BMR!!! Eating To your BMR... No Matter What!

[Madam De Leon]

Whew, finally finished reading this thread!

Originally Posted by LynnScarlet

I am confused.

I tracked my maintenance calories for a while and found they are between 2400 -2500. Using this equation though my BMR is 1520. I weight train and using formulas to calculate for weght loss from one of my bodybuilding book's at a modest calorie reduction my calorie goal is 2100.

However using that formula my weight loss cals should be 1850!!! My tummy hurts when I go below 2000 so I don't see how I could cut that much! Am I missing something?????

The BMR is the absolute minimum you should be eating, the amount you should not drop below for weight loss. This is the number of calories your body needs just to maintain basic function - breathing, heart rate, etc, the number of calories you'd use if you slept 24-7.

If you used the BMR calculator on this site, you'll also see a link to the Harris Benedict Equation.

The Harris Benedict amount tells you how much you need to maintain your current weight based on your activity level. That's the number you subtract 300-500 calories from to give you a good weight loss calorie target - just don't go below the BMR with it.

It's much easier for people who are more active to lose weight using this guideline, because they have soo many more calories to "play with". Those who are sedentary have a much more difficult time, because that sedentary multiplier on the Harris Benedict Equation doesn't give them much "wiggle room" at all.

Those who have damaged their metabolisms by going too low in calories for a while may gain a little bit back by finally eating to BMR again. It requires patience, but the scale should start moving downwards again, once the body decides that you're not in imminent danger of a famine again.

[Ilpirata]

Thank you Madame,
Beautiful explaination!

[Ilpirata]

Just letting everyone know I'm headed out of town for the weekend and prolly won't be back online until Sunday evening.
Have great weekends ya'll!

[MeekNHumble]

This is going to be GREAT for my metabolism, which I screwed up from water fasting, etc.

My BMR is 1644. I work out 5 times per week, so I'm shooting for 1600-2000 cals per day; upping my fat + veggies. I have 53lbs to lose (all over again ).

Meek

[hummingbird11]

Originally Posted by Ilpirata

Thank you Madame,
Beautiful explaination!

WHAT SHE SAID !!!!!!!!!!

[hummingbird11]

Aloha Butterflies!!

Today is the end of our 12-day Induction Challenge!! How did everyone do??

OK, I cheated and weighed yesterday. Glad I did because yesterday I weighed 163. Today I weigh 166. Even tho my LCF stats say 163 ~ I started this Challenge at 166 ~ & apparently I’m still bouncing between the two. So I did NOT meet my Challenge Goal of 155. So I need to make some tweaks to my plan. Will do so by Monday. BUT I did notice on the scale that my Body Fat has gone from 30% to 25% so I must be doing something right ?? So that perfectly illustrates WHY we cannot always go by just our WEIGHT as our body comp is also CHANGING !! In a way, this is poetic justice because if you read back to Post #1 of this Thread, this was my point re: the scale.

1 – Please report your own progress/feedback on the Induction Challenge thread.

2 – After that, please switch to using this thread over the weekend:
~ Team 11 ~ Please Check-In 4 Upcoming MYResolution Challenge (Jun 2 to Dec 31) ~

3 – On Sunday evening ~ I'll create 3 new threads for us all to begin using on Monday, June 2:

[COLOR="Red"]a) Team 11 ~ Butterfly Stats ~ (for our stats/macros ONLY ~ there will be a simple "format" to follow)

b) Team 11 ~ Butterfly Chats ~ (for us to chit-chat & get to know each other & share health info/tips)

c) Team 11 ~ Butterfly Eats ~ (for us to post our daily/weekly menus & share recipes/food ideas)[/COLOR]


Team 11 ~ Boot Camp Butterflies:
(AM I MISSING ANYONE ??)

