myawethinTICself's Journal, 08 December 2013

That's great, TRM!!! And that is exactly how to measure success. Challenge yourself to do your best... and really push it. But even when the results aren't what you'd hoped for, recognize what you did accomplish and celebrate it. :D You've soooo got this! Keep smiling! 

Thanks Rob,you're a great motivator for me. I havent figured out how to dwnld pix for b4 & after shots or how to set up a graph as you did but I did get one drawn up for me & my husband & posted it on our fridge! Im also gonna check out your buddy for info on calculating burn rates....is it the same as RDI? 

Hi, TRM. Yes, burn-rate and RDI are kind of the same thing. The thing is there's a bunch of different burn rates, depending on what you need to know. There's RMR (your resting metabolic rate), how many calories you burn if you're just laying around all day. Sometimes you'll hear the RMR also called a BMR (Basal metabolic rate), it's pretty much the same thing. There's a pretty basic formula for calculating that. A person of xxx pounds needs to burn a certain number of calories to simply exist. While there is some variation there, there isn't all that much. From those, you calculate a rough idea of the number of calories you actually use every day. That's a tougher number to come up with, because it depends on what you do with that body of yours on an average day. And different people really do things differently (even walking inefficiently can use more calories for one person; while another person of the exact same weight with a smooth stride may burn less). There are a lot of good calculators out there. FatSecret has one, but I don't like it, and most people I know on here say it runs high. I tend to agree. Draglist has one he swears by. I can't remember which one I used when I first did it. Meanwhile, that final number you come up with is **supposed to be** (if you've somehow done it perfectly) the exact number of calories you need to perfectly maintain your weight as it is right now in perpetuity. From that you subtract 500 calories a day per pound you want to lose a week. If you want to lose 2 lbs a week, subtract 1000 calories a day from that number (they call that your calorie deficit). That last number is your RDI. I just read an article that the closer you get to your goal, the lower that deficit really needs to be. That studies have shown that a deficit too high close to goal actually reduces muscle weight (lean weight) rather than fat. 

Oh, and to post a picture... open an account with photobucket. Upload your photos / scans / whatever there. Once you upload a picture there, view it. Off to the right, you'll see a series of different options to share the picture. One of them says something like "Image" or something. When you click on it, it copies the code for the image location to your notepad. You can go back to FS and post a journal entry... just paste the code right into your message. BTW, it will not work on journal comments, only journal entries. 

Glad you are getting there!!! That acceptance is a milestone!! Rob is a great buddy and really has some great information. I use this site: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php It gives you information on your BMI, and your other numbers like your RMR and BMR. lots of great information there. Keep up that great work TRM!! Love the acronym...TRM=Trim!!!  

What a great attitude and knowing that you know what your goal is and getting there is the most important not necessarily in a certain time. I have that same feeling. I joined the 30 lbs by New Years challenge and well truth is I maybe won't lose the 30 but I believe I'll come close and that is going to have to be good enough. Have a great day! 

Thanks Rob,your my "go-to" guy it seems,hope you don't mind.You answer asap & I really appreciate the effort you put out in helping me with my fitness goals. Did you see Pumakitten's comment about TRM? YOU did that! I never even thought of it until her comment LOL. 

Hey Kitten,thanks for pointing out the acronym.....didnt even dawn on me til you said it. I owe that to Rob Weiss,he's the first to break it down like that! 

Thanks Bea, thats one of the things it takes to be successful.You got it! I saw it on your profile page ;> 

LOL! Too funny! And TRiM is perfect for you! :D And always, anything you need, just let me know. Everyone on here is so good about answering questions, if they know the answer. It's such a great community for weight-loss. I've never found anything else like it, not in "real life" or anywhere else online.