Getting in shape

[imported_Scourge]

I've decided I need to get in shape. I'm not fat or anything , and I'm not (quite) in terrible condition, but it could be a lot better than it is. As of now-6ft and 205lbs, with a pretty thick build, 19 years old. I should probably be sitting at around 185-190 if I was in really good condition, but I would like to lose at least 10 pounds in the next couple months.

My problem is that I'm a complete noob regarding working out, eating healthy, and all things good for you. Part of the reason I'm in fairly bad shape is because my feet over-pronate really bad(This was unknown to me for a long time.. I just thought running was a lot harder than it should of been). At any rate, I tried out some orthotics last week, and it was pretty amazing- literally night and day. So, I have some custom fit ones from the ol' foot doctor on order which should be here in a week or so.

I plan on starting to jog when I get home from school. From what I hear, every other day is a good idea... and that I should start out splitting running and walking for a couple miles, then move up from there.

I don't really have much of a gym in my town, so that isn't an option. I think I would rather stick to things I can do at home, body weight exercises. Push ups, sit ups, things like that.

My main goal as of now isn't to bulk up or anything, but just some basic stuff. I would like to do it as quickly as possible without hurting myself though, and since I really don't know where to start- I figured ATOT could help. Am I as naive as I think I am?

 

[RCN]

2 months? Plenty of time............ just have to be motivated.

I've seen hundreds of people get in shape in two months.

 

[MoPHo]

Get an ergometer and row. it'll condition your upper and lower body...then do weights to build muscle

 

[imported_Scourge]

Yeah, I think two months should be enough time to do it. I just don't want to waist my time- I'm looking to not get discouraged by realizing that my diet of mayo and pepsi wasn't very good for me after all, and my three five minute sets of throwing up in the bathroom were really not doing me as much good as five three minute sets. (Haha, that wasn't funny at all.)


Also I want to do things that don't cost money and that I can start right away. I'm just looking for advice on a workout routine, maybe a little on a diet. I'm not going hardcore with the diet, but I'm sure certain food types work better when I'm trying to do what I'm doing, if that makes sense.

 

[JohnCU]

remember this: each gram of fat has 9 calories, each gram of carbs has 4 calories, and each gram of protein has 4 calories.

try to limit your calories to a ratio of 60% carbs calories, 25% fat calories, and 15% protein calories each day.

also, let's use a simple calc to see how many calories you burn each day: your weight * 15 = 3075 calories per day just from bodily functions..

3500 calories = 1 pound. want to lose one pound per week? drop down 500 calories (to 2675) so that, after 7 days, you have burned 7days x 500 calories/day = 3500 calories. congratulations, 204. now you are at 204*15 = 3060 calories per day, so drop down to 2660 and continue. if you want to lose more than that, say 2 pounds per week, drop 1000 per day down to 2075 but, no more than that unless you lose the rest by exercising, as it could mess with your base metabolic rate and actually decrease the rate at which you burn calories. your body goes into saving mode since it's not getting enough calories...

anyway, exercising is also important. muscle burns more calories, so more muscle = higher metabolic rate. exercising increases rest metabolic rate anyway. try to do 30 minutes of aerobics (meaning with oxygen, heart rate of 160-175ish?) which burns fat more efficiently than say running until you can't breathe (that uses a different energy system, called ATP or something, can't remember).

so jump on an elliptical machine. and just because you weigh today and it says 205 and tomorrow it says 197 doesn't mean you lost 8 pounds, it means you lost some water. this BS about losing 10 pounds per week eating all the meat and cheese you want is crazy.

oh and don't forget to combine weight training with aerobics. like i said, more muscle = more calories burned each day... so maybe instead of burning 3000 calories a day, you burn 3100 calories per day.

also try to spread out meals so that you eat a little each time. it tells your body not to store up fat. although i don't always follow this, just because i seem to eat more when i do this.

OH and another thing: diet drinks. some studies have shown that they INCREASE your appetite and make you gain weight, since your brain thinks you are drinking something sweet and intaking sugar but you really aren't so it messes with your brain (not sure how this works, i just read it). so try to stick to water. i know its hard, but unsweet tea is not bad... sure, the diet drinks have no calories because your body can't absorb the fake sugar, but who knows how safe they are? i'm not paranoid, but there are no long term studies...

EDIT: PM me if you need more help. i have the houston texans nutrition and conditioning guide... yeah they suck but they have a damn good trainer. it's a great guide.

 

[imported_Scourge]

I wasn't buying into the crazy scheme of dropping weight fast. That can't be good for you, even if it did work. I think 1.5 pounds per week on average would work really well for me. As for the elliptical machine, is there a comparable exercise without the machine? My problem is that I live in podunk Wyoming, so I don't have many options in that regard.

