HELP! How does the eating more to lose weight work?

lostinureyes17
lostinureyes17 Posts: 112 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi I've been on here for awhile now but don't really post too often. I am 5'2 25 years old and currently weigh 161 lbs and to lose a pound a week mfp suggests i eat 1290 calories a day. I did this for awhile and lost 5 lbs but couldn't budge from there. Even adding in exercise didn't help. I started reading into the eat more to lose and I kind of get the concept but I'm still a little confused on some aspects of it. I am trying to workout more. Mostly just going for walks as I am enrolled in a full-time nursing program M-F.

I've calculated my bmr to be around 1550 using one of the online calculators. I'm not sure how accurate they are.

So on to my questions...

1. Do I eat the 1550 everyday or not?
2. Do I need to up the working out along with eating my bmr or will I lose weight just my staying on track with calories?

Thanks for everyones help! (I do plan on working out more but it'll be a gradual thing)
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Replies

  • lostinureyes17
    lostinureyes17 Posts: 112 Member
    Bump
  • stephaniekhani
    stephaniekhani Posts: 77 Member
    I don't really understand it 100% either. I've lost around 20lbs now and am stuck. Last week my trainer upped my calories by 150 which (to me) seems counter productive but apparently if I'm eating the right foods and staying as active as I am I'll actually lose more weight. It's a bit of a struggle really--I've been so used to operating on 1200 calories that it feels like I'm seriously stuffing myself but I guess only time will tell!
  • stephaniekhani
    stephaniekhani Posts: 77 Member
    Oh... and our stats are pretty darn close! I'm 5'1" and 161lbs. Also 25! :-)
  • MrsR0SE
    MrsR0SE Posts: 313 Member
    Check out the group for more info - it's working for me!
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    The goal MFP gives you is probably under your BMR, and at a point, your body gets mad at not being fed enough and won't lose weight.

    The idea is to eat more than your BMR and what you're burning with exercise to make your body happy again to shed those pounds.
    1. Do I eat the 1550 everyday or not?
    2. Do I need to up the working out along with eating my bmr or will I lose weight just my staying on track with calories?

    1. Yes, eat 1550 every day. Plus the calories you burn working out. So if you walk and burn 200 calories, eat 1750 that day.
    2. No need to increase exercise, just make sure you NET your BMR no matter what your activity level is.
  • Dragonnade
    Dragonnade Posts: 218 Member
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    Put in your current weight as your goal weight. Take the advised calories for your activity level. Slash it to 70-85%. Ensure you eat those calories and don't eat your exercise calories back.

    UNLESS failing to eat your exercise calories will put you under your BMR.

    This is what I'm doing atm, and I generally eat 1550-1650 on non-exercise days and BMR + Exercise + 100 for good measure on exercise days. And I'm not losing weight so much, but the inches are fleeing my waist line like they're on fire.

    Thus you keep your metabolism running at a nice high level, eating sufficiently to fuel your body but just low enough for your body to burn those fat reserves.

    Oh, and if you set your macro ratios to 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat that generally works out well too :)
  • aimeerocksx3
    aimeerocksx3 Posts: 91
    This is my understanding.

    Your BMR is how many calories you burn daily if you're just laying in bed all day. That's why you hear people say you should at least eat your BMR calories.
    Your TDEE is how many calories you need to maintain your current body weight. If you subtract 15%-20% from your TDEE, that's how many calories you should be eating to lose weight. BUT you calculate how much you exercise within the TDEE number, so you don't eat back your exercise calories UNLESS you net under your BMR.

    This website might help: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    For example, my BMR is 1510. I did the calculations with my TDEE and my calorie goal is 1864. If I work out and burn more than 354 calories (1864-1510), I've gone under my BMR, and thus need to eat back 'some' of my calories.

    I hope that wasn't too confusing. I'm no expert, but this is what I've figured out through other people on MFP and random websites.
  • nixirain
    nixirain Posts: 448 Member
    Check out the group for more info - it's working for me!
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    ^^This. Read all the stickies
  • jonski1968
    jonski1968 Posts: 4,490 Member
    yepp it works...i was on or near to 1500 cals...losing regular..then got stuck...upped my cals to around 2200 and added just a little more excercise and bingo...weights coming off again
  • RoosMommy01
    RoosMommy01 Posts: 88
    Ok from what I've been reading and learning from just the last day or 2 is that most people don't eat nearly enough. I've been only averaging 1,200-1,400 calories a day while burning 700-900 calories. I've learned that I should be eating anywhere from 1,900 (minimum) to 2,600!!!

