Quote:
Originally Posted by HarrisonR8
If someone wants to create a deficit should they use their RMR or Maintainence? Mine are completely different, when I calculate my RMR it's about 1550, but when I use different sites and figure out my maintainence it always gives me numbers like 2100+.
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By RMR do you mean Resting Metabolic Rate? I usually see BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) but I'm assuming that they are the same thing. If so, then the BMR, or RMR is the calories that your body burns just regulating your body, keeping the heart pumping, etc. Its the amount of energy you would expend even if you were in a coma.
Maintenance is usually calculated as some multiple of your BMR. Like BMR x 1.5 for moderately active people. But, of course everyone is different. And that number may not always be accurate.
I use my maintenance number (which is around 2600 for me) and calculate my deficit off of that number. So, if I want a 500 calorie deficit I'll east 2,100 cals per day. Then I'll have to monitor my results. If I'm sure that I'm eating 2100 cals. (weighing food, logging everything right down to the grams of splenda) and I'm losing more than one pound per week, then my maintenance is actually higher than the suggested 2,600. If I'm losing less than one pound, or nothing then perhaps my maintenance is actually lower.
If you want a more accurate way of finding out what your maintenance is then get Go Wear Fit or someother heart rate monitor to see what you're really expending.
Don't calculate your deficit of off your BRM (or RMR). That would have you eating at a massive deficit. While that might be ok for a day or two, it will cause serious problems if you try to maintain it! People are generally advised to never eat below thier BMR. I don't necessarily agree with that. You don't want to eat below your BMR for days on end, but its not harmful if you put one or two days of eating below your BMR, and have programmed refeeds.
***Wow, Miss Jane, how did I miss your post above me. Did it really take me 20 minutes to wirte this post?