 

[RCN]

Eat till satisfied 3 times a day. Stretch, walk, run, situps, good morning darlings and pullups. Everyday. Guaranteed in shape in two months. No weights or machines required.

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: Scourge
I wasn't buying into the crazy scheme of dropping weight fast. That can't be good for you, even if it did work. I think 1.5 pounds per week on average would work really well for me. As for the elliptical machine, is there a comparable exercise without the machine? My problem is that I live in podunk Wyoming, so I don't have many options in that regard.

jog at a pace where you can talk and jog at the same time. that's aerobics... this won't be a fast process. patience patience patience.

 

[imported_Scourge]

What the hell is a good morning darling? :0

 

[RCN]

Originally posted by: Scourge
What the hell is a good morning darling? :0

Lay down. Hold your feet 6-8 inches off of the deck and spread your legs. Rinse and repeat.


Oh and I forgot bicycles. You need to do those too......

 

[Playmaker]

Originally posted by: JohnCU
remember this: each gram of fat has 9 calories, each gram of carbs has 4 calories, and each gram of protein has 4 calories.

try to limit your calories to a ratio of 60% carbs calories, 25% fat calories, and 15% protein calories each day.

also, let's use a simple calc to see how many calories you burn each day: your weight * 15 = 3075 calories per day just from bodily functions..

3500 calories = 1 pound. want to lose one pound per week? drop down 500 calories (to 2675) so that, after 7 days, you have burned 7days x 500 calories/day = 3500 calories. congratulations, 204. now you are at 204*15 = 3060 calories per day, so drop down to 2660 and continue. if you want to lose more than that, say 2 pounds per week, drop 1000 per day down to 2075 but, no more than that unless you lose the rest by exercising, as it could mess with your base metabolic rate and actually decrease the rate at which you burn calories. your body goes into saving mode since it's not getting enough calories...

anyway, exercising is also important. muscle burns more calories, so more muscle = higher metabolic rate. exercising increases rest metabolic rate anyway. try to do 30 minutes of aerobics (meaning with oxygen, heart rate of 160-175ish?) which burns fat more efficiently than say running until you can't breathe (that uses a different energy system, called ATP or something, can't remember).

so jump on an elliptical machine. and just because you weigh today and it says 205 and tomorrow it says 197 doesn't mean you lost 8 pounds, it means you lost some water. this BS about losing 10 pounds per week eating all the meat and cheese you want is crazy.

oh and don't forget to combine weight training with aerobics. like i said, more muscle = more calories burned each day... so maybe instead of burning 3000 calories a day, you burn 3100 calories per day.

also try to spread out meals so that you eat a little each time. it tells your body not to store up fat. although i don't always follow this, just because i seem to eat more when i do this.

OH and another thing: diet drinks. some studies have shown that they INCREASE your appetite and make you gain weight, since your brain thinks you are drinking something sweet and intaking sugar but you really aren't so it messes with your brain (not sure how this works, i just read it). so try to stick to water. i know its hard, but unsweet tea is not bad... sure, the diet drinks have no calories because your body can't absorb the fake sugar, but who knows how safe they are? i'm not paranoid, but there are no long term studies...

EDIT: PM me if you need more help. i have the houston texans nutrition and conditioning guide... yeah they suck but they have a damn good trainer. it's a great guide.

15/60/25 pcf ratio seems crazy. I see 40/40/20 for gram percentages recommended most of the time (on fitness message boards) and occasionally 30/50/20 for the long-distance runner types, but you seem VERY low on protein and high on carbs.

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: Playmaker

Originally posted by: JohnCU
remember this: each gram of fat has 9 calories, each gram of carbs has 4 calories, and each gram of protein has 4 calories.

try to limit your calories to a ratio of 60% carbs calories, 25% fat calories, and 15% protein calories each day.

also, let's use a simple calc to see how many calories you burn each day: your weight * 15 = 3075 calories per day just from bodily functions..