    I've been told that the body will burn close to 2,000 calories on its own just by you doing simple things like cleaning house or cooking...stuff like that. So the idea is to eat tons more so your body doesn't go into starvation mode and hold on to every single thing that you eat. I've also been told not to get discouraged if at first you put on a few lbs because your body has to get used to having all that food again. I'm starting tomorrow on the new calorie amount so we shall see how it goes. *L*

    Good luck to you.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Okay, BMR is what your body burns if it is in a coma. It doesn't even include digestion because your nutrition is provided via IV and feeding tube so not much digestion is needed. On top of BMR, you have to add calories for your normal daily activity. This is done by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor based on how much you are up and around throughout the day to get what I was taught is the RMR. Additional calories are also added for the thermic effect of food (cost of digestion), but we typically don't add additional calories to our consumption for that because the calories per gram is rounded down to account for it based on the type of macronutrient consumed. After you've added for your activity, then you add for exercise to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). In order to lose body fat, one should eat no less then 80% of the TDEE and never (NEVER) under the BMR.

    There are several different formulas for determining BMR, but I use the simple one from ACSM which is 1 kcal x 24 hours x lean body mass in kg. Assuming a 25% body fat at your current weight I get a BMR of 1317 kcal/day. Then assuming sedentary and using a multiplication factor of 1.2, I get 1581 kcal/day for your RMR. You would then want to add Calories for exercise, so I'll again estimate and use 200 which is about the norm for a 2 mile walk. You then get a TDEE of 1781 kcal/day. 80% of that is 1425 kcal/day, which is what I would suggest is your minimum caloric intake per day that you exercise. Notice that the 1425 is more then your BMR of 1317. Never eat below the BMR, even on days when you are not exercising and 80% of RMR (which is TDEE on non-exercise days) is less then your BMR, don't eat below BMR.
    16 years Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor
    9 years Certified Sports Nutritionist
    Bachelors in Exercise Physiology with a Minor in Nutritional Science
    ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
    NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
  • lostinureyes17
    lostinureyes17 Posts: 112 Member
    Thanks...I'm sending you a friend request!
  • lostinureyes17
    lostinureyes17 Posts: 112 Member
    Thanks...I'm sending you a friend request!
    Stephanie
  • lostinureyes17
    lostinureyes17 Posts: 112 Member
    Okay, BMR is what your body burns if it is in a coma. It doesn't even include digestion because your nutrition is provided via IV and feeding tube so not much digestion is needed. On top of BMR, you have to add calories for your normal daily activity. This is done by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor based on how much you are up and around throughout the day to get what I was taught is the RMR. Additional calories are also added for the thermic effect of food (cost of digestion), but we typically don't add additional calories to our consumption for that because the calories per gram is rounded down to account for it based on the type of macronutrient consumed. After you've added for your activity, then you add for exercise to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). In order to lose body fat, one should eat no less then 80% of the TDEE and never (NEVER) under the BMR.

    There are several different formulas for determining BMR, but I use the simple one from ACSM which is 1 kcal x 24 hours x lean body mass in kg. Assuming a 25% body fat at your current weight I get a BMR of 1317 kcal/day. Then assuming sedentary and using a multiplication factor of 1.2, I get 1581 kcal/day for your RMR. You would then want to add Calories for exercise, so I'll again estimate and use 200 which is about the norm for a 2 mile walk. You then get a TDEE of 1781 kcal/day. 80% of that is 1425 kcal/day, which is what I would suggest is your minimum caloric intake per day that you exercise. Notice that the 1425 is more then your BMR of 1317. Never eat below the BMR, even on days when you are not exercising and 80% of RMR (which is TDEE on non-exercise days) is less then your BMR, don't eat below BMR.
    16 years Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor
    9 years Certified Sports Nutritionist
    Bachelors in Exercise Physiology with a Minor in Nutritional Science
    ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
    NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

    Thanks...so I'll try to stick to 1317 and then up it on days i workout
  • lostinureyes17
    lostinureyes17 Posts: 112 Member
    This is my understanding.

