calorie deficit formula... I need your opinions

OK. I have been trying to determine the exact number of calories I should have everyday but I am not sure if the following formula is right.

P.S: this is only for women, there is another one for men.

To calculate your RMR:

655+ ( 4.35×weight in pounds) +( 4.7 × height in inches ) - ( 4.7 ×age in years)

Now, mine was 1300 cals, and with extra 500 cals that I burn in the gym, that is 1800 -1900 cals. If I want a cals deficit about 700 a day, I will have to eat 1200 cals only a day. I can't do that.

Anyone has a suggestion for me?

I am a female, 33 years old , I weigh 178 pounds and height is 5.3

Thanks

I suggest a range at least somewhere around 1400-1500, especially since you burn other calories besides resting and working out.

A 500 cal deficit is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

RMR is basic bodily functions right?? so where is the rest of the day ( working, cooking, driving, living your life). So it should be 1300+whatever your doing all day ( mine would be plus 500 because I walk around all day at my job) + exercise . I think it's alot more than 1900 for when you exercise. I ate 1700 a day and lost weight ( i'm only 110 )

Use the tools on this website. They havn't done me wrong yet =)

Anyone else??

RMR is resting metabolic rate. That is what your body needs to function during the day. mine was 1300 cals. I add 500 for exercise that is 1800 cals a day. In order to lose weight I need a 500-700 deficit which means I have to eat like 1200. and I can't do that.

Are you sleeping all day?? because that formula does not factor in anything besides what your body needs to function. ( heart, lungs, brain, ect)

The tools on this say that you burn 1900 cals a day sedentary so add 500 at the gym for a total of 2400.  Minus 700 deficit and you should eat 1700 cals a day.  At that rate you would lose one pound every 5 days.  RMR is if you were to sleep 24 hours a day.  Enter your stats in the "tools" on the site and enter a goal weight and it will tell you what your daily allowance is.

Even if all of this math was correct(it isn't) you don't *need* a 500-700 calorie deficit to lose weight. You can lose with any kind of deficit, it just may come off a little more slowly.

Try 1200-1400 on the days that you don't exercise and 1400-1600 on the days when you get moderate exercise.  If you're getting heavy exercise, go up to 1600-2000 depending on the lenght and endurance.

I'm 5'4" + 3/4", started at 185, down to 167, female, 33, medium build.  Your formula would be a good number of calories for me to eat to lose weight a pound every other week ~1530, but doesn't match CC's resting rate for me which is 1815.

According to my calculations from another website your RMR is 1882 as a sedentary person. Add the 500 extra workout calories and you are at 2300. Subtract 700 and you are at 1600 a day. That is what I would suggest you eat. It's doa-able and you will lose weight. I have a tough time doing 1200 also so am eating an average of 1400 (my RMR at sedentary is 1385 from that other website) and am losing steadily (roughly 0.8-1lb a week).

CC gives me a different number. with a light activity level, I am allowed to eat 1350 cals a day.

Actually, I can't live without 1400-1500 a day at least:(

Sara: could you define " moderate exercise" for me?

I work out for about 60 minutes 6 times a week.

thanks

Instead of setting your profile to "light", "moderate", or "Heavy". (which are personal opinions).  Try setting it to Sedentary and logging your deliberate exercises everyday in the Activity log.  This should provide you a more accurate number to work with.


Are you having trouble finding foods that will allow you to eat less than 1400-1500 calories a day?  Or are you just getting too hungry at 1200-1300?

What exactly are your food choices daily?

Thanks nocturne. yes, I get hungry at 1200 cals. It is hard for me.

I usually end my day with a 1500 cals total.

here is a sample of today's meals:

breakfast: 1/3 cup cereal ( 160 cals) + strawberried and raspberries (88g). a non fat yogrut (60) + flaxseed ( 14g) 

after two hours ( one big apple) that actually controls my hunger.

