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I know it's been asked a hundred times, but...

yoginimary
yoginimary Posts: 6,789 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I just wore my HRM for 7 hours of normal activity, mfp/email time, cleaning house, grocery shopping, eating lunch, etc. I couldn't wear it all day and night because it was driving me crazy.

So, I burned 920 calories. If we take that as an average = 131 calories an hour and figure 15 hours awake = 1965 calories, maybe another 500 sleeping for 9 hours (yes, I know you all hate me now for getting that much sleep). That means I get 1965 calories per day for a pound a week lost (not count exercise)?

Seems like an awful lot for a 5'3" 156 lb person. MFP says for a lightly active person at my weight I should get 1380 + exercise.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,789 Member
    I just wore my HRM for 7 hours of normal activity, mfp/email time, cleaning house, grocery shopping, eating lunch, etc. I couldn't wear it all day and night because it was driving me crazy.

    So, I burned 920 calories. If we take that as an average = 131 calories an hour and figure 15 hours awake = 1965 calories, maybe another 500 sleeping for 9 hours (yes, I know you all hate me now for getting that much sleep). That means I get 1965 calories per day for a pound a week lost (not count exercise)?

    Seems like an awful lot for a 5'3" 156 lb person. MFP says for a lightly active person at my weight I should get 1380 + exercise.

    Thoughts?
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    I really think that MFP is set low for most people. I wonder if the formulas that figure out how many calories a day should adjust based on body fat % (vs. muscle which burns more at rest). I think that there are people in this world who are super-duper sedentary, and maybe that's what these figures run off of.

    I wore my HRM on a very slow day, and it said I should be at minimum 1700 with no activity. (137ish and 5'6") (I was coming down off of a busy week, and the most I moved was changing the channel from "E true hollywood story" to "mummies are fascinating!" shows on the discovery channel.

    I think this whole craziness boils down to us learning how to figure out when we're hungry and when we're full. Bleeeaaaargh. . .I suck at that.

    I do know that what MFP says is "maintenance" for me seems to be my magic "last five pounds" number. I think maybe a good experiment would be adding a hundred or so to what MFP says, and then keep adjusting.

    I wish this was more scientific. In my science-fiction geek fantasy, I get some sort of non-invasive body scan, and then a machine makes me fantastic tasting food in exactly the proper proportions to make me buff. Sigh.

    anyways, that's my 2 cents worth. :flowerforyou:
  • sr2000
    sr2000 Posts: 230 Member
    Wouldn't that mean that at 1965 you would maintain you weight? So if you cut back 500 cal at day to 1465 you would lose a pound a week? Or am I misunderstanding? I need to try wearing my hrm on a slow day and into the night, I have a feeling I'll rip the chest strap off sometime in the middle of the night too.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,789 Member
    Wouldn't that mean that at 1965 you would maintain you weight? So if you cut back 500 cal at day to 1465 you would lose a pound a week? Or am I misunderstanding? I need to try wearing my hrm on a slow day and into the night, I have a feeling I'll rip the chest strap off sometime in the middle of the night too.

    That would be without the 9 hours of sleeping calories (I figured 500) - so my 1965 would be my lb a week.
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    well mary, sounds like you wore it for the busiest part of your day, I would imagine you would probably want to knock some calories off for the hours that you aren't quite so busy or average it out a little lower. I did your numbers and it came out to around 2250 for a RMR (maintenance calories) which sounds about right considering if you knock say 10 calories an hour off your estimate (because I imagine 2 or 3 of those night time hours are less active, I don't mean sleeping hours, just the time after everything settles down.). Also, looking at your schedule, if that is an average day, I would call you moderately active, not lightly. Now if you don't clean the house every day, and go grocery shopping, then I guess you would want to knock off a few calories anyway.
  • cp005e
    cp005e Posts: 1,495 Member
    In my science-fiction geek fantasy, I get some sort of non-invasive body scan, and then a machine makes me fantastic tasting food in exactly the proper proportions to make me buff. Sigh.

    Put me on the waiting list for that one! :laugh:
  • flabbyguy
    flabbyguy Posts: 22
    call me stupid.but whats an hrm,,,,,,,,,,,
  • ssparks
    ssparks Posts: 1
    Heart Rate Monitor
  • flabbyguy
    flabbyguy Posts: 22
    So a hearth rate monitor calculates how many calories you burn>Are they available off the shelf of from your doctor.Thanks
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    So a hearth rate monitor calculates how many calories you burn>Are they available off the shelf of from your doctor.Thanks

    you can get em at any local sporting goods store. Polar makes a great one.

    I love my F6

    www.polarusa.com

    look under the general fitness catagory in the polar store to see the F series watches. You can also find them on Ebay or Amazon, just search for polar F4 or polar F6 or F11 (depending on what extras you want with the HRM)
  • flabbyguy
    flabbyguy Posts: 22
    Thanks Banks i checked out the site.I will definitely want one of those...
  • astridfeline
    astridfeline Posts: 1,200 Member

    I wish this was more scientific. In my science-fiction geek fantasy, I get some sort of non-invasive body scan, and then a machine makes me fantastic tasting food in exactly the proper proportions to make me buff. Sigh.

    anyways, that's my 2 cents worth. :flowerforyou:

    I dream of Star Trek too!!!! :blushing:
  • edyta
    edyta Posts: 258

    I wish this was more scientific. In my science-fiction geek fantasy, I get some sort of non-invasive body scan, and then a machine makes me fantastic tasting food in exactly the proper proportions to make me buff. Sigh.

    anyways, that's my 2 cents worth. :flowerforyou:

    I dream of Star Trek too!!!! :blushing:

    I was thinking about the same!!
    Anyone want to earn a fortune inventing and selling that stuff??? :smile:
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