BMR Questions... Got My Answers? :D
jessicae1aine
Posts: 885
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. 
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?
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
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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!!! LOL0
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Well, I hope we both get some answers then! 0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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-less0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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...0 -
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! 0 -
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.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...0 -
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?0 -
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.0 -
do some research if you dont believe it
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?0 -
do some research if you dont believe it
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?
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.0 -
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.
That site gives you the amount you should eat to maintain your GOAL WEIGHT. It's pretty clear if you read the page.
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.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...
Everyone seems to think they have to eat very-low calorie diets to lose weight, but it's simply not the case.0 -
do some research if you dont believe it
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?
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-everything0 -
: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.0 -
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!0
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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.html0 -
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.
That site gives you the amount you should eat to maintain your GOAL WEIGHT. It's pretty clear if you read the page.
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.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...
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.0 -
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 is an estimate. You pick from 4 or 5 levels as to your TOTAL daily avg activity, including exercise, and it takes your estimated BMR times a figure. The result, is estimated TDEE.
Your BMR is different because Basal Metabolic Rate is your metabolism for dealing with the functions of life, as mentioned, if you were in a coma, that is what you body needs to take in to do it's work.
If the BMR does NOT get that intake, it has to slow down. To whatever you are giving it.
Eat long enough at 1200, and that is what it will become eventually.
How fast? Depends on how much yo-yo dieting you have done, how big a difference to previous eating levels, how big a dip to your BMR, genetics.
So during that 3 days to 3 weeks or more, you have a constantly diminishing weight loss.
The real kicker is, that basic metabolism determines how much energy you expend, how many calories you burn, on ALL other daily activity.
So if your daily activity used to burn 1000 calories with a BMR of upwards of 2000, and it finally settles in at 1200, your daily activity now only burns 600 calories - you just lost 400 cals of free daily burn. And had to eat at 1200 cal!
Want to make that worse and stall your weight? Exercise and don't feed your workouts.
So eating 1200, your exercise uses 600 cals on avg daily, your body is left with 600.
Guess what lowers to 600? Now your daily activity only uses up 300 calories. Guess what, now 1200 is actually maintenance eating.
And now your weight loss stalls.
2 directions to go at that point, farther down, or get the metabolism burning back at full speed. I hope you see one as the wrong direction.
If you don't know exercise calories accurately, or the thought of eating them each day you workout concerns you, and you want to protect your burning BMR, and you want to maximize fat loss still, give this a try.
Let's you nail that daily activity better than what 4 or 5 levels gives you, and you eat at what the future you would eat at. Spreadsheet to make it easier.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method0 -
[Eat long enough at 1200, and that is what it will become eventually.
UGH. No, not really. Your metabolism will slow down SLIGHTLY if you eat WAY below your BMR for an EXTENDED (like, a YEAR) period of time.
I hate the scare tactics based on no real valid facts/studies.0 -
For cryin out loud, heybales....she has 144 POUNDS to lose. She's not going into your dreaded Starvation Mode at 1200 calories.
You have a lot of knowledge -
Learn how to apply it to different situations, instead of regurgitating the same thing for every user.0 -
I just went to the calorie calculator and it tells me to eat 1075 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week, while everybody on this site says never go below 1200. I get so much conficting information that I get so confused!0
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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.
This is incorrect. BMR is the amount of calories your body burns doing nothing, like if you were in a coma or lying in bed completely motionless. It is basically what it needed in calories to keep you alive and functioning. The moment you start moving you burn more than your BMR. Thus, if you eat your BMR you have by nature of doing so, established a calorie deficit based on the calories you burn doing your daily activity.
The other important number is TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) that is the calories you would burn for the day including your activity. It is this number that you would want to subtract 500 calories from for a 1 pound per week weight loss.
Generally, unless a person is morbidly obese, eating below their BMR for an extended period of time is generally considered a bad idea. Sadly, due to how MFP sets calories, and the fact that many people don't realize that MFP expects them to eat the calories they burn off in exercise since they don't include them in the daily energy expenditure for people, that means many people here are eating below their BMR. I think this is one of the primary reasons we see so many people with plateau problems. It took me a while to grasp this as well, but for long term weight loss especially if you are not morbidly obese, eating no lower than your BMR is a very good idea.
The other way to do things is ignore the calories MFP sets and instead use a tool like this http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html Calculate your TDEE including your intended exercise and SUBTRACT 20%. Then you eat those calories daily, and continue your exercise.
The advantage of the MFP approach with having people eat their exercise calories is that if you miss your exercise you are not eating too much. The advantage of the 20% less than TDEE is that you are not obsessing over trying to eat your exercise calories.0 -
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.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 is giving you your TDEE at your goal weight, not your current one. If you eat that and weigh more than your goal weight you will lose, but the closer you get, the slower you will lose. Fat2Fit actually suggest taking 250 off when you get closer to your goal to make sure things keep going.0 -
I'm confused on the exact same things.... MFP says my goal is 1200 calories a day, but I just am not sure if I should be eating all the calories I burn working out to hit that number..I looked at that calculator mentioned here and my BMR is 1466 and depending on my activity level it says I should take in anywhere from 1640-2610 calories. I'm just confused as to how many calories I should be eating.0
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For cryin out loud, heybales....she has 144 POUNDS to lose. She's not going into your dreaded Starvation Mode at 1200 calories.
You have a lot of knowledge -
Learn how to apply it to different situations, instead of regurgitating the same thing for every user.
Who said anything about starvation mode? I never say starvation mode, because that is difficult to get into.
No eating for an extended period of time. No, you still burn fat with slow metabolism.
That is metabolism slowing. Might want to read some studies as to how easy it is to do that.
showing the predicted changes in metabolic rates decline sharply in individuals undergoing adaptive thermogenesis which does lead to plateauing.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11430776
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19660148
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20054213
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17260010
You might want to search the forums for people with a lot of weight to lose who also manage to make themselves plateau.0 -
I just went to the calorie calculator and it tells me to eat 1075 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week, while everybody on this site says never go below 1200. I get so much conficting information that I get so confused!
2 lbs a week is a VERY agressive weight loss. I am assuming you don't have that much to lose. Maybe set it to lose only an lb a week if you have less that 15 or so lbs to lose. 2 lbs if more for like people with 60 lbs or something.
1,200 is a bench mark for MOST people. If you are female and short, you can get away with eating less that a 6'4" man. Don't fret. Just make extra sure you are getting enough protien and vitamins, calcium, etc. If your body feels super tired and worn out after a couple weeks of it, up your cal intake a bit. But you won't lose as fast. BUT if you don't have a lot to lose than, yeah, losing weight is just plain harder.
Don't worry!0 -
[Eat long enough at 1200, and that is what it will become eventually.
UGH. No, not really. Your metabolism will slow down SLIGHTLY if you eat WAY below your BMR for an EXTENDED (like, a YEAR) period of time.
I hate the scare tactics based on no real valid facts/studies.
showing the predicted changes in metabolic rates decline sharply in individuals undergoing adaptive thermogenesis which does lead to plateauing.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11430776
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19660148
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20054213
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17260010
See how fast it can become.0
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