Lunch: one boiled egg+ a non fat yogurt + 240 g raw broccoli + one apple.

snack: third and last apple for the day ( I eat 3 apples a day)

dinner : usually big green salad + okra or tuna in water.

total 1400-1500 cals a day/

workout : 60 minutes cardio. sometimes I add weight training but not everyday .

CC says at sedentary you expend 1900 calories and with light activity you get 2100. I don't see where you get the 1350???

Here is the link:
http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/calorie s-burned.php

Are you perhaps confusing expenditure with allowance based on your goals????

1/3 of a cup of cereal is 160 calories?  What kind is it?  It's probably healthy lol. =)

Maybe consider switching to Special K red berries (you get strawberries right in the cereal).  1 cup has 110 calories (no milk added).  That's  A LOT more food right there and you can also skip the strawberries.

Broccoli has one of the highest calorie ratios of all veggies.  Switch to a different green?  Like Kale or Spinage?

For the salad, what kind of dressing are you using? How many calories in that?

Other than that... I don't want you to change anything because it's so healthy, I admire you.
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nycgirl - I think you're right, she is thinking her Allowance is her Expenditure.

I got on Sedentary:

"You burn 1900 calories during a typical day. Remember that this estimate is based on your body weight, height, age, gender, and your average level of activity. "

So a 500 calorie deficit is 1400 a day Sedentary.

Since you work out, you can eat 1400 + exercise calories, and maintain a 500 calorie deficit.

I don't add dressing to my salad. lol. it is a punishment but I like it without dressing.

I can't live without broccoli. :( I eat it raw. are you sure it has high cals? 150 g has 50 cals I think. Not sure of the exact numbers. It is also a good source of fiber.

for morning cereal, I usually have either All bran cereal or heartland ( oat bran) it has 160 cals per 1/3 cup. Actually, I don't add milk, I prepare it with water and then add some strawberries and raspberries. I love berries actually.

hm, those numbers come out pretty small according to that calculation. it says my bmr is 1440? that sounds a bit off, i never heard of people having such low bmr;s i'd say range of 1700 - 2200 for a bmr is normal, nah, i think this calculation is off a bit. i think you should lose at 1400 per day! good luck :)

nycgirl and nocturne: thanks SO MUCH. Yes you are right. I was confusing my expenditure with allowance. lol

I was terrified when I knew I needed 1200 cals a day. :)

I haven't read any1 else's replies so this may have been pointed out already I'm sure. BMR does not include activity extraneous to lying in bed all day which and needs to be multiplied by an activity factor to get tdee (total daily energy expenditure). If you are adding your exercise calories to find your maintenance level than use the sedentary activity factor of 1.2 which gives you ~1560 maintenance cals at minimum. Now you can add your exercise to that and then subtract your deficit. So that would be [1560(tdee)+500(exercise)-700(deficit)=1360]. Now thats still pretty low but its better tham 1200! Also, your activity level is probably closer to 1.375 since you probably dont sit around all day, in fact I read somewhere that students(reading/writing/walking to lectures etc) can have an activity factor of 1.55 (this excludes exercise)! You would definitely lose on 1400 cals a day...the 1.2 factor is probably quite below your actual one and thus even if it seems you have created a 500 calorie deficit it may be more like 6-700. Goodluck and hope that helps. 

Hey if you like salad with no dressing, good for you XD

I don't want you to stop eating broccoli, it's really really good for you, I was trying to see where you could cut corners temporarily.  As itself, no it isn't high in calories, for a vegetable in comparison to other vegetables, it is higher.

I was my thought, if you could shave off 50 calories twice some where, that's 100 calories to spare.

Since it looks like you don't need to eat less after all, and it turns out you have more wiggle room than you thought, what you're eating is awesome and you don't need to change it =)

I eat one cup of Fiber One a day (which is just like All Bran) and it is 120 calories per cup. Add a half cup of skim milk and voila, a much more volumous breakfast than you are currently eating for the same calories.