08 to lose/ 0 lost/ 08 pounds to go! CrazyMoMof3
12 to lose/ 0 lost/ 12 pounds to go! Diorskin
18 to lose/ 0 lost/ 18 pounds to go! Hummingbird11 * Team Captain
18 to lose/ 0 lost/ 18 pounds to go! Feather319
19 to lose/ 0 lost/ 19 pounds to go! NeenaE
30 to lose/ 0 lost/ 30 pounds to go! Alberta
35 to lose/ 0 lost/ 35 pounds to go! GutBGone
40 to lose/ 0 lost/ 40 pounds to go! Meekness29 * Assistant Team Captain
44 to lose/ 0 lost/ 44 pounds to go! MauiTammy
45 to lose/ 0 lost/ 45 pounds to go! StalledCatnTN
50 to lose/ 0 lost/ 50 pounds to go! xBeyondtheBeautyx
50 to lose/ 0 lost/ 50 pounds to go! BuddysGirl50 * Assistant Team Captain
50 to lose/ 0 lost/ 50 pounds to go! BrownSugar
50 to lose/ 0 lost/ 50 pounds to go! Cataholic

PS ~ TODAY IS MY 45TH B’DAY!! TOMORROW IS MY B’DAY PARTY!!

Needless to say, I will be offline most of the weekend, sorry.

Dana & Andy (DC) arrive today at 5pm (left their 2 kids w/ grandma)
Quepha & Robert (TX) + 16 year old daughter (JD) arrive tomorrow AM.
I've known these two women since 2nd grade!!!!!!!!!!!

+ my good friend of 18 years Eileen + 16 year old niece, Jacqueline
+ David & Esther, more good friends of 15+ years
+ Carlee & Dustin (downstairs tenant & BF)

Everyone leaves on Sunday afternoon so I will e-talk to ya'll then!!

XO,
HB

[Zer]

Originally Posted by Ilpirata

Just letting everyone know I'm headed out of town for the weekend and prolly won't be back online until Sunday evening. Have great weekends ya'll!

I see butterflies everywhere. Purty. Awfully purty. Love flutterbys. As a caterpillar, I dream of turning into a flutterby my own self... someday... *flutter flutter*

Meanwhile, I'm working on eating up to my BMR:2423cals.

[hummingbird11]

Originally Posted by Zer

I see butterflies everywhere. Purty. Awfully purty. Love flutterbys. As a caterpillar, I dream of turning into a flutterby my own self...someday...*flutter flutter*

Yes! You've been Butterfly Jacked!!!!!!! you are a CRACK-UP Zer!!!!!

I U

XO
HB

[MeekNHumble]

Those who have damaged their metabolisms by going too low in calories for a while may gain a little bit back by finally eating to BMR again. It requires patience, but the scale should start moving downwards again, once the body decides that you're not in imminent danger of a famine again.

This is me. I'm being patient thou. I'm eating around 1700-2000 cals. How long do you think it will take me to start losing again I didn't eat to low in cals during my "fake starving to lose" phase. Maybe a couple of days, then I realized starvation wasn't for me

[Sybilizedliving]

Yesterday's numbers. Keeping my fingers crossed for a Monday morning whoosh!

Total: 2060
Fat: 138 1243 62%
Sat: 44 393 19%
Poly: 11 95 5%
Mono: 36 327 16%
Carbs: 36 117 6%
Fiber: 7 0 0%
Protein: 165 658 33%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

[MeekNHumble]

Sybil, your ratios looks HOT!

[Zer]

Why do hummingbirds hum? Forgot the words??? Could be!

Originally Posted by hummingbird11

... yesterday I weighed 163. Today I weigh 166. Even tho my LCF stats say 163 ~ I started this Challenge at 166 ~ & apparently I’m still bouncing between the two....

...TODAY IS MY 45TH B’DAY!!
TOMORROW IS MY B’DAY PARTY!

Isn't that body bounce a frustrating thing? I get a glimpse of a lower weight and then I bounce back up again as my body adjusts to compensate/balance itself. For me, at 400#, my body adjusts by 1% or so - and I'm up or down 4# at a whack. It's just a body's way of managing survival, defending itself against the rigors of life's exigencies. Ain't the human body a remarkable survival mechanism? I'll say!!!

Let's hear a rousing HUZZAH for the resilience and tenacity of the human body!

[lisabinil]

Originally Posted by Meekness29

This is going to be GREAT for my metabolism, which I screwed up from water fasting, etc.

