to match our BMR? :huh: :huh:
  • nicehormones
    nicehormones Posts: 503 Member
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/


    ;)
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Wait, i'm still confused. Does this mean that your BMR is what your body burns while just laying in bed all day breathing?

    COMATOSE!!!!
    =D
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/


    ;)

    This is a fantastic tool!
    Much better than the one i googled!
    I used bodybuilding.com to find my info but that was a while ago!

    Use this one folks its awesome!
  • cthoma70
    cthoma70 Posts: 228 Member
    Thanks for the time and care in this post. I will need to use this a LOT when I hit my goal of 185. I'm at 192 atm so very soon. Thanks again:happy:
  • SDkitty
    SDkitty Posts: 446 Member
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    ;)

    I like this calculator quite a bit! To be honest I hadn't even thought of what my maintenance calories would be once at my gw. Thanks!
  • jennysmission
    jennysmission Posts: 391 Member
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/


    ;)

    wow that says I should eat like 1950 calories if I'm sedentary.... I was eating about 1800 and changed it to 1300 hoping to lose fast and i lost .5 lb so I upped back up to 1800 calories and I'm down 2 lbs in 5 days! Goes to show!!
  • nicehormones
    nicehormones Posts: 503 Member
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/


    ;)

    This is a fantastic tool!
    Much better than the one i googled!
    I used bodybuilding.com to find my info but that was a while ago!

    Use this one folks its awesome!


    Also, listen to the F2f Philosophy audio clip. These guys are amazing.
  • ycc1964
    ycc1964 Posts: 698 Member
    Bump
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I'm the same way, i just worry either way i go (ie: following the first post or following what I think) im going to get no where. As we go along we will see what fits, its silly to start i diet that you cannot carry on with after you have reached you GW.

    So i currently weigh 96kg and i want to get to 80kg (and then maybe 72) and i have selected i would like to loose 2 pounds per week on mfp, they say my maintenance calories are 2260 or around about but they suggest to lose that 2 pounds i should eat no more than 1360 calories. Where as above says 20% less than my maintenance number of 2260 which is 1800?

    So your saying i would lose more weight if i ate 1800 calories a day instead of 1360?

    the recommended weight loss per week is .5-1lb per week.
    20% is the safest way to do it.
    Your fat that you are trying to get rid of is a living organism.
    It has blood vessels and it took years for you to put on.
    So a realistic goal thats easier to maintain is the recommended .5-1lb a week.

    The reason is if you have someone trying to loose weight by hard numbers like "cut 500 cals per day"
    500x7=3500 per week.
    The thought behind this is a pound of fat =3500 calories.
    So in everyones minds they say well thats easy!!!
    Not everyones body works the same though so the math may be there but the weightloss probably wont.
    Youll probably end up frustrated and disappointed!
  • kykykenna
    kykykenna Posts: 656 Member
    I am under eating by a LOT by these. I about pooped when I saw what I am supposed to be eating.....lol....Say I change my caloric intake to what they recommend. Am I going to gain wight initially? My head wont handle that well...:laugh:
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    kykykenna - if you decide to UP your calories, then stay away from the scale for a good 3-4 weeks. Your body will take some adjusting, but then you will start to lose again. Its your body, experiment with it, try different things out on it - find out what works for you.

    I can guarantee that you'll feel better eating more calories - physically and mentally :)

    I'm 5'9 and I eat 2100 - 2400 every single day and I'm still losing

    xx
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I am under eating by a LOT by these. I about pooped when I saw what I am supposed to be eating.....lol....Say I change my caloric intake to what they recommend. Am I going to gain wight initially? My head wont handle that well...:laugh:

    No.
    Thermic effect is nice.
    Protein is a HUGE part of diet also!
    what works for me is about 40g of protein for breakfast.
    Protein takes a lot more effort to digest.
    This causes the thermic effect to go up and burn more calories while digesting.
    Add 1/4 cup of steel cut oats to that and you really burn calories...sitting on the couch watching the View!

    I remember stalling between 150 and 140.
    I upped my calories for 2 weeks and dropped weight again.
    The body is very funny that way!
  • kykykenna
    kykykenna Posts: 656 Member
    Ok...I DO feel better when I eat more, and have recently tried upping protein. (DONT look at today...lol) I FEEL better by eating more protein. No idea why. No scale for a month?? EEEEEEEK. Haha........I am so friggin scared to try something like this...if it works like it should, I should be willing to try, but I am one of those "good day/bad day" because of the scale people. Sigh....but you guys inspire the tar outta me!!!!:bigsmile:
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Only look at the scale 1 time a month.
    After your cycle.
    first thing in the AM after you number 2.
    No clothes.

    Then keep in mind that the body fluctuates in weight by up to 3lbs per day.
    Yep!
    3lbs!
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    Ok...I DO feel better when I eat more, and have recently tried upping protein. (DONT look at today...lol) I FEEL better by eating more protein. No idea why. No scale for a month?? EEEEEEEK. Haha........I am so friggin scared to try something like this...if it works like it should, I should be willing to try, but I am one of those "good day/bad day" because of the scale people. Sigh....but you guys inspire the tar outta me!!!!:bigsmile:

    I know the whole 'good' day 'bad' day scale effect all too well. I used to live and die by the scale aargh! These days, because I've been at this so long, I step on it every day to see where I'm at - I love to see how my body reacts to sodium, TOM, heavy lifting, long cardio stints....I really love to track how my body reacts to stresses. I guess I'm a geek like that :)

    See how you go xx
  • kykykenna
    kykykenna Posts: 656 Member
    Thank you both. I am going to give this a shot, I think. That doesnt mean I am not scared poopless..........lol....once a month weight in.........GAH.....what is 4 weeks, right??:)
  • jennysmission
    jennysmission Posts: 391 Member
    Thank you both. I am going to give this a shot, I think. That doesnt mean I am not scared poopless..........lol....once a month weight in.........GAH.....what is 4 weeks, right??:)

    youll do great and you will feel great!
  • lbehm
    lbehm Posts: 21 Member
    Interesting stuff
  • Shannonigans84
    Shannonigans84 Posts: 693 Member
    I was undereating for weeks because I wanted to lose 2lbs per week. Well I was basically starving myself. I finally got the hint several weeks ago and upped my calories to net my BMR of 1540, grossing anywhere from that up to 1900 with exercise. Always netting at least my BMR though! And viola, I started to lose weight steadily. Now seeing people seriously restricting themselves and netting below 1000 really saddens me.
  • kykykenna
    kykykenna Posts: 656 Member
    youll do great and you will feel great!
    [/quote]

    Thank you. :)
  • futiledevices
    futiledevices Posts: 309 Member
    I'm so confused about all of this. I've tried to look up what my BMR might be, but it seems that it's completely different depending on the website I use.

    If it's true that I should be eating at least that, then I need to up mine - although I usually do end up eating more than that with exercise cals, anyway.. I also usually get upset at myself for eating more than 1200.
    I've lowered it to 1130.. according to MFP, my BMR is 1359. I think I should seek advice from my doctor.
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