Should I subtract my BMR from my workouts?

GoMizzou99
GoMizzou99 Posts: 512 Member
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
It makes sense to me to do so, but I have not seen any equations that include that.

It would knock off about 10% of my calculated Polar FT4 HRM calorie burn if I do so.

Replies

  • Jamiewoodle
    Jamiewoodle Posts: 100 Member
    Do a search for "Olivia Method" she explains about how to set up your MFP so that you don't go under your BMR.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    If you're going to use the program, use the program. Don't screw with it or if you do go somewhere else and use a different program.
  • GoMizzou99
    GoMizzou99 Posts: 512 Member
    Do a search for "Olivia Method" she explains about how to set up your MFP so that you don't go under your BMR.

    Thanks
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    I'm not really sure I understand what you're asking.

    My BMR is ~1600 calories per day. When I weight train, I burn ~250 calories per day. 250 - 1600 = negative 1350. I'm not sure how knowing that helps me with my diet. Nor am I sure where you're getting the 10% that you are talking about.

    Sooo.... somewhere I'm missing a key component to your question.
  • jlburke2
    jlburke2 Posts: 28 Member
    I think your question is along the lines of the following. Your BMR takes into account your normal daily activities which is why it is higher for an active person as opposed to a sedentary person. As long as the workout is above and beyond you normal daily activity, then I wouldn't worry about deducting BMR from your workouts. If the workout falls into the description of what would be the normal activity for the category you choose, then I wouldn't log the workout. I hope this makes sense.
  • monet13
    monet13 Posts: 324 Member
    It makes sense to me to do so, but I have not seen any equations that include that.

    It would knock off about 10% of my calculated Polar FT4 HRM calorie burn if I do so.

    You know, I have always wondered about that too - feel like I'm cheating a bit counting all the burn cals :)

    LabRat - So my machine or HRM shows I burned 700 cals during a workout - but say 150 - 200 is already accounted for in my basic metabolic rate - so I'm actually only burning an additional 500 -550 through extra activity - Is that what you meant Mizzou?

    In the long run it's probably just nitpicky, but I guess as you get closer to goal(a while yet for me!) it might make a bigger difference
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    You're close, but not quite accurate.

    You want to subtract the number of calories you would have burned any way without exercise.

    1. Find your maintenance calories. Go to My Home>>Goals. On the right hand side of the screen make a note of the "Calories burned during normal daily activity." All of your inputs must be correct (i.e. your lifestyle/activity setting should NOT include dedicated exercise).

    2. Using this number calculate how many calories you burn in one minute. For example, if your maintenance is 2,000 calories:
    2,000/24/60 = 1.39 calories burned per minute.

    3. Multiply the result by the length of your workout. For example, if you exercised 45 minutes: 1.39 x 45 = 63 calories.

    4. Subtract the result (63) from the calories burned shown on your HRM.

    For those who don't have a HRM, subtract the result from MFP's database result.

    Does that make sense?
  • Jo2926
    Jo2926 Posts: 489 Member
    It makes sense to me to do so, but I have not seen any equations that include that.

    It would knock off about 10% of my calculated Polar FT4 HRM calorie burn if I do so.

    I've wondered about this too. In my daily calories it assumes that I will be sat down all day - and this takes some calories lets say 50 calories an hour . But if I spend, say two hours running, I am burning more calories. Say my heart rate monitor says I burn 1000 calories in this 2 hours, then I have burned 900 calories more than I would have if I had remained sat down. Should I eat 1000 extra calories or just 900?

    To be honest I decided that the amounts were relatively small, and its all an estimate anyway, so I stopped worrying!! Sometimes I eat about 900, sometimes 1000, and overall it seems to work out!
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    LabRat - So my machine or HRM shows I burned 700 cals during a workout - but say 150 - 200 is already accounted for in my basic metabolic rate - so I'm actually only burning an additional 500 -550 through extra activity - Is that what you meant Mizzou?

    OOOOhhhh... that makes sense, and yes, I agree it would be a rational approach to things. You'd be subtracting "baseline" basically.

    It probably wouldn't hurt. My guess is it's not necessary for the average person. There's enough fudge-factor in our calories consumed estimates and in our exercise estimates that + or - 10% isn't going to be noticed with weight loss... but it might be something to think about for those who are struggling to lose weight. And it probably matters a lot more when you're down to those final pounds and are losing very slowly.
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