My BMR? Help

Okay i was getting mixed answers before. this as well as other sites told me my BMR is 1700 meaning i would have to eat 1200 to lose weight..

but ppl say u have to eat a minimum of at least ur BMR?? so im confused. I dont exercise much lately cuz im always working or at school Sedentary is my exercise level. so i usually eat around 1200 calories a day so i have the 500 calorie deficit. is this correct?

any other advice

...im looking to lose the 15 pounds i gained this winter, and then about 5 after that to reach my goal weight..

Your BMR isn't how much you burn on Sedentary, it's how much you'd burn if you never moved at all. If you burn about 1700 calories a day without excercise, your BMR would be around 1400 calories.

No i mean, it says my bmr is 1700?

So you've used an off-site BMR calculator to get 1700? That's sort of high, but not impossible. From what I've heard, eating your BMR is just as vague a guideline as the 1200-a-day rule. It's more about paying attention to see what's right for you and your goals.

EDIT: According to your p rofile, you're 5'3" and 1 37 lbs. I just guessed&nb sp;that you were around 2 0 years old, and the  ;BMR calculator says yours&nbs p;would be just over 1400 . The calculator is here if you want to try& nbsp;it out.

To truely figure out your burn and BMR we need more info.  Height, age, weight, what exercise do you get each day ect.

If you restrict your dieting to eating at least your BMR, that means that the ONLY way you can lose weight is by exercising. There's nothing wrong with eating less than your BMR. If you do, your body still uses just as much energy, but pulls the energy out of your fat stores. You can safely eat as low as 700 calories if your body uses 1700 calories per day; however, if you chose to eat anything less than 1200, I would recommend being under the care of a nutritionist to prevent malnutrition. Something you may also want to consider is that when your body pulls energy from the stores that it has on reserve, it also breaks down muscle in order to metabolize the protein and utilize that for energy as well. If you exercise, you can maintain the muscle that you have and still lose weight through fat, but then you will also be utilizing more than 1700 cal/day. 

Original Post by simwaves1:

If you restrict your dieting to eating at least your BMR, that means that the ONLY way you can lose weight is by exercising. There's nothing wrong with eating less than your BMR. If you do, your body still uses just as much energy, but pulls the energy out of your fat stores. You can safely eat as low as 700 calories if your body uses 1700 calories per day; however, if you chose to eat anything less than 1200, I would recommend taking a multivitamin to prevent malnutrition. Something you may also want to consider is that when your body pulls energy from the stores that it has on reserve, it also breaks down muscle in order to metabolize the protein and utilize that for energy as well. If you exercise, you can maintain the muscle that you have and still lose weight through fat, but then you will also be utilizing more than 1700 cal/day. 

 Im sorry simwaves, but I completly disagree with your advice. From what I have been told you should be eating your bmr because that is what your body would need to survive if it was in a coma. Eating below that may cause your body to starve itself. If you want a higher calorie deficit, you need to add exercise to your program.

Also, suggesting someone to eat only 700 calories is completely wrong!! Not only is it unhealthy and dangerous (major malnutrition!!!!) you will not lose weight at all. At 700 calories your body will go into starvation mode and conserve the calories that you consume. You will also lose muscle mass eating so little, instead of fat! I have recently stated eating my bmr, which is 1700 and broke my plateau!!

I really hope someone that knows more about this topic and can explain it better, will see this post and offer you advice! Need2change please give us your stats (age, height, weight, gender) so that maybe we can help you better.

My BMR is 1750.  Why does this site tell me to eat 1300 a day to lose weight?

I am 5'11", female, and 210ish pounds.  I want to make sure that I am eating properly so that I can lose the rest of my weight.  I am over 100 pounds down, and trying for more!

I'm 22, Female,5'3.5" and i currently weigh 140 but i was 125. and i cant fit into like any of my clothes. im getting frustrated. ok so if my BMR is 1400 .. .then i would eat that? and would i still have my 500 calorie deficit??

 

I cant exercise as much as u guys say it will help. yes i do things like crunches and some dumbbell exercises every day i alternate the two and once and a while i can get to the gym. but its not as often as id like.

I really want to lose and get to 115-120 by summer. its my personal goal to be happy. my clothes are disgusting on me. i was 158 at my highest and lost to 125.. now im back at 140 and not liking it much. tryin to break this..

whether i eat 1200 a day or more like 1400 i STILL NEVER lose. :( any suggestions.

and i do take a multivitiamin daily.

First of all vendicare, congrats on losing over 100 lbs!!! Amazing!!

Can you give your age, so that I can calculate your bmr??

From what I understand the burn meter on CC calculates your bmr plus estimates what you burn on sedentry. Im not really an expert on this so I am going to find the forum where I got all of my information to help you.

Need2change, I calculated your bmr and got 1456, so I think you should be eating this. At sedentry you are probably burning 1747 (bmr X 1.2). So without exercise, you are getting a calorie deficit of almost 300. If you want it higher, you need some exercise (even a quick walk). Remember for every 3500 calories you burn over what you consume, you will lose a lb.

