Confused about calories and BMR
 

Hi

Hope you can help me.

I have just joined Fitday I am 35, female, 5f 4, 65kgs and would like to get back to 55Kgs

Couple of questions, I would appreciate your help with

- Calorie Balance equation on weight goal tab
Is Calories you burn the same as your BMR ( my BMR is 1430 ( from using online calculators)
Fit day has come up with a figure of 1600 calories you burn

I have used other online calculators and it says for me to lose about 1-2lbs per week, I should eat no more that 1200kcals per day

However when I modify the timeframe to lose 20lbs ( e.g from today until 9th May ) I get the following figure equation from the Calorie Balance Tab

1612 ( Calories you burn) - 839 ( Calorie Restriction) = 780 Calories you can eat

Is there anything I am doing wrong as 780 calories a day seems extremely low given that I want to lose 20lbs over 12 weeks?

I have checked other online calculators and they say to lose weight my cal intake should be no more than 1200kcals per day


Other questions re; nutrition
How much protein, fat and carbs should I be eating a day. I read different amounts in various articles - in one I read more that 100g protein a day. Is is calculated based on calories I should be consuming? Thanks for reading

Hi masmccar76,
Your BMR, 1430, is the amount of calories you require just to keep your blood pumping, brain functioning, and stomach digesting (along with all the other vital functions), but does not include the calories you need to actually move around.

The 1600 daily requirement that FD calculated as daily burn includes the calories you need to move around. It seems pretty low for someone 5'4" and 65k (143lbs). I'm 5'4" 135lbs which works out to a daily requirement of ~1800 cal. Did you maybe make a conversion error, or switch numbers around when you entered your stats into the profile page?

780 calories is, indeed, way low. I suggest you go back and check your numbers.

In any event 20lbs in 2 months is pretty hard. Most women can count on 1 to 2lb a week with diligent diet management. I don't want you to get discouraged, but I also do not want you to set a goal that will be very difficult.

Let us know if the calculator is still giving you unrealistic numbers.

These threads will help:

Macronutrients

Protein

I agree with Pam, if the numbers are all correct, it's just that you gave yourself an unrealistically short period of time to get to your goal weight. The smaller you are, the harder it is to get a calorie deficit that makes the weight come off quickly. IMO, it's better to lose it slower than quicker (1-2 lbs per week is good), as it will be easier to keep it off.

Thanks double checked the figures and still get the same BMR and calories burned figure. I changed the timescale to 17th July and got a calorie restriction of 479 per day which means I can eat 1140 cals per day. Does this look right? Should I just customise the figure for calories burned if 1619 is too low? ( this is assuming sedentary lifestyle with no excercise)

Sedentary? I think that's another reason why your calories are so low. To me this setting basically means you're in a hospital bed 24/7. Unless your totally laid up, you'd be better off choosing "Seated all Day" then adding in sleep as a daily activity. That will probably up your daily calories by 150-200 which is good. Why? Because 1140 cals per day still sounds too low, especially in lieu of your now adjusted goal date.

Thanks this is a great help, I have made the adjustments and I have now got

Calories you burn 2012 - Calorie restriction (479) - Calories you can eat 1500
I am female - I thought the recommended cal intake for women was 1500 per day ( excuse my ignorance am new to this:) )

Now it sounds like you're on the right track.

The 1500 will CHANGE however. When you add in sleep it will go down somewhat for the day. And this is exactly what you want. 1500 sounds like a bit much, but with sleep factored in, you'll be fine!

And don't forget, even though FD tells you that your can now eat "1500" calories a day, there's nothing stopping you from eating LESS (by 50-100 calories--but don't go too far into a deficit). That's what I did many days when I wanted to lose. I would usually eat the Calorie Balance (or less) that FD told me was good to lose weight (with sleep factored in), and I exercised regularly to burn even more calories. That's why my weight melted off and I always stayed below my goal weight the entire time.

And hunger or lack of energy was never a problem. If it was, I'd just keep eating clean but would up my calories for a few days. Point: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

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