My BMR is 1644. I work out 5 times per week, so I'm shooting for 1600-2000 cals per day; upping my fat + veggies. I have 53lbs to lose (all over again ).

Meek

Meek you have to finish the equation-your BMR is just what you need to breathe and stay alive. For your workout level 1644 X 1.55 = 2548 calories you need to aim for minus 300-500 for your deficit.

[Zer]

Hot slosh at 11:30am today, with plans to finish off salmon and cottage cheese and HB eggs prepared yesterday as a midday lunch, probably with some lettuce/vegie crudités. Today and tomorrow are the last two days to coax a WHOOSH out of my body in May. Let's see what magic results eating up to my BMR can produce for me, today and tomorrow. So far, this is my progress toward eating to my BMR:2423cals:

Calories Eaten Today
.........grams . cals ........%total
Total: 799cals
Fat: 61 546 ..............69%
Sat: 51 455 57%
Poly: 1 9 1%
Mono: 3 29 4%
Carbs: 26 77 ...................10%
Fiber: 7 0 0%
Protein: 43 170 ...........21%
- - - - -
Today's Foods
Food Name (Serving Size) . Cals . Fat . Carb . Prot
ALG's vanilla WPP (30g/scoop x 2) 238 3 13 40
Espresso (1 Tbs crystals) 21 0 4 0
Cacao, raw (1Tbs) 60 1 9 3
Oil, coconut (4Tbs) 480 56 0 0
Totals 799 61 26 ......43gProtein
Target BMR:2423cals / 182gProtein / 128ozWater

Hot Slosh of WPP delivers 43gProtein and accomplishes 1/3 of my BMR calories for an inactive 400# LC'er.

[Coconutty]

Originally Posted by Meekness29

This is me. I'm being patient thou. I'm eating around 1700-2000 cals. How long do you think it will take me to start losing again I didn't eat to low in cals during my "fake starving to lose" phase. Maybe a couple of days, then I realized starvation wasn't for me

I realized the same thing too. I tried the fat fast once and could only make it 2 days, cuz I was starving. I realized I. can't. stand. being. hungry.

Originally Posted by Sybilizedliving

Yesterday's numbers. Keeping my fingers crossed for a Monday morning whoosh!

Originally Posted by Zer

Hot slosh at 11:30am today, with plans to finish off salmon and cottage cheese and HB eggs prepared yesterday as a midday lunch, probably with some lettuce/vegie crudités. Today and tomorrow are the last two days to coax a WHOOSH out of my body in May. Let's see what magic results eating up to my BMR can produce for me, today and tomorrow. So far, this is my progress toward eating to my BMR:2423cals: Hot Slosh of WPP delivers 43gProtein and accomplishes 1/3 of my BMR calories for an inactive 400# LC'er.

for wooshies for the both of you, and me too!

Originally Posted by hummingbird11

PS ~ TODAY IS MY 45TH B’DAY!! TOMORROW IS MY B’DAY PARTY!!

Yesterday's totals:

grams cals %total
Total: 2405
Fat: 184 1656 70%
Sat: 39 348 15%
Poly: 15 136 6%
Mono: 40 364 15%
Carbs: 31 92 4%
Fiber: 8 0 0%
Protein: 152 609 26%
Alcohol: 0

[Zer]

Just made it - BMR:2425calories - and here's how it adds up:

Calories Eaten Today
........grams . cals ..............%total
Total: 2546cals
Fat: 173 1553 .................63%
Sat: 73 661 27%
Poly: 17 153 6%
Mono: 15 136 6%
Carbs: 123 342 ...................14%
Fiber: 37 0 0%
Protein: 138 553 ...........23%
-----
Target BMR:2423cals / 182gProtein / 128ozWater

Saturday is weigh day. Sunday is June 1, the day when I can total up all of May's losses/gains/losses. Yes, May has been a bOunCy month, a down-up-and-down month, sad to say. Trend is still going in the right direction, but the daily bOunCes are disheartening, to say the least.

