BMR Questions... Got My Answers? :D

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jessicae1aine
jessicae1aine Posts: 885
in Health and Weight Loss
I know there are other posts on this, but they seem to have so many questions crammed into one that I just get lost in the answers. Sooo... I've got a question. It's probably even simple for most of you. :D Yay!

My BMR is 2057.

So, should I be eating that much? (I haven't been. I've been netting between 1200 and 1500 most days.) If so, can you explain to me why that would make me lose weight? It seems that that's probably what's kept me fat for so long, unless I'm misunderstanding something.

Also, should I be eating back all of my exercise calories, or just worry about my net is?
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Replies

  • marnie4ever
    marnie4ever Posts: 28 Member
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    That's exactly what I've been trying to figure out in the last hour!!! My BMR is 2224 and I have not a clue what that means...I was hoping to get some info when I saw your questions but the day is young!!! By nightfall I bet we know what to do!!! LOL
  • jessicae1aine
    jessicae1aine Posts: 885
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    Well, I hope we both get some answers then! :D
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    Since you have 140+ pounds to lose, you have a little more leeway than someone with less to lose.

    Have you lost anything at 1200? I think you could do that for quite a while and as long as you are choosing nutrient rich foods, you will be okay.

    I also think you should eat enough so that you don't feel deprived, totally. You would be more likely to abandon a plan that makes you feel lethargic. Why don't you use a number somewhere in the middle for now, and work your way slowly up to about 1600 over the next couple weeks. That's what I would do. It's plenty of food for you to feel satisfied, yet low enough to lose at a good rate.
  • judyw51
    judyw51 Posts: 92
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    If you take your BMR and subtract 500 that is how many calories you would need to eat to lose 1 lb a week because 3500 calories is equal to 1 lb.

    My BMR is 2200 so I aim for around 1600-1700 calories a day. I typically burn and extra 700 calories each day with exercise and I do eat my calories back. So I am really eating around 2400 calories a day.

    I am 52 and have lost 70 Lbs and now am with in 10 lbs of my goal weight this is what has worked for me. Oh and and quit smoking also during this time.
  • jj3120
    jj3120 Posts: 358
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    This is a good calculator for working out your numbers, it gives you your bmr and calories for maintenance depending on your activity level.

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

    And a great group on here with lots of helpful members who are better at explaining things than me : )

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
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    According to which formula? Some are more accurate than others, and I've found at least 6, several of which have alternate formulas.

    Here's what I do, and there are MANY ways to do this, but this is what I've chosen.

    I went to fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr and put in my values to see what they say I should eat for maintenance at my goal weight with a sedentary lifestyle. This is what I set my MFP goal to, and I adhere to it on my rest days. They told me 2450-ish per day.

    I work out every other day, generally. I log my exercise calories. On these days, I try to net at least my BMR - this means eating back my exercise calories. I calculate my BMR after every weigh-in using a spreadsheet I made that has the six formulas, an average, and a bit of other info. I look at them all and decide on the number to keep in my head as my BMR - right now it's 2100 or so.

    I'm only in the third week of doing the exercise logging thing, because I didn't bother prior to buying a Polar HRM. But so far, I've lost 2.5 and 1.5lbs, with my next weigh-in on Monday. Seems to be working so far. I don't really think eating (netting) under my BMR is something I feel comfortable with.

    There are many other ways to do it. You could fill in your info at fat2fit and choose your activity level and just eat that and don't log exercise. You could trust MFP's calculations. You could starve yourself... Whatever you want. I choose to do it my way for now, and if I find it isn't working for me, I'll change it to something else.
  • scottc561
    scottc561 Posts: 329 Member
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    If you take your BMR and subtract 500 that is how many calories you would need to eat to lose 1 lb a week because 3500 calories is equal to 1 lb.

    My BMR is 2200 so I aim for around 1600-1700 calories a day. I typically burn and extra 700 calories each day with exercise and I do eat my calories back. So I am really eating around 2400 calories a day.

    I am 52 and have lost 70 Lbs and now am with in 10 lbs of my goal weight this is what has worked for me. Oh and and quit smoking also during this time.

    thats incorrect. bmr is how much you burn if you do nothing all day and sit in bed basically. If you eat your TDEE(total daily energy expenditure minus 500 you should lose 1lb per week. If you eat at your bmr you will lose also since it is a deficit from your tdee.
  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
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    This is a good calculator for working out your numbers, it gives you your bmr and calories for maintenance depending on your activity level.

