BMR

People think that to lose weight they should eat less. Wrong! Every week, I log in to mynetdiary.com and police my clients’ food logs. Since you must count calories to lose weight, I analyze them to make sure they are on track. By on track I mean that they are all eating their prescribed daily calories to ensure weight loss which is nothing but a mathematical equation of calories in vs. calories out.

Even though we teach clients how to shop, make healthy food choices, and eat to supercharge their metabolism, some of them perpetually under eat.

Why will they never lose weight by under eating? Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. Even at rest, the body needs energy to breathe, circulate blood and repair cells. The number of calories the body uses for these basic functions is known as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). We calculate BMR, physical activity level (PAL) level and thermogenesis (TEF) to determine someone’s base calorie level.

TEF

For example, my BMR is 1374, my calorie need for daily activity is 412, and my caloric need for digestion is 150 which means I need to eat 1936 calories per day. If I want to lose weight, say a half a pound per week, then I need to subtract 250 calories from 1936 and eat 1686. If I want to lose a whole pound per week, then I subtract 500 calories and eat 1436. If I ever eat below 1374, however, I’m starving myself and preventing my body from taking care of me.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ (Calculate your BMR here)

Is it now clear why clients consuming between 945-1100 calories per day is dangerous for their health? When people eat below their BMR, the body thinks it’s starving and will hold on to store every possible calorie as adipose tissue (fat) because it is not getting its basic needs.

Please post questions if this is not clear. Please never, EVER eat less than 1200 calories per day. Please don’t think that weight loss happens easily for some and others simply have a slow metabolism. There is no such thing as slow metabolism! Find a professional to compute your BMR, PAL, TEF so that you will lose weight based on science instead of fads and lack of information.