Upping calories to BMR

pinkpascal
pinkpascal Posts: 75 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm confused and hope someone can help me. I am currently on 1200 calories and for the last 3 months have only lost 1 pound. If i upped my calories to my BMR (1385 calories) would I start losing weight again? I really don't want to put any back on and would like the numbers on the scale to start dropping again. I have lost inches since I started jogging (which I am really happy about) but I would really like to lose some weight aswell. Im 4'11" and weigh 162lbs if that helps.

Replies

  • vettle
    vettle Posts: 621 Member
    You must eat above your BMR or eventually your body will think it's in a coma and save all resources. If you increase to above that but still below your active metabolic rate you will lose weight still no doubt about it. I am 5'6" and I ate 1600 calories and I lost 42 pounds. I started by eating 1300 calories (my BMR is 1400) and I did lose some weight, but I lost a lot of muscle because muslce is the first thing the body will break down to get the resources it needs. Then I hit a plateau. Once I upped to 1600 calories and added strength training I was good to go.

    I am maintaining now, and I eat 1700 calories.
  • kimbsh01
    kimbsh01 Posts: 38
    make ur diary public....so we can see what your eating and stuff
  • boobee32
    boobee32 Posts: 450 Member
    yes, i do believe that you will. I was on 1200 and have just upped mine this week to 1400. My bmr is 1600.
  • carrie1013
    carrie1013 Posts: 129
    I hadn't lost weight in over a month, I upped my calories by about 150, and lost 1.5 lbs last week. I think everyone is different, but it's certainly worth a try. Good luck to you :)
  • MovesLikePuma
    MovesLikePuma Posts: 122
    I just upped mine to 1800 calories a day from 1400. I have been stuck for over a month. I don't know if it will work or not but need to try.
  • wwww1199
    wwww1199 Posts: 228 Member
    So is this article on Livestrong.com wrong?


    Do You Have to Increase Your Exercise Load to Burn Calories?

    Regular exercise is beneficial for a wide variety of reasons. It increases circulation, strengthens cardiovascular function and helps lead to healthy weight loss, among other benefits. Its weight loss benefits are based on increased caloric burn rates. If you are exercising to burn extra calories and lose weight, consider how much exercise is necessary to reach your goals.

    Exercise
    The human body is constantly burning calories, supporting basic body functions including circulation, respiration and basic cellular function. Exercise increases heart rate and makes muscles work harder, all requiring extra energy in the form of calories. The number of calories burned is dependent on the intensity and duration of the exercise. The harder and longer the exercise is, the more calories will be burned.

    Caloric Balance
    Caloric balance refers to the relationship between the number of calories consumed and the number burned. If they are equal, no weight loss or gain will be experienced. To lose weight, more calories must be burned than consumed. The opposite is true to gain weight. MedlinePlus.com recommends burning 500 calories more than you eat per day to result in weight loss of 1 pound per week.

    Exercise Increases
    If you are exercising regularly, additional calories are being burned and weight loss is likely. However, insufficient weight loss may mean not enough calories are being burned during the the workout routine. If that's the case, the exercise load must be increased. However, there are other ways to burn calories in addition to a regular exercise program.

    Weight Loss
    If you are burning calories for weight loss, consider a total weight loss program. Healthy, effective weight loss is achieved through regular exercise, reduced caloric intake, balanced nutrition and setting realistic weight loss goals. Reducing caloric intake and receiving balanced nutrition are vital for healthy weight loss. A lack of essential vitamins and nutrients means the metabolism can't function properly and calories will not be burned effectively.