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

    And a great group on here with lots of helpful members who are better at explaining things than me : )

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    Hmm... the calculator says my BMR is 1834 but that I should eat 2457 calories per day? Not sure how that works...
  • jessicae1aine
    jessicae1aine Posts: 885
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    Have you lost anything at 1200? I think you could do that for quite a while and as long as you are choosing nutrient rich foods, you will be okay.

    I also think you should eat enough so that you don't feel deprived, totally. You would be more likely to abandon a plan that makes you feel lethargic. Why don't you use a number somewhere in the middle for now, and work your way slowly up to about 1600 over the next couple weeks. That's what I would do. It's plenty of food for you to feel satisfied, yet low enough to lose at a good rate.

    I've only been doing this for a couple of weeks, but I've lost 8 pounds as of my last weigh-in (I weigh again this weekend). I'm not feeling particularly deprived or hungry or anything, and most days I hit around 1500 calories.
    I went to fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr and put in my values to see what they say I should eat for maintenance at my goal weight with a sedentary lifestyle. This is what I set my MFP goal to, and I adhere to it on my rest days. They told me 2450-ish per day.

    This is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. This makes sense to me. Thank you! :D
  • scottc561
    scottc561 Posts: 329 Member
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    This is a good calculator for working out your numbers, it gives you your bmr and calories for maintenance depending on your activity level.

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

    And a great group on here with lots of helpful members who are better at explaining things than me : )

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    Hmm... the calculator says my BMR is 1834 but that I should eat 2457 calories per day? Not sure how that works...
    it's probably giving you your tdee, which is how many calories you burn per day on average. that is not how much you eeat if you want to lose.
  • jessicae1aine
    jessicae1aine Posts: 885
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    thats incorrect. bmr is how much you burn if you do nothing all day and sit in bed basically. If you eat your TDEE(total daily energy expenditure minus 500 you should lose 1lb per week. If you eat at your bmr you will lose also since it is a deficit from your tdee.

    Where are you finding your TDEE, and where is this coming from? It doesn't make sense to me that your BMR would be different than your TDEE, because how is it determining whether I sit in bed all day or am amazingly active?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    This is a good calculator for working out your numbers, it gives you your bmr and calories for maintenance depending on your activity level.

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

    And a great group on here with lots of helpful members who are better at explaining things than me : )

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    Hmm... the calculator says my BMR is 1834 but that I should eat 2457 calories per day? Not sure how that works...

    The paragraph above the table for eating goals says they are using your goal weight info to calculate that.
  • scottc561
    scottc561 Posts: 329 Member
    Options

    thats incorrect. bmr is how much you burn if you do nothing all day and sit in bed basically. If you eat your TDEE(total daily energy expenditure minus 500 you should lose 1lb per week. If you eat at your bmr you will lose also since it is a deficit from your tdee.

    Where are you finding your TDEE, and where is this coming from? It doesn't make sense to me that your BMR would be different than your TDEE, because how is it determining whether I sit in bed all day or am amazingly active?
    do some research if you dont believe it
  • jessicae1aine
    jessicae1aine Posts: 885
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    thats incorrect. bmr is how much you burn if you do nothing all day and sit in bed basically. If you eat your TDEE(total daily energy expenditure minus 500 you should lose 1lb per week. If you eat at your bmr you will lose also since it is a deficit from your tdee.

    Where are you finding your TDEE, and where is this coming from? It doesn't make sense to me that your BMR would be different than your TDEE, because how is it determining whether I sit in bed all day or am amazingly active?
    do some research if you dont believe it

    I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm asking where you've got this information from, because I don't understand where they're pulling these numbers from - and thus, I'd know where you got your information, so I can read it myself.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
    Options

    thats incorrect. bmr is how much you burn if you do nothing all day and sit in bed basically. If you eat your TDEE(total daily energy expenditure minus 500 you should lose 1lb per week. If you eat at your bmr you will lose also since it is a deficit from your tdee.

    Where are you finding your TDEE, and where is this coming from? It doesn't make sense to me that your BMR would be different than your TDEE, because how is it determining whether I sit in bed all day or am amazingly active?

