BMR

Squall Leonhart

Tried a few online calculators to see my BMR as a starting point in working out a calorie deficit for weight loss.

They seem all over the place.

I weigh in at 117kg/258lb at present and really need to drop this as its affecting my whole life.

Various online BMR calculators have given me a figure of between 1800 and 2350.

I'd be inclined to believe its 2300+

I have ticked the "sedentary" option, and I'm 5'10".

I will be pairing a calorie deficit with gym work (guessing I should probably go for weights rather than cardio, keep my dog walks as cardio! Anybody got some 3 day a week weight programme they can share for a 40-45 min session?)

All help and encouragement welcomed.
I knew I was getting a bit heavy but weighing in at 18st 6lb this morning has hit me hard in the head. If I don't go something very soon, it'll probably hit me hard in the heart.

Mid 30s, male.

Alf Veedersane

2300 sounds about right. You'll know in time by results on the scales if you need to adjust anything.

Couple of really good threads in Nutrition & Diet sub-forum for support as well

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056824266/207

But sounds like you've hit the point where you feel like you absolutely have to change so you're likely to be in the right frame of mind. You absolutely can do it and a couple of posters (check entries by Penn in above thread, for example) have started where you are and got to where you want to be.

Will it be easy? No.
Can you make the changes and do it? Yes.

Just get started. Use MyFitnessPal for tracking caloric intake. Get a kitchen scales for weighing food. Use it accurately and honestly. If nothing else, MFP is an insight into what is in what you eat. Worry about what the perfect training is in time but start moving. Get the ball rolling and make changes as you need to.

Squall Leonhart

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Use MyFitnessPal for tracking caloric intake. Get a kitchen scales for weighing food. Use it accurately and honestly. If nothing else, MFP is an insight into what is in what you eat. Worry about what the perfect training is in time but start moving. Get the ball rolling and make changes as you need to.

Thanks Alf,

Had actually just got back from picking up a battery for the kitchen scales and have downloaded MFP. Its painful at the start, I've used it before, but it really does focus the mind and make you pay attention to what you're eating.

Regarding gym, you're probably right. Just move and sweat and do anything to get started, let it fall into place in time.

I might keep a log here somewhere, as a record, a way to stare it in the face.

Alf Veedersane

There are simple enough basic programs - Starting Strength, Ice Cream Fitness etc - for the gym.

MFP is a bit of a pain in the hole at the start but gets less so quickly enough.

Take front and side photos at your starting point. Retake those photos at every weight loss marker (every couple of kg, half stone...Whatever you measure in) and you'll appreciate the changes more.

Write down how you felt when you weighed yourself this morning. Bookmark it and any time you think about letting yourself fall off the wagon or throwing in the towel, read it and remind yourself of where you don't want to be again.

Don't look at the end goal on its own. Look at that 2kg/5lbs, then the next, then the next. Roo easy to get disheartened if you only goal is the end one. So have smaller, short term targets along the way.

Use the threads. The General Weight Loss Support Thread is really good for egging you on when there are good days and bad.

Don't let bad decisions spiral. If you have a bad day, don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Write it off and get back on course.

Mellor

If you got 1800 for BMR you probablt entered something in incorrectly.
All the calculators work off the same formulas, there aren't many.

The three many formulas put you at 2300, 2100 or 2100 BMR. I'd be inclined to believe the 2100 is right as Harris Benedict (2300) was based on people of normal weight. Where as the latter considers BF%.

Squall Leonhart

Thanks Mellor.

Just back from the gym. Morning works best for me.

2100, thanks.

Squall Leonhart

Probably getting ahead of myself, but wondering can somebody explain some things to me.

I understand that an increased muscle mass leads to an increase in metabolism. Higher muscle mass = more calories burned at rest.

I also have heard and read and it seems correct, that a body cannot build muscle mass if in a calorie deficit.

If a person in a calorie deficit, i.e., me, does weight training, is it simply increasing strength and perhaps expending calories with the exertion? I've dropped the calories and started some light weight training. It's been a while so light training for me still means DOMS

Alf's words are forefront of my mind. I am trying to appreciate my baby steps at the start rather than feeling the weight of the 5 stone ahead of me I could do with losing.

I had tried some running recently but my lungs burn, I feel suffocated very quickly, and my knees ache. My knees hurt quite a lot lately, I'm assuming it's my weight.. Another reason to drop it. For now, running is off the cards.

Alf Veedersane

Resistance training isn't just about caloric deficit. It also helps preserve muscle when you're in a deficit so you're mitigating the loss of muscle).

You don't have to run. Weathers nice so put on headphones and go for a walk if you want. Walk before you can run and all that.

Squall Leonhart

I walk daily with my dogs anyway so there's that at least.

Maintaining muscle mass while losing fat, obvious enough if I'd thought about it, thanks

Squall Leonhart

Down 6 lbs in 2 weeks.

Using my fitness pal, keeping to about 1700cal a day.

Was hard to begin, and is mostly getting easier with the odd day of real urges which I haven't given in to yet for the most part, and certainly not in binge fashion as I had previously.

Still a long road ahead but I've started it at least (how do you climb a mountain? One step at a time...)

Alf Veedersane

Well done on a good start. Keep up the good work.

Remember, you ultimately want to be eating what you'd want to eat longer term just adjusting quantities.

Squall Leonhart

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Well done on a good start. Keep up the good work.

Remember, you ultimately want to be eating what you'd want to eat longer term just adjusting quantities.

That's pretty much the approach I've taken. I'm eating "normal" foods, just less off it and more consciously, eg, less rice in a dinner than previously, smaller bowl of cereal, etc

Worztron

A handy tool: https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html