[Sybilizedliving]

Saturday's numbers:

Total: 1936 (Range 1750-2220)
Fat: 135 1213 63%
Sat: 40 360 19%
Poly: 18 161 8%
Mono: 49 437 23%
Carbs: 40 127 7%
Fiber: 8 0 0%
Protein: 145 578 30%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Well, I'm closing in on the end of two weeks! The changes I made this week were to up my exercise intensity and time (5 - 90 minute sessions), stop eating nuts and a slight adjustment to my macros so that I was in the 30-35% protein range. It will be interesting to see if there is any scale movement tomorrow when I weigh in.

Hope you had a great birthday Hummingbird!
Good luck Zer, on your monthly deets/totals!
Thanks, Meekness!
Coconutty, whooshes for everyone!

[2B Me]

Originally Posted by Ilpirata

Mistic, Holly, Muffles...
Hi you guys!
Glad you joined.
I really think if we all track well and give this a shot we'll have quite the little informal study going on BMR. We may get some concrete answers as to wether this really works or not. Especially if we all stick to it for awhile.

How's this going for everyone?

[Sybilizedliving]

Tomorrow will be my 2-week point on this challenge. Will weigh and measure in the morning. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Here's Sunday's tally:

Total: 1944 (1750-2100 goal)

Fat: 135 1213 64%
Sat: 51 456 24%
Poly: 14 125 7%
Mono: 50 452 24%
Carbs: 35 110 6%
Fiber: 8 0 0%
Protein: 143 573 30%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

How is everyone else doing?

[Zer]

[color=fuchsia]Feb -5#[/color] 432.4(2/8) ... [color=aqua]March -13# [/color] ... [color=purple]April -5.8#[/color] ... [color=blue]May -6#[/color] ... [color=red]June:[/color] 402.8(6/1)

I am re-reading The Book. Have DANDR handy bedside. Can always find a "new" bit of info to highlight and incorporate into my growing LC body of wisdom, as I labor to eat up to my BMR:2423cals - no matter what! - even if it seems to give me occasional upward bOunCes that freak me out.

May shows a 6# loss, after a lot of ups-downs as I wooed my scale to give me a good report. Just data, as we all know, but one hopes... wishes....

This morning's weight is 402.8 - not the lowest weight recorded for May, but it will have to do as I mark 6# gone forever in May and start work on June's LC plan to get rid of all my 400# flab and start on my 300# flab.

June is MY MONTH!!! I'm committed in eating to my BMR:2423cals and to fueling my body with fish&eggs as I correct past damage to my metabolism.

[Coconutty]

Yesterday, I weighed in at 252.0, which was a 1.8 overnight whooshie, and a one week total of 2.6 lbs! I'm guessing eating to my BMR is finally working, because I lost less than 1 pound over the first 3 weeks of May!! I am cautiously optimistic for the future...well see.

Interesting note: I registered on the website, dailyplate, after entering my info and plugging in that I would like to lose 2lbs per week, it informed me to eat 2417 cal everyday. This seems to be a rather "mainstream" weight loss site. This is on the high end of my HB BMR minus 300 to 500 calories range to lose weight. Just another surprising source of info to let me know that I'm on the right track.

BTW, I discovered another calorie powerhouse, which incidentally I've left untouched in my freezer for at least 6 weeks. The other day I had a 1/3 pound Bubba Burger. It has 460cals and 37g fat in one lil ol' burger!!! I think it's a great thing to eat when you need to get those cals up in a tidy little package.

Zer, congrats on your 6lbs gone forever in May!! Now that you've successfully taken on the challenge to eat up to your BMR, maybe you're ready for another one. I'm talking about that scale, sweetie. I see the fluctuations get to you sometimes, as it does to me. But the fact is our weights will fluctuate daily, even hourly, and it is not necessarily indicative of anything. So how about you limit your weigh-ins to once a week? As far as I'm concerned, the scale is evil, a necessary evil, but it does not have be a daily one. I went scale free for a while and I found it liberating. Although recently I've been monitoring more frequently because I was in a stall. But I know I need to put it away again for a while, because it was making me nutty. For instance, I weighed myself again this morning. Now, note this...my feet and ankles were very swollen when I went to bed last night and were still a bit swollen this morning. So why did I get on the scale??? I don't know, but I did and found that my whoosh was gone. I knew that I was retaining water, but seeing that number still made me feel bad. Anyway, I lay down for a bit, elevating my legs, and the swelling went down a bit. I went to the bathroom again, and out of curiosity I weighed myself was again and saw that the gain was gone. So why did I put myself though this drama with the scale this morning, when I knew better? I guess that I'm seeking external validation for what I am doing, but I need to trust my body and my diet to do its job. So, I am putting the scale away for the next week. How about joining me?