    TDEE = your BMR + calories burned by actual activity (non-body functions). If you move from your bed to your bathroom, that increases your TDEE.
    This is a good calculator for working out your numbers, it gives you your bmr and calories for maintenance depending on your activity level.

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

    And a great group on here with lots of helpful members who are better at explaining things than me : )

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    Hmm... the calculator says my BMR is 1834 but that I should eat 2457 calories per day? Not sure how that works...
    it's probably giving you your tdee, which is how many calories you burn per day on average. that is not how much you eeat if you want to lose.
    That site gives you the amount you should eat to maintain your GOAL WEIGHT. It's pretty clear if you read the page.

    Everyone seems to think they have to eat very-low calorie diets to lose weight, but it's simply not the case.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
    Options

    thats incorrect. bmr is how much you burn if you do nothing all day and sit in bed basically. If you eat your TDEE(total daily energy expenditure minus 500 you should lose 1lb per week. If you eat at your bmr you will lose also since it is a deficit from your tdee.

    Where are you finding your TDEE, and where is this coming from? It doesn't make sense to me that your BMR would be different than your TDEE, because how is it determining whether I sit in bed all day or am amazingly active?
    do some research if you dont believe it

    I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm asking where you've got this information from, because I don't understand where they're pulling these numbers from - and thus, I'd know where you got your information, so I can read it myself.

    If you don't want to use Google, then here, read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/510406-tdee-is-everything
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
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    :flowerforyou: http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/


    Great resource. Educate yourself.

    Your BMR is the energy your body burns every day being alive AT YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT (heart beat, breathing, thinking). Find yours going to Tools > BMR
    TDEE accounts for calories your body burns every day including your daily acitivy AT YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT (sitting up, walking, exercise). Find yours going to My Home > Goals (From Daily Activity)

    Most resources suggest you eat at least your BMR, however, contrary to very popular beleif, unless you cut into it SIGNIFICANTLY (like, only eating HALF your BMR), you will not go into "starvation mode."

    And also contrary to popular beleif, if you have your TDEE set properly you DO NOT need to log or eat back your exercise calories, unless you do something that is ABOVE AND BEYOND your normal TDEE calculated activity.

    When you are talking weight loss, all you need to worry about is DEFICIT. As in, eating less than your TDEE.
  • prettylyzard
    prettylyzard Posts: 98 Member
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    I just check out helloitsdan's profile on myfitnesspal. Many people had commented on how he had helped them. I read his profile and he gives great advice on how to do your numbers, and the website he recommends lays it all out for you. I just manually readjusted everything. I won't be paying attention to the calories I burn with exercise, since i have already accounted for them. Just my daily total!
  • pitbullmama
    pitbullmama Posts: 454 Member
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    Another calculator site. Pretty simple. Enter your info and it does your daily calorie calculation for you.

    http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html
  • bigredhearts
    bigredhearts Posts: 428
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    thats incorrect. bmr is how much you burn if you do nothing all day and sit in bed basically. If you eat your TDEE(total daily energy expenditure minus 500 you should lose 1lb per week. If you eat at your bmr you will lose also since it is a deficit from your tdee.

    Where are you finding your TDEE, and where is this coming from? It doesn't make sense to me that your BMR would be different than your TDEE, because how is it determining whether I sit in bed all day or am amazingly active?

    TDEE = your BMR + calories burned by actual activity (non-body functions). If you move from your bed to your bathroom, that increases your TDEE.
    This is a good calculator for working out your numbers, it gives you your bmr and calories for maintenance depending on your activity level.

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

    And a great group on here with lots of helpful members who are better at explaining things than me : )

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    Hmm... the calculator says my BMR is 1834 but that I should eat 2457 calories per day? Not sure how that works...
    it's probably giving you your tdee, which is how many calories you burn per day on average. that is not how much you eeat if you want to lose.
    That site gives you the amount you should eat to maintain your GOAL WEIGHT. It's pretty clear if you read the page.

    Everyone seems to think they have to eat very-low calorie diets to lose weight, but it's simply not the case.

    i also think its a good idea to eat your goal weight cals, it will help you lose weight while maintaining most of your lean muscle AND it gets you in the habit of knowing what your portion sizes will look like once you reach your goal weight.

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