    References
    Mayo Clinic; Metabolism and Weight-loss: How You Burn Calories; October 6, 2009
    U.S. Department of Agriculture; Executive Summar; Dietary Guidelines for Americans; 2010
    MedlinePlus; Tips for Losing Weight; David Zieve, MD, MHA, et al.; October 18, 2009


    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/536423-do-you-have-to-increase-your-exercise-load-to-burn-calories/#ixzz1prxdMyP9
  • glenbabe
    glenbabe Posts: 303 Member
    my immediate thought is that you may not be correctly logging..... at 1200 as the lowest setting you should lose weight because you would be below your needed intake.....so are you checking portion sizes of the foods you eat......I use a small kitchen scale and check it this way.....also if you are consuming high calorie foods there isnt much room for error on the calorie counting....example portion of broccoli as oppose to a portion of cheesecake.....hope this helps and keep trying
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    I didn't lose any weight for almost a month at the 1200 NET calories (all healthy food, not junk). Then I slowly upped my calories to 1750 (gross) over a course of a few weeks and have been losing about a half pound per week or more. This is exactly the pace I was looking for so I'm really happy with the results so far and I get to eat more. :wink:

    I found this thread incredibly helpful in determing the right calorie amounts for me. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/471769-an-easier-way-to-setup-goal-calories-eating-for-who-you-wi
  • jennkess
    jennkess Posts: 86
    you should definitely eat your BMR calories, this is the low calorie intake your body needs to keep everything functioning. if you have been at the 1200 calorie for a while when you first up it to the BMR you may notice a slight weight gain. Do NOT freak out. currently your body is holding onto everything to make sure it has what it needs to keep you moving and your heart pumping, when you first start giving it more food it will store that food just in case you drop back down again... this will only be for a short while as your body will adjust quickly. stay at your new calorie # for at least 4 weeks before you attempt to adjust again.

    everyone's body is different, however if you are exercising it needs fuel... and you will lose weight... keep at it:drinker:
  • pinkpascal
    pinkpascal Posts: 75 Member
    Thanks for all of your advice, i changed my settings to lose 1 pound a week and its still under my BMR but this was the recommended setting by MFP so now i'm completely confused.

    I do try to weigh my food but as I still live at home its a constant arguement with my family when i get the scales out so more often than not i use the bar code scanner or just eyeball the food. This is what i've done sincce the beginning so i don't understand why it worked then and not now.
  • Masachapa
    Masachapa Posts: 79
    bump
  • jennkess
    jennkess Posts: 86
    just peeked @ your diary- unless you don't log everything it looks like you skip breakfast quite often... you want to eat in morning to get your body and metabolism going. I would also start watching your sodium intake. rather than go with the recommended settings customize your diary and goals. I imagine you are taking in way more sodium than you need and not drinking enough water to flush it out of your system.

    good luck and I hope you find what works for your body
  • Jme2012
    Jme2012 Posts: 106 Member
    ive also upped to my BMR and so far so good ;0)
  • pinkpascal
    pinkpascal Posts: 75 Member
    just peeked @ your diary- unless you don't log everything it looks like you skip breakfast quite often... you want to eat in morning to get your body and metabolism going. I would also start watching your sodium intake. rather than go with the recommended settings customize your diary and goals. I imagine you are taking in way more sodium than you need and not drinking enough water to flush it out of your system.

    good luck and I hope you find what works for your body

    I really don't like breakfast because it makes me feel so sick, except today where i had been awake for so long my dad took me out for breakfast for being brave at the dentist lol. I guess I eat it to early in the morning and thats why it unsettles my stomach.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    BMR means basal metabolic rate. This is the amount of calories you need to fuel basic bodily functions if you never moved out of bed. Your heart, lungs, brain and organ functions need this much to live on.

    TDEE means total daily energy expenditure (otherwise known as maintenance). This is your BMR plus the amount of fuel you need for the amount you move. It is the amount you would need to eat to stay at the same weight.

    To lose weight you should eat 15-20% less than TDEE and never below BMR.

    MFP sets your calories according to how many pounds you say to lose each week, and overrides your BMR info, with a limit of no lower than 1,200. This might or might not allow you to actually lose weight because 1,200 calories is under BMR for a lot of people.
  • Jme2012
    Jme2012 Posts: 106 Member
    Try setting it to one pound a week and slighty active or whatever your activity level is .. that may bring it closer to your bmr
  • pinkpascal
    pinkpascal Posts: 75 Member
    Thanks :)
  • crystalwelshroberts
    crystalwelshroberts Posts: 147 Member
    I have read that eating breakfast to start your metabolism is a myth. There is an 18 page string on here that posts research supporting it. So if you don't like breakfast DON'T eat it. If you do, eat it.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    I agree that eating breakfast is not necessary.