[Zer]

Originally Posted by Coconutty

Zer, congrats on your 6lbs gone forever in May!! Now that you've successfully taken on the challenge to eat up to your BMR, maybe you're ready for another one. I'm talking about that scale, sweetie. I see the fluctuations get to you sometimes, as it does to me. But the fact is our weights will fluctuate daily, even hourly, and it is not necessarily indicative of anything. So how about you limit your weigh-ins to once a week? As far as I'm concerned, the scale is evil, a necessary evil, but it does not have be a daily one. I went scale free for a while and I found it liberating....

I am putting the scale away for the next week. How about joining me?

I lived totally scale-free for decades. I decided to gift myself with a talking scale on my 64th b'day. My scale delivers data that I mark on my datebook and my food log as a reminder to help me stay on focus as I work my LC plan in the midst of folks who are doing low-fat foods and who are wading hip-deep in carby food that lies about, tempting me. It's available. It's loaded with sugar.

Being Aspie and inclined to lose focus - oh, look, a sparkly! oh, look, a rainbow from my suncatcher! - I need a lot of reminders to keep me from stuffing random carbs into my mouth. My scale is a tool that works for me, helps to keep me aware of my intent to weigh less, much less, in the near future. I know the numbers are just data, as the numbers in my brokerage account are just data - fluctuating wildly from day to day. It's the trend that matters. The fluctuating data is just a sign of life, as the up-down data delivered by a heart monitor is healthier than a straight line that indicates...a lack of life. So, my scale is a sign of my healthier life!

[Sybilizedliving]

I had to share here FIRST....before my blog or anything.....

Two weeks into eating no less than my BMR and actually eating MORE calories, AND twelve weeks into a plateau.....this morning I stepped on the scale and I have had a substantial LOSS! Bring out the marching band and pompom girls! I'm down 3 kilos/6.5 pounds. How bloody cool is that?

Not sure if it was giving up nuts, drinking more water, pumping up the exercise, eating no less than BMR, just my time to break the plateau or what but I am just going to stick with what worked this last week.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and support. It will be great to see where we all are in another month of doing this. Can't wait to hear of your successes this week.

[Zer]

Originally Posted by Sybilizedliving

I'm down 3 kilos/6.5 pounds.

Wow! It energizes me to hear that this BMR thingee really works!!!

[Cyard]

all!

Back from Disney, I brought back photos, lots of memories, a sore back, and 6lbs I even ate as close to plan as possible with one (planned) free meal. Boo.

[JerseyGirl1969]

Zer and Sybil, very happy for you guys.

Well, I have no idea. I have put the scale away for the entire month of June. I need to for my mental health. I am logging my food and calories, trying to get in 1900-2200/day (though one day it was 1700) and I've eliminated whey shakes for the time being and will let you know in a few weeks, how I've done. I was 269 and want to see 259-263 by July 1.

Huh. Just typing those numbers out, particularly the 259, I didn't realize that will soon be me...my weight. It's like I was typing about someone else. Guess my head still sees 320+.

[lene]

I should add to the list here -- in the five days I've been eating to my BMR, I'm down 2.5 pounds. I'm thrilled!

[slimdiva08]

Eating to your (2523) BMR is way harder than I expected it to be, its kinda tough but I am trying I will post my fit day stats after the day ends. Wish me Luck cause Imma need it

[Ilpirata]

Bring out the marching band and pompom girls! I'm down 3 kilos/6.5 pounds. How bloody cool is that?

O Holy Yay that is so bloody cool! I'm so glad this is working for YOU too.

I should add to the list here -- in the five days I've been eating to my BMR, I'm down 2.5 pounds. I'm thrilled!

So killer Lene!

[Ilpirata]

Wish me Luck cause Imma need it

I'll wish you luck - but I KNOW you can do this!