    Your BMR is how many calories you burn daily if you're just laying in bed all day. That's why you hear people say you should at least eat your BMR calories.
    Your TDEE is how many calories you need to maintain your current body weight. If you subtract 15%-20% from your TDEE, that's how many calories you should be eating to lose weight. BUT you calculate how much you exercise within the TDEE number, so you don't eat back your exercise calories UNLESS you net under your BMR.

    This website might help: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    For example, my BMR is 1510. I did the calculations with my TDEE and my calorie goal is 1864. If I work out and burn more than 354 calories (1864-1510), I've gone under my BMR, and thus need to eat back 'some' of my calories.

    I hope that wasn't too confusing. I'm no expert, but this is what I've figured out through other people on MFP and random websites.

    Nope you weren't too confusing. This helped a lot. Thank you!
  • lostinureyes17
    lostinureyes17 Posts: 112 Member
    So its seems that most people gain weight when first starting to eat their bmr. How long does it take until most people start noticing the weight/inches lost? I'm nervous about gaining and just wondered how long it takes...
  • Dragonnade
    Dragonnade Posts: 218 Member
    Okay, BMR is what your body burns if it is in a coma. It doesn't even include digestion because your nutrition is provided via IV and feeding tube so not much digestion is needed. On top of BMR, you have to add calories for your normal daily activity. This is done by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor based on how much you are up and around throughout the day to get what I was taught is the RMR. Additional calories are also added for the thermic effect of food (cost of digestion), but we typically don't add additional calories to our consumption for that because the calories per gram is rounded down to account for it based on the type of macronutrient consumed. After you've added for your activity, then you add for exercise to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). In order to lose body fat, one should eat no less then 80% of the TDEE and never (NEVER) under the BMR.

    There are several different formulas for determining BMR, but I use the simple one from ACSM which is 1 kcal x 24 hours x lean body mass in kg. Assuming a 25% body fat at your current weight I get a BMR of 1317 kcal/day. Then assuming sedentary and using a multiplication factor of 1.2, I get 1581 kcal/day for your RMR. You would then want to add Calories for exercise, so I'll again estimate and use 200 which is about the norm for a 2 mile walk. You then get a TDEE of 1781 kcal/day. 80% of that is 1425 kcal/day, which is what I would suggest is your minimum caloric intake per day that you exercise. Notice that the 1425 is more then your BMR of 1317. Never eat below the BMR, even on days when you are not exercising and 80% of RMR (which is TDEE on non-exercise days) is less then your BMR, don't eat below BMR.
    16 years Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor
    9 years Certified Sports Nutritionist
    Bachelors in Exercise Physiology with a Minor in Nutritional Science
    ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
    NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

    Thanks...so I'll try to stick to 1317 and then up it on days i workout

    You said in your first post that your BMR is 1550 - you should be eating more than this but less than your TDEE. If 80% of TDEE is below BMR, eat more. Always, always, always above BMR.

    It does sound like your TDEE is for sedantry which makes it harder to eat 80% and still be above BMR. I'd suggest upping your exercise and including this in your TDEE calculation (ie light exercise so a higher daily calorie) and then doing 80%, or eat BMR +100 for three weeks plus all your exercise calories. Which, at a rough guestimate, should even out around 80% over a week or two, but ensure you're getting sufficient on a day-to-day basis.

    Make sense?
  • Dragonnade
    Dragonnade Posts: 218 Member
    So its seems that most people gain weight when first starting to eat their bmr. How long does it take until most people start noticing the weight/inches lost? I'm nervous about gaining and just wondered how long it takes...

    Take 3 weeks and then reassess. I had no change for a fortnight then dropped 1.5lb overnight. Also gives you a chance to get sufficient data to do a proper analysis of your net calories and where they lie in comparison to BMR etc.
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    I increased my calories by 200 to meet my BMR needs about a month ago. Before that, I was losing .8 lbs/wk consistently. Over the last month, my rate has increased to 1.2 lb/wk. I didn't notice any weight gain but after two weeks I saw a big drop, and now I've been losing pretty consistently (more each week than I used to be).