    Also, eating at least your BMR is a good idea.
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
    just peeked @ your diary- unless you don't log everything it looks like you skip breakfast quite often... you want to eat in morning to get your body and metabolism going. I would also start watching your sodium intake. rather than go with the recommended settings customize your diary and goals. I imagine you are taking in way more sodium than you need and not drinking enough water to flush it out of your system.

    good luck and I hope you find what works for your body
    This is false unfortunately. Your metabolism is what it is. It doesnt need a boost or a kickstart. It will increase through exercise only. Meal timing is irrelevant.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Although it's true that you don't *need* to eat breakfast, if you're trying to increase your consumption without feeling bloated, it may help. Your stomach will be empty again by lunch.
  • MelKut
    MelKut Posts: 167 Member
    I'm eating 1420 per day (I'm currently 158 with a goal of 150 lbs, although this may change) and that's to lose 1 pound per week.

    I just used that fat2fitradio.com BMR calculator and it says my BMR is 1563....Should I just go manually UP my calories?
  • pinkpascal
    pinkpascal Posts: 75 Member
    I'm eating 1420 per day (I'm currently 158 with a goal of 150 lbs, although this may change) and that's to lose 1 pound per week.

    I just used that fat2fitradio.com BMR calculator and it says my BMR is 1563....Should I just go manually UP my calories?

    Thats what i'm going to do i think and see if that works for a while.
  • MelKut
    MelKut Posts: 167 Member
    Yeah after my weigh-in tomorrow I'll increase it :smile: I'm not really concerned about rapid weight-loss, I just want to make sure I'm getting enough.

    I do wonder why MFP is so off on the BMR. Do they use a formula to calculate?
  • pinkpascal
    pinkpascal Posts: 75 Member
    If i work at Starbucks for 8 hours a day, 4-5 days a week, what will my activity level be? I'm on my feet for those 8 hours serving on the till, making drinks and bussing tables, does this make me lightly active or active?
  • SSAHM
    SSAHM Posts: 172 Member
    I'm eating 1420 per day (I'm currently 158 with a goal of 150 lbs, although this may change) and that's to lose 1 pound per week.

    I just used that fat2fitradio.com BMR calculator and it says my BMR is 1563....Should I just go manually UP my calories?

    Thats what i'm going to do i think and see if that works for a while.

    If you go to this site and figure out all your figures (figure out your fat percentage first using the site) when you figure out your BMR it will have a table at the bottom that says how much you need to eat for your activity level to maintain your goal weight, it says if you eat at this level you will lose the weight (obviously cause its the level for you to maintain your goal weight which may be 30kg lighter) and as you get closer to your goal weight the weight loss will begin to slow a little. I was eating 1200 and it told me i need to be eating 2200 if im moderately active...
  • bazfitness
    bazfitness Posts: 275 Member
    Phew...I just found out about BMR today - guess 5 days in to this fitness regime change isn't too long but I've been eating under it some of the time. Have actually been feeling a bit faint and weak at times. Is this info shown prominently somewhere here as I would have thought it was important enough to have been - but I've only seen it on these forums today.

    Anyway I've actually upped my daily calorie requirements to maintenance level in the MFP calculator as I'm only looking for very gradual weight loss and want to replace my fat with muscle as much as reasonable possible while just shedding maybe in the range of 10 to 14 lbs in total. Anyway I haven't hit my BMR (1781 according to http://www.drgily.com/basal-metabolic-rate-calculator.php and 1863 on http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/bmr.html and 1725 using the katch-mcardle formula on http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/) most days by the looks of it never mind maintenance level. I'm as still trying to get new foods to replace the junk part of the diet I've cut out, not as easy as I'd thought it was going to be. :tongue: But last 2 days getting closer.
  • eknipe1994
    eknipe1994 Posts: 1 Member
    I've been working out for about a month, and I've dropped a good amount of weight pretty fast, but lately I've been thinking that I look bloated after I eat. Now i think it's just all the time. is this possibly why?
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