BMR question
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One of the best posts I've read in a long time! Thank you all!!0
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Thank you all. I have been stuck for over a week and I know it's because I am not eating enough.
It's so weird to eat more, but I totally see why it's necessary, thanks to your help.0 -
Glad to see I'm not the only one confused...been at this 6 weeks and am still learning. This thread helped a lot, but still need to wrap my head around all the numbers!0
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2 lbs a week sounds good.0
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Also - you should not net below your BMR.
Here is a chart that suggests what your weekly weight loss goal should be depending on how much you have to lose.
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
1 lb a week is 500 calories less per day. So .5 would be 250 less, 2lbs would be 1000 less, etc.
this is cool, where did you get these #s from?0 -
bump for future reference...thanks
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with regard to the activity levels - it always says about doing sports/gym 3 times a week etc.
But I have lots of numbers and not many answers.
I know from averaging three different sites my BMR is 1549
working out my average TDEE = 2350 which is based around my life/job etc not any planned exercise - should I discount the
fact that I do around 6miles on my feet at work etc every day?
I worked out my target net cals at a 15% cut of my TDEE. so around 1997 cals per day.
I've been stuck for months as I didn't realise I moved that much at work I always counted myself as fairly sendentary so I suspect I have been under eating without realising it.
I have been eating higher cals for last 4-6 weeks and I still have same problem of loosing/gaining the same 5lb.
Do I need to do it for even longer or even switch to maintence cals for 3-4 weeks and then try again?
just in case my figures aren't right - 5'4" age 41 female weight 189.
Thanks for any suggestions as I would really like to get back on track.0 -
Hi all and thanks for the nice topic!
I am confused though and I need a little help reading the numbers:
I went for the "guided goal setting" from MFP ->
I want to lose 10 kg (22 lbs) at this moment. (Began at 12 kg = 26 lbs 9 days ago)
I put my height, gender, age and current weight.
I said I have "sedentary" normal daily activity + goal for 3 times/week work out.
I choose the recommended "Lose 1 pound per week" (as some of you also mentioned).
The result is NUTRITIONAL Target: 1,280 Calories / Day
So now at GOALS it says:
Calories Burned - From Normal Daily Activity - 1,780 calories/day
Net Calories Consumed* - Your Daily Goal - 1,280 calories/ day
Daily Calorie Deficit - 500 calories
Projected Weight Loss - 1.0 lbs/ week
Then I go to TOOLS and check BMR: Your estimated BMR is: 1,426 calories/day
I understand how the BMR is multiplied to get the Normal Daily Activity, based on my activity level.
I also understand that -500 calories is equal to -1.0 lbs/week.
Still, MFP recommends that I eat UNDER my BMR, which you all said that is not good!
Is there something I get wrong?
P.S. My fitness instructor recommends a lot lower amount of calories/day - around 1000. I am still confused what to set (manually) for a daily goal, but I think I will take MFP's suggestion for more relevant... sorry to say that my fitness instructor is not so good at diet planing
Finally: Thanks for reading... sorry for the long post!0 -
bump0
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I understand how the BMR is multiplied to get the Normal Daily Activity, based on my activity level.
I also understand that -500 calories is equal to -1.0 lbs/week.
Still, MFP recommends that I eat UNDER my BMR, which you all said that is not good!
Is there something I get wrong?
This confuses me too! If it is true that people shouldn't eat under BMR, then why are the MFP goals so low?
Hope someone knows the answer.0 -
Hi all and thanks for the nice topic!
I am confused though and I need a little help reading the numbers:
I went for the "guided goal setting" from MFP ->
I want to lose 10 kg (22 lbs) at this moment. (Began at 12 kg = 26 lbs 9 days ago)
I put my height, gender, age and current weight.
I said I have "sedentary" normal daily activity + goal for 3 times/week work out.
I choose the recommended "Lose 1 pound per week" (as some of you also mentioned).
The result is NUTRITIONAL Target: 1,280 Calories / Day
So now at GOALS it says:
Calories Burned - From Normal Daily Activity - 1,780 calories/day
Net Calories Consumed* - Your Daily Goal - 1,280 calories/ day
Daily Calorie Deficit - 500 calories
Projected Weight Loss - 1.0 lbs/ week
Then I go to TOOLS and check BMR: Your estimated BMR is: 1,426 calories/day
I understand how the BMR is multiplied to get the Normal Daily Activity, based on my activity level.