    I hope that helps. If you're afraid to increase your calories that's a totally normal fear but I'm proof that it works!
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    Btw I made a post about my experience dieting below my BMR because I had some bad side effects. If you're interested... here it is: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/572503-why-you-should-eat-more-a-lion-s-tale

    Always eat above your BMR!
  • lostinureyes17
    lostinureyes17 Posts: 112 Member
    Btw I made a post about my experience dieting below my BMR because I had some bad side effects. If you're interested... here it is: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/572503-why-you-should-eat-more-a-lion-s-tale

    Always eat above your BMR!

    Thanks for that! Sorry you had so many struggles at first but I'm glad that it's all worked out now! :)
  • amculver1
    amculver1 Posts: 36 Member
    bump
  • lostinureyes17
    lostinureyes17 Posts: 112 Member
    Okay, BMR is what your body burns if it is in a coma. It doesn't even include digestion because your nutrition is provided via IV and feeding tube so not much digestion is needed. On top of BMR, you have to add calories for your normal daily activity. This is done by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor based on how much you are up and around throughout the day to get what I was taught is the RMR. Additional calories are also added for the thermic effect of food (cost of digestion), but we typically don't add additional calories to our consumption for that because the calories per gram is rounded down to account for it based on the type of macronutrient consumed. After you've added for your activity, then you add for exercise to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). In order to lose body fat, one should eat no less then 80% of the TDEE and never (NEVER) under the BMR.

    There are several different formulas for determining BMR, but I use the simple one from ACSM which is 1 kcal x 24 hours x lean body mass in kg. Assuming a 25% body fat at your current weight I get a BMR of 1317 kcal/day. Then assuming sedentary and using a multiplication factor of 1.2, I get 1581 kcal/day for your RMR. You would then want to add Calories for exercise, so I'll again estimate and use 200 which is about the norm for a 2 mile walk. You then get a TDEE of 1781 kcal/day. 80% of that is 1425 kcal/day, which is what I would suggest is your minimum caloric intake per day that you exercise. Notice that the 1425 is more then your BMR of 1317. Never eat below the BMR, even on days when you are not exercising and 80% of RMR (which is TDEE on non-exercise days) is less then your BMR, don't eat below BMR.
    16 years Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor
    9 years Certified Sports Nutritionist
    Bachelors in Exercise Physiology with a Minor in Nutritional Science
    ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
    NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

    Thanks...so I'll try to stick to 1317 and then up it on days i workout

    You said in your first post that your BMR is 1550 - you should be eating more than this but less than your TDEE. If 80% of TDEE is below BMR, eat more. Always, always, always above BMR.

    It does sound like your TDEE is for sedantry which makes it harder to eat 80% and still be above BMR. I'd suggest upping your exercise and including this in your TDEE calculation (ie light exercise so a higher daily calorie) and then doing 80%, or eat BMR +100 for three weeks plus all your exercise calories. Which, at a rough guestimate, should even out around 80% over a week or two, but ensure you're getting sufficient on a day-to-day basis.

    Make sense?

    Yes that makes sense. i was just using the 1317 calories that trainingwithtanya said is my actual bmr. It's hard becuase there are so many different calculators out there.
  • callmecaptain
    callmecaptain Posts: 61
    The goal MFP gives you is probably under your BMR, and at a point, your body gets mad at not being fed enough and won't lose weight.

    The idea is to eat more than your BMR and what you're burning with exercise to make your body happy again to shed those pounds.
    1. Do I eat the 1550 everyday or not?
    2. Do I need to up the working out along with eating my bmr or will I lose weight just my staying on track with calories?

    1. Yes, eat 1550 every day. Plus the calories you burn working out. So if you walk and burn 200 calories, eat 1750 that day.
    2. No need to increase exercise, just make sure you NET your BMR no matter what your activity level is.

