Major BMR confusion, help!

HELP!!!

I decided today to assess my cals in and out to see if I could find out why I am seeing slow weight loss results.

But now I am very confused and could use some help deciphering the results from any keen statisticians out there ;)

I have averaged all my calorie in take and expenditure since June 19th (minus a few days due to busy work schedule etc) = 60 days worth of data.

Here are my stats:

• Average Cals In from food log: 1722
• Average Cals Out from activity log: 715
• Average BMR (phord.com and CC): 1650.
• Making my total average activity burn: 2365
• Therefore - Average daily cal deficit: 643 (activity log + average BMR)

According to Phord this is well within reasonable weight loss guidelines (recommended deficit: 518, safety deficit: 750). 

Surely that alone cant explain why my weight loss has been so slow? 643 would surely produce significant results within 2 months would it not?

I am going for blood tests tomorrow to see if I am anaemic/diabetic/hypothyroid on doctors orders. 

Any suggestions would be much appreciated

If you are doing strength training in your actvities you might be losing the fat and gaining the muscle. That would make it seem like you are losing real slowly.

Hi Epiphany,

I am strength training yes, but I thought you had to do a lot, with heavy weights to make such a difference?  I have seen changes to my body, but not as much as I'd hoped for in 3 months or so now.  Maybe I'm being too impatient again :S ?

BMR = 1650 = 1.15/min (ca. 70/hr)

715 activity log BUT those activities include BMR, therefore deduct (from that 715) 70 for each hour of your activity.

So your total will be less than 2365.

I would go to several sites and see how much BMR or BMI or RMI differ.  Consider things like Thermic Effect of Food and accurate Activity Level. I, myself, have wondered about the Web, finding a dozen or more sites concerning those things, and they don't all agree.  Plus, the biggest difference I have seen is among Activity Calculators.

As far as calories go, how many calories in your first meal?  The last one?

Are you drinking a big glass of water to start the day?

Do you have a healthy, big protein meal to start the day?

I, my older sister, and my older daughter all hit plateaus in our losing weight program; but then suddenly, it seemed as if some weight came off.

If you are keeping your metabolism revved up, I would think you will slowly, but definitely reach your weight-loss goal.  I predict that you will lose the weight you want to; but by all means consult with professionals.

When you say slow...are you still losing? How much weight have you lost?

This is a tough question to answer because the two major possibilities are at opposite ends of the spectrum: you are possibly eating too much, or two little (or hitting a plateau).

Eating too much: All the BMR calculators are estimates, and individual differences abound. Calories burned exercising are also rough estimates since how much effort you're putting into it and how much your body have adjusted are impossible for a calculator to determine. If you do the same workout all the time, your body can adjust and become more efficient at it (i.e. it burns fewer calories). So if the calculators overestimate your burn, then your deficit might be much smaller than you think.

Eating too little: Not as in 'starvation mode' as in your metabolism has adjusted to your diet. The greater one's calorie deficit, the greater the metabolism change (makes sense, right?). If you've been consistent in your diet, but recently noticed the weight loss slowing, this could be the case. This is the cause of the dreaded plateau. As for how to fix that, here are some suggestions that have worked for myself or others:

1. Eat maintenence calories for a couple weeks. This will do wonders for motivation (in my experience), and when you start restricting calories again, the weight should come off again
2.Just keep at what you're doing, stay consistent and you're body will figure it out
3. Change up/increase/diversify your workout. If you're not doing good strength training (good as in not the 3 lb dumbbell kind), start now. If you typically walk/run, invest in a bicycle, etc.

Hope this helps : )

Thanks to you all, and to Minda!

I have considered the metabolic adjustment to my diet option and think it's more than likely something like that.

However the prospect of eating maintenance is a bit scary.  I'd like to keep losing.

My bf is due home (after 3 months!) next week and I have two weeks holiday!!! so I think we will both treat it like Christmas.  I doubt the diet will stay on firm track, so I will see what affect that has.

I know at my weight, it's just vanity pounds now, and I know I am muscly, so my BMI isnt the most accurate predictor, but I would still like to lower it and get within the healthy range.

I am pretty happy with my fitness in terms of cardio and strength but maybe I do need a new challenge ,because of my work schedule I have to run at the same time and the same route home every day.  Which is boring.

I would love to hit the gym again but my gym recently go refurbished and now has extortionate membership fees.  But I am moving next month, so I will go to the cheap one where my bf lives and see about spinning and exercise classes maybe, havent been on a bike for ages :D

thanks again though folks