I also understand that -500 calories is equal to -1.0 lbs/week.
Still, MFP recommends that I eat UNDER my BMR, which you all said that is not good!
Is there something I get wrong?
P.S. My fitness instructor recommends a lot lower amount of calories/day - around 1000. I am still confused what to set (manually) for a daily goal, but I think I will take MFP's suggestion for more relevant... sorry to say that my fitness instructor is not so good at diet planing
Finally: Thanks for reading... sorry for the long post!
Remember the MFP tool is a dumb tool. That means it is only as good as the information and understanding you bring to it. It is important to realize this. In general it is considered a bad idea to eat below your BMR for an extended period of time. Just as a suggestion try the tool here http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ and see what it gives for calories. Unlike MFP the activity levels it gives include your exercise. I used this and simply selected the activity level I am at with my exercise which is the amount to maintain, and I took 500 off that. I have about 30 pounds to my goal. Once I get to 15-20 pounds to my goal I will drop that amount I subtract to 250. Then I simply eat that number of calories every day not eating exercise calories since they are already included. So much easier in my mind right now. Simply saying about 2000 calories everyday.
Oh, if your trainer is recommending 1000 calories, I am tempted to say get another trainer. First of all because this trainer obviously knows nothing about nutrition, and as a trainer, should not really be giving diet advise since that is not what a trainer is trained for.0 -
I understand how the BMR is multiplied to get the Normal Daily Activity, based on my activity level.
I also understand that -500 calories is equal to -1.0 lbs/week.
Still, MFP recommends that I eat UNDER my BMR, which you all said that is not good!
Is there something I get wrong?
This confuses me too! If it is true that people shouldn't eat under BMR, then why are the MFP goals so low?
Hope someone knows the answer.
Because can you have a lag time between the metabolism running full steam and slowing down.
So you'll have some period of diminishing weight loss until it stalls.
So it's the way to make people happy and stay here to see the ads that pay for the site. Nothing is truly free - right?
And by then, the hope is you are hooked, and will coming asking for help.
The problem when the BMR slows down and only fix is to increase calories, is you may store some as fat before the body realizes it'll keep getting fed, and speed up the BMR to healthy level.
Problem is, you probably just gained back any bigger weight loss the bigger deficit gave you in the first place.
So indeed, NET above your BMR by a safety margin.0 -
I want to lose 10 kg (22 lbs) at this moment. (Began at 12 kg = 26 lbs 9 days ago)
I put my height, gender, age and current weight.
I said I have "sedentary" normal daily activity + goal for 3 times/week work out.
I choose the recommended "Lose 1 pound per week" (as some of you also mentioned).
The result is NUTRITIONAL Target: 1,280 Calories / Day
So now at GOALS it says:
Calories Burned - From Normal Daily Activity - 1,780 calories/day
Net Calories Consumed* - Your Daily Goal - 1,280 calories/ day
Daily Calorie Deficit - 500 calories
Projected Weight Loss - 1.0 lbs/ week
Then I go to TOOLS and check BMR: Your estimated BMR is: 1,426 calories/day
I understand how the BMR is multiplied to get the Normal Daily Activity, based on my activity level.
I also understand that -500 calories is equal to -1.0 lbs/week.
Still, MFP recommends that I eat UNDER my BMR, which you all said that is not good!
Is there something I get wrong?
Go back to weekly weight loss goal, and change to 1/2 lb weekly. That will be 250, that will be above your BMR.
Now, is your true deficit really only 250?
No - does MFP know what your true daily calorie burn is on non-exercise activities? Not at all.
Your weight loss will be max it can be, and MFP will keep lowering the daily net goal as weight goes down.
Now along with this - you need to eat back your exercise calories, or else you'll be in the exact same boat, underfeeding your BMR, and your metabolism will just slow down.
Or if you don't want to estimate exercise calories and eat it back, and want an easier way without adjusting goals all the time manually,
Then try an easier way - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method0 -
with regard to the activity levels - it always says about doing sports/gym 3 times a week etc.