    I Concur
  • Dragonnade
    Dragonnade Posts: 218 Member
    Okay, BMR is what your body burns if it is in a coma. It doesn't even include digestion because your nutrition is provided via IV and feeding tube so not much digestion is needed. On top of BMR, you have to add calories for your normal daily activity. This is done by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor based on how much you are up and around throughout the day to get what I was taught is the RMR. Additional calories are also added for the thermic effect of food (cost of digestion), but we typically don't add additional calories to our consumption for that because the calories per gram is rounded down to account for it based on the type of macronutrient consumed. After you've added for your activity, then you add for exercise to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). In order to lose body fat, one should eat no less then 80% of the TDEE and never (NEVER) under the BMR.

    There are several different formulas for determining BMR, but I use the simple one from ACSM which is 1 kcal x 24 hours x lean body mass in kg. Assuming a 25% body fat at your current weight I get a BMR of 1317 kcal/day. Then assuming sedentary and using a multiplication factor of 1.2, I get 1581 kcal/day for your RMR. You would then want to add Calories for exercise, so I'll again estimate and use 200 which is about the norm for a 2 mile walk. You then get a TDEE of 1781 kcal/day. 80% of that is 1425 kcal/day, which is what I would suggest is your minimum caloric intake per day that you exercise. Notice that the 1425 is more then your BMR of 1317. Never eat below the BMR, even on days when you are not exercising and 80% of RMR (which is TDEE on non-exercise days) is less then your BMR, don't eat below BMR.
    16 years Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor
    9 years Certified Sports Nutritionist
    Bachelors in Exercise Physiology with a Minor in Nutritional Science
    ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
    NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

    Thanks...so I'll try to stick to 1317 and then up it on days i workout

    You said in your first post that your BMR is 1550 - you should be eating more than this but less than your TDEE. If 80% of TDEE is below BMR, eat more. Always, always, always above BMR.

    It does sound like your TDEE is for sedantry which makes it harder to eat 80% and still be above BMR. I'd suggest upping your exercise and including this in your TDEE calculation (ie light exercise so a higher daily calorie) and then doing 80%, or eat BMR +100 for three weeks plus all your exercise calories. Which, at a rough guestimate, should even out around 80% over a week or two, but ensure you're getting sufficient on a day-to-day basis.

    Make sense?

    Yes that makes sense. i was just using the 1317 calories that trainingwithtanya said is my actual bmr. It's hard becuase there are so many different calculators out there.

    OK, cool. The lower one is relevant to your actual fat % and /should/ be more accurate. So long as you net over that, you're good :)
  • Joeyje3
    Joeyje3 Posts: 58 Member
    Great topic. Love the read on this. :smile:
  • jessie1480
    jessie1480 Posts: 132 Member
    I don't really know the since of it like others on here do, but I can tell you that it works! I plagued for a while, upped my calories a little and started dropping again( untill my vacation to michigan) as soon as I platoue for a week, I upp my cals a little more. Slow and steady.
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    Btw I made a post about my experience dieting below my BMR because I had some bad side effects. If you're interested... here it is: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/572503-why-you-should-eat-more-a-lion-s-tale

    Always eat above your BMR!

    Thanks for that! Sorry you had so many struggles at first but I'm glad that it's all worked out now! :)

    Thanks! It was all just a result of not having the knowledge of how calories worked. I hope we've all been able to help you to avoid being in the same predicament.
  • PrfctGdess
    PrfctGdess Posts: 257
    ... as soon as I platoue for a week, I upp my cals a little more.

    Whenever your numbers change, you should recalculate. So every 5lbs or so loss, recalculate your TDEE so you know where you're at. Each birthday, recalculate. :) That's why upping your cals a little each time you hit a plateau is working ;)
  • cdragon_88
    cdragon_88 Posts: 7
    The only reason you would want to eat more is IF and only IF you have been in a deficit for a "long" time. Sometimes the body plateaus and tries to accommodate for all that low intake of food. This is the only time you need to eat more. More often than not plateaus are caused by over eating and not a problem with eating a deficit for too long. So before you decide to eat more you need to find out if you really are eating correctly in a deficit and factor in how long you have been in a deficit. You shouldn't plateaus after a 10lb loss so if you have lost less than ten lbs you might want to consider eating less rather than more. At 2 lbs a week that would only equate to 5 weeks--not enough for a plateaus that screws up your body that requires you to eat more.

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