But what I do know is that I was on a plateau for almost 4 weeks eating 1300 calories, increased my intake to 1700 (my bmr) and lost 3 lbs in 6 days!!!

please visit this forum (titled: the allowance calculator should be shot and burned). There are so much advice on it about bmr from people who know more than I do and can explain it better. Good Luck!!

http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/872 63.html

Hey,keb.

I am 35 years old.  I have been doing really well so far, but I want to make sure I keep going strong because I am getting closer to goal.  I have gone from a size 28 to a 12, and want to keep trending downward.

Thanks for the help.  I appreciate it.

See I'm SCARED to try to up my calories like that, because ive done it before when on a plateau. and thats when i gained a bunch of weight. i was having about 1200 calories.. and i upped to about 1550-1650 ish and gained. then i lowered it agaain, and still gained. id like to up my calories .. i had the flu last week and for 4 days i ate between 300-700 calories cuz i was so sick and couldnt handle much.. since then(past 3 days_ ive ate 1500, 1200, and today is looking to be about 1200 already...

idk how that will affrect things :-\

 

 

Original Post by simwaves1:

If you restrict your dieting to eating at least your BMR, that means that the ONLY way you can lose weight is by exercising. There's nothing wrong with eating less than your BMR. If you do, your body still uses just as much energy, but pulls the energy out of your fat stores. You can safely eat as low as 700 calories if your body uses 1700 calories per day; 

No, no, no, no, no!  Sorry to be so harsh, Eri.  I know you're new here, but...

BMR is the Basal Metabolic Rate.  This is the minimum your body needs to function if you do NO activity (ie., you're in a coma).  What you are describing is a Maintenance Intake.  If her maintenance is 1700 and she eats that, then the only way to lose is through exercise.  That is accurate.  However she can safely eat something less than that and lose weight.  But she definitely will NOT be safe eating only 700 calories.  There's simply not enough nutrition in that level of food to keep her alive.

So, need2change28, here are the numbers:

Your BMR is about 1350.

Your daily burn rate (sedentary) is 1600. 

Do NOT eat less than 1350 calories per day.  Your body needs this to keep going, and it will punish you (by gaining fat) if you eat less than this.  

If you eat 1350-1400 calories per day and continue to do no exercise, you will lose about 1.5-2 pounds per month.   That's not a lot, and I'm sure it can be stressful, especially for someone so freaked out about this as you are (keep reading).

If you want to lose more, I suggest you set aside 1 hour three days per week to exercise.  Begin by running or lifting weights. Don't be afraid of "bulking up".  Muscle tone will help your clothes fit better, and it will help you burn fat faster.  Look in the Exercise -> Beginner's Corner for tips on starting.  With proper exercise three days per week, you can lose an extra 4 pounds per month at 1350 calories per day.

Now, having said all that, let me say this: you are in a healthy weight range now.  True, you are at the high end of healthy, but you are not overweight.  I looked at your gallery photos and I must say you have a very attractive hourglass figure.  It looks like a fantastic bikini figure.  

But you said your clothes don't look right on your body.  I suspect one of two things is the problem here: a wee bit of body dysmorphia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_ disorder), or you need new clothes.

Also, I notice on your profile that you liked your body at 125 but you want to get down to 115. 125 is a very healthy weight for your height.  115 is also in the healthy range, and is totally doable.

Vendicare, I calculated your bmr to be 1737, so if your at a plateau, upping your calories up to that might help you break it!

Phord-

Thank you for all ur information. makes alot of sence. I really want to lose weight faster. I could probably get to the gym 3 times a week if i REALLY pushed it but i need to get more motivation(yeah i know everything ive said u would think that is motivation enough!) but i just idk im going to try going this week. i just got over the flu, so im not 100% up to it, im still weak and tired.. and i dont wanna get sicker.

Everyone says 500 calorie deficit though, if u dont exercise, will have u losing weight? Honestly. My stomach from the front, doesnt look AS bad to me, as say, it does thru my shirts, like the outlines of my stomach, and belly button show, and makes me look chunky. My Butt/thigh area has gotten larger as well as my arms.. and i dont want to wear a tank top come spring time until they dont look so bloated. From the side, u can see a little back fat and if u push in my sides i have fat there too.

i know u cant SPOT reduce, but if i lose weight, those are all the places i see a difference. i really want to get my 125 body back, and maybe smaller.

 

Thanks, Keb.  I just couldn't understand why this site wants me to eat so low.  I usually make it to 1700 or 1800 calories in a day, and I burn 1000 at the gym most days.  My 100 pounds took about a year, but I had to take 9 weeks off with pneumonia.  I know that is gets harder as you get closer to the goal, so I want to be ready.

.

Hi everyone, I have been on this site since Feb3. I lost  7 pounds in the first 5 weeks, but lately stalled. I'm a lot older than most of you and don't know if all the advise applies to Nanas as well.

I'm looking to lose about 10 pounds, especially around my midsection. Here are my stats: Age 66, CW 122, GW 110, Height 5'2''. I do aerobics 6 days a week, plus on 3 of those I do weights. According to my heart monitor I burn between 300 - 500 cals/day.

