Eating at BMR?

[designinme]

I have a question about calories. I know counting calories isn't needed on atkins, but it is something I would like to control/monitor. With my current weight and height, my BMR is 2400 calories, but that is based on my current size, and not my goal weight. My goal weight BMR is 1900 calories. So my question is, what BMR should I be aiming to eat at? My current over weight BMR, or my Goal weight BMR?

Right now I am struggling to even get close to EITHER BMR because I don't have much of an appetite.

THanks for the advice.

[*Emma*]

Re: Eating at BMR?

You eat to your current BMR, so as you lose weight, this will change.

[Hoping]

Re: Eating at BMR?

How come it decreases as we lose weight?

[julirama723]

Re: Eating at BMR?

A bigger body needs more energy to sustain life functions--regulating body temperature, keeping organs functioning, digesting foods, etc. When you lose weight, your body doesn't need as much energy to maintain itself, so your BMR drops.

[Hoping]

Re: Eating at BMR?

Thanks

[bivium6]

Re: Eating at BMR?

I see now why Dr. A said to eat till your full, all these calculators are confusing. I thought BMR was to maintain current weight.

[kate58]

Re: Eating at BMR?

No, you would eat your daily calorie requirement to maintain weight. BMR measures the energy that is required for your body to tick over - for the functioning of vital organs, to breath, pump blood, think, digest food etc. It does not include the energy that is required for you to walk about, lift things and generally live your life. Nor does it include the energy used in exercising.

Basal metabolic functions usually makes up the largest portion of your total caloric expenditure, unless you are exercising at a very intense level. What proportion it is of your total calorie requirement to maintain weight is dependant on how much activiity you do. If your energy intake in calories is too far below your BMR, your body may hang on to weight - as though it fears a shortage of fuel for essential functioning and start to stockpile it.

[julirama723]

Re: Eating at BMR?

BMR is the energy used sustaining life functions--it's basically how many calories you burn at rest, if you were to sleep in bed all day.

Daily caloric needs take activity level and BMR into consideration. Since very few of us are lucky enough to lounge around all day, our activity level also helps us burn calories. Activity level is a combination of day-to-day chores and activities, as well as exercise.

My BMR is roughly 1600 calories. My daily caloric need is roughly 2800 calories. To MAINTAIN my weight, I would need to eat 2800 calories each day. To lose weight, I would need to eat 500-1000 calories less than that each day.

[bivium6]

Re: Eating at BMR?

Shiny, I get it now! Thank you very much.

[MrsBrittney]

Re: Eating at BMR?

Actually, if you were going off calculations, you want to aim to eat somewhere between your current BMR and your goal one. If you ate strictly at your BMR, the only excess calories you burn would be those from daily activities such as exercise and walking, etc. So aiming between will help not only lose weight but also acclimate you to eating for a forever lifestyle.

And like the above poster stated, your BMR is the number of calories your body burns to run each day, before added extras such as exercise etc. It reduces as you reduce yourself because tinier bodies require less calories to run =) It explains why a 100 lb person might gain weight eating 2000 calories a day while a 200 lb person would lose.

[Chicklady]

Re: Eating at BMR?

Which makes you hope that your appetite really does decrease as you lose weight.....