But I have lots of numbers and not many answers.
I know from averaging three different sites my BMR is 1549
working out my average TDEE = 2350 which is based around my life/job etc not any planned exercise - should I discount the
fact that I do around 6miles on my feet at work etc every day?
I worked out my target net cals at a 15% cut of my TDEE. so around 1997 cals per day.
I've been stuck for months as I didn't realise I moved that much at work I always counted myself as fairly sendentary so I suspect I have been under eating without realising it.
I have been eating higher cals for last 4-6 weeks and I still have same problem of loosing/gaining the same 5lb.
Do I need to do it for even longer or even switch to maintence cals for 3-4 weeks and then try again?
just in case my figures aren't right - 5'4" age 41 female weight 189.
Thanks for any suggestions as I would really like to get back on track.
Feeling thinner though?
Usually what happens is your body finally gets fed for all the work it is doing, and makes repairs and grows and stores more glucose/water - all good things.
While you lose fat.
If you like the method, I'd stick with it.
Oh, you said not including planned workouts. So TDEE is NOT truly your total daily energy expenditure, it is your non-exercise daily calories.
So I hope that means you are eating back your exercise calories.
Or else you are just undercutting your BMR still. Not as bad as before, but still suppressed.
If you are going to do this method, it is 15% off your TDEE, which includes planned workouts.
There with a very planned routine, you may do better with another method that still protects your BMR, gives one goal to eat to, and doesn't worry about exact exercise calories.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method0 -
Ok, first I am going to suggest you read the post in this topic by HelloitsDan. Excellent post explains this all although in this he is talking about the 1000-1200 calorie a day diet, which is not exactly the case but it all still applies. In case the link doesn't take you right there, it is on page 3.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/520938-anyone-else-annoyed-by-other-dieters?error_user_id=11867214&error_username=3dogsrunning&page=3
Here is an excerpt
"Physiologically speaking the human body can only lose so much fat in 1 day or 24 hour cycle.
The fatter you are the more fat you can lose.
Once this quota is met the body Hormonally switches to another fuel source.
You work our and damage lean tissue AKA muscle and your body will target that first.
The reason is if it can burn off some lean tissue, its active tissue and uses calories, it can slow you down.
This is why we call the 1200 calorie diet the "Skinny-Fat" diet.
You are making a smaller version of your former fat self.
Another reason why 1k-1200 calories a day, depending on your height, is stupid is because its normally below the BMR.
Eating below BMR slows metabolism and forces the body to slow itself down.
It does this by Hormonally switching gears, preserving fat, catabolizing lean mass and thus...making you a smaller version of your former fat self. "
I followed that link and he says not to eat less than your BMR. But I went to the fat2fit site that he suggested and there are two different BMR calculations. The Katch-McArdle uses body fat % in the equation so I am using that. It says my BMR is 1803. It then suggests that I eat 1578 cal/day to reach my goal (based on active person who works out 6-7 times/week). So that is much lower than my BMR according to that method.0 -
Also - you should not net below your BMR.
Here is a chart that suggests what your weekly weight loss goal should be depending on how much you have to lose.
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
1 lb a week is 500 calories less per day. So .5 would be 250 less, 2lbs would be 1000 less, etc.
Hi. Where is this chart taken from? Thanks.0 -
Also - you should not net below your BMR.
Here is a chart that suggests what your weekly weight loss goal should be depending on how much you have to lose.
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
1 lb a week is 500 calories less per day. So .5 would be 250 less, 2lbs would be 1000 less, etc.
Hi. Where is this chart taken from? Thanks.
I have developed this chart as it is easier to follow then info posted by others. It was done using info from 2 sources, one was a post by Banks. essentially the other charts break weight loss goal down by your BMI or BF%. As I am not a fat of BMI I chose to use weight left to lose as BMI ignores lean muscle. The BF% one mentioned how large a deficit should be at BF% level. since most people don't know their actual BF%, basing it on amount left to lose was easier for most users (I agree that the BF% level deficit basing is superior, but not very practical)0 -
THANK YOU ERICK!
I read that suggested method and decided to try to follow it. Looks so much logical and argumentation is solid.
GREAT JOB!0 -
Bump...great info0
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Bump, very informative0
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