CC has my eat meter at 1200 and the burn meter at 1310 (sedentary). I find it hard to eat only 1200, but if I eat more my deficit is tooo small to lose weight - even with the exercise.

Anyone have any ideas or helpful advise, I would really appriciate that.

bump

FWIW:  I find the CC+ calculators to be more aggressive than I care to be.  I have been a life-long yo-yo dieter.  This time I'm going to do it the right way, once and forever.

To the original poster:  It sound to me that you are, indeed, not recognizing what you really look like, and what is/is not a healthy weight.  Keep in mind that the stereotypical model body (think Tyra Banks) is a genetic characteristic of only approx. 2% of women in the world.  For the rest of us 98%, that is an impossible, and therefore unhealthy, goal.  Keep in mind, too, that what the media sells us as beauty isn't real.  Not only in the sense that very few people can get it, but also in the sense that many who appear to have it, in fact do not.  See here -- it's a fabulously educating site:

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/dsef07/t 5.aspx?id=7373

As for how to calculate your caloric intake to lose weight, I'll repeat myself from another post directed to a 44 year-old man, 5'5" and currently 202 pounds.

Re your numbers:  Here are the sites I use for my calculations:

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ - for minimum daily caloric intake       http://www.consumer.gov/weightloss/bmi.htm - to set goal with a healthy BMI       http://www.healthstatus.com/cbc.html - to determine caloric burn for activities.

Here's how your numbers work out:

Current weight:

BMR = 1850 * 1.2 = 2220 - this is what you burn on a sedentary day (no exercise) just to stay at your current weight of 202 pounds.

1850 - 500 = 1720 - a daily deficit of 500 calories in vs out averages 0.5-1 pound loss per week.  (For 1-2 pounds per week, make it 1000)  Any rate faster is both unhealthy and counterproductive. (You'll actually gain weight in the long run.)

On weight training days, you burn an additional 210 cals for a total daily requirement of 1930 cals.  On aerobic training days you burn an additional 855 cals for a total daily requirement of 2575 calories.

Goal weight

BMR = 1520 * 1.2 = 1824 - If you lead a sedentary life, you will maintain a weight of 149 pounds at 1824 calories per day.  149 is the largest weight that yields a healthy BMI for you.

On aerobic days you will burn an additional 621 cals, for a total caloric intake of 2445.  On weight days you'll burn an additional 154 cals for a total caloric intake of 1978.

Range for weight loss

So, your weight loss caloric intake range should be 1) no more than 500 calories less than you burn in a day and 2) between 1930/1978 and 2445/2575, on weight training and aerobic days, respectively.

Caveat:  These are only estimates.  Your actual BMI and BMR depend a lot on the peculiarities of your body -- bone structure, fat to lean ratio, activities.  But at this stage, these are fairly good approximations.

Why you shouldn't eat to little:

It is extremely difficult for a man to get a complete nutritional load on less than 1400 calories per day (1200 for women) Some guides say 1800 for men.  So, if you go below or hover at 1400, the chances are you are not getting essential nutrients.

You can go to the same sites, fill in your own numbers, and figure out what your range is.

Why it is unhealthy and FUTILE to eat too little:  It has to do with human biochemistry.  If you eat too little, compared to what the body expects, the body will assume we are in a time of famine, and change (slow) metabolism to maintain and add fat.  So, eating a significant percentage less than you do now, or eating under your daily requirement by too high an amount will make this happen.  Your body, instead of releasing fat, will break down muscle, first.  This slows your metabolism even more.  Vicious cycle.  Since you can't keep this up for the rest of your life, you start eating "normally" again.  The body, knowing that famine is likely, will NOT change metabolism right away.  Not until it is confident that food is readily available.  So, if you have been under-eating, you might gain weight when you first go to a healthy caloric intake.  But you will eventually start to lose.

This is the science behind plateaus during dieting, and yo-yo weight.

It is counterproductive to lose more than 2 pounds per week.  Any faster will get you into the famine mode, and destroy your ability to lose weight.  Moreover, at th is rate, your body can adjust to metabolic changes, so that by the time you reach your goal weight, your body is ready to consider that "normal."  And, you learn how to eat "normally" as well.

Why you should exercise and do strength training:  1) By adding calorie burn, you can safely add calorie intake and still maintain and/or lose weight.  Makes it easier to stick to an eating plan.  2) Muscle (lean) is heavier, but smaller than fat.  Sometimes, when you are sticking to your eating plan and hit a plateau, if you do strength training, you find that your inches go down, even though weight stays constant or goes up slightly.  3) The only way to do the "spot" slimming you seek is to gain muscle tone. 4) Lean (muscle) is less efficient, metabolically, than fat.  In other words, two people exactly alike, except that one is 130 pounds with 80% fat and the other is 130 pounds with 50% fat, the more muscular one will burn more calories doing the same activity than the less muscular one.  (Those are not representative numbers for a goal -- I made them up just as an illustration.)

Good luck!