3500 calories = 1 pound. want to lose one pound per week? drop down 500 calories (to 2675) so that, after 7 days, you have burned 7days x 500 calories/day = 3500 calories. congratulations, 204. now you are at 204*15 = 3060 calories per day, so drop down to 2660 and continue. if you want to lose more than that, say 2 pounds per week, drop 1000 per day down to 2075 but, no more than that unless you lose the rest by exercising, as it could mess with your base metabolic rate and actually decrease the rate at which you burn calories. your body goes into saving mode since it's not getting enough calories...

anyway, exercising is also important. muscle burns more calories, so more muscle = higher metabolic rate. exercising increases rest metabolic rate anyway. try to do 30 minutes of aerobics (meaning with oxygen, heart rate of 160-175ish?) which burns fat more efficiently than say running until you can't breathe (that uses a different energy system, called ATP or something, can't remember).

so jump on an elliptical machine. and just because you weigh today and it says 205 and tomorrow it says 197 doesn't mean you lost 8 pounds, it means you lost some water. this BS about losing 10 pounds per week eating all the meat and cheese you want is crazy.

oh and don't forget to combine weight training with aerobics. like i said, more muscle = more calories burned each day... so maybe instead of burning 3000 calories a day, you burn 3100 calories per day.

also try to spread out meals so that you eat a little each time. it tells your body not to store up fat. although i don't always follow this, just because i seem to eat more when i do this.

OH and another thing: diet drinks. some studies have shown that they INCREASE your appetite and make you gain weight, since your brain thinks you are drinking something sweet and intaking sugar but you really aren't so it messes with your brain (not sure how this works, i just read it). so try to stick to water. i know its hard, but unsweet tea is not bad... sure, the diet drinks have no calories because your body can't absorb the fake sugar, but who knows how safe they are? i'm not paranoid, but there are no long term studies...

EDIT: PM me if you need more help. i have the houston texans nutrition and conditioning guide... yeah they suck but they have a damn good trainer. it's a great guide.

15/60/25 pcf ratio seems crazy. I see 40/40/20 for gram percentages recommended most of the time (on fitness message boards) and occasionally 30/50/20 for the long-distance runner types, but you seem VERY low on protein and high on carbs.

carbs are pure energy and from what i've read, most people use more protein than is needed. you see all these protein powders and protein shakes, but protein from natural sources, like a tuna sandwich, is much more beneficial and too much protein intake can be dangerous...

EDIT: plus, protein is a poor source of energy. essential, of course. but there is way too much emphasis on protein today.

Based on evidence for risk of heart disease and obesity, the Institute of Medicine recommends that American and Canadian adults get between 40-65% of dietary energy from carbohydrates.[1] The Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization jointly recommend that national dietary guidelines set a goal of 55-75% of total energy from carbohydrates.

Wikipedia - reference: Joint WHO/FAO expert consultation (2003). Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (PDF). Geneva: World Health Organization. Pages 55-56. ISBN 92-4-120916-X

 

[RCN]

OP.....just excercise an 30-60 more minutes a day than you do now. Eat till you are satisfied. You already know the foods you should stay away from. You don't need weights or machines either. Don't worry about the fvcking science right now. When you are closer to your goal or stop progressing then you can start tweaking sh!t.

 

[AbAbber2k]

lol at JohnCU... at least he means well.

The accepted formula for determining BMR (basal metabolic rate) is (bodyweight in kg)x(24), as the accepted average metabolic rate of adults is about 1 kilocal per kg of bodyweight per hour. So 205/2.2 x 24 = ~2100 calories a day. Don't know where you're getting lb x 15... but the ACSM certainly doesn't use that.

Also, I'd recommend a diet more along the lines of 30% fat, 35% protein and 35% carbs. Why? Because fats and proteins are more satiating (fats most of all) than carbs. In other words, two people could eat 500calories, one in fat, one in carbs, and the person that ate the fat cals is going to feel more full. PLUS, it's pretty much been proven that people on weightloss programs that also follow a high protein diet experience reduced loss of muscle tissue compared to those on low protein diets.

If you REALLY want to get serious about this, figure out how much you eat a day. In order to lose 10lbs in 2 months you're going to need a daily calorie deficit of about 580 calories. Here's what I would recommend. Shoot for a diet of about 1900 calories a day (remember what I said about protein too) and try to burn at least 400 calories a day (2800cal a week) through exercise for a total daily deficit of about 600cal/d. Aerobics will be more efficient than resistance training in straight calorie loss, but as has already been said, resistance training has it's own benefits. A good medium would be circuit training.

Here's a list of activities that should burn about 500-600cal.
Running/Jogging for 45min (12min mile pace/5mpg) = 560cal
Biking, Stationary, etc for 1hr and 10min (similar pace) = 550cal
Circuit Training for 45min = 560cal

Note that the above levels are based on accepted ACSM MET calculations and are subject to variation as no formula can predict for all populations 100% of the time.

Cliffs:
Drop daily caloric intake to 1900.
Make sure you're burning 400+ calories per day.
-If you can't exercise everyday, at least make sure you burn a total of 2800 a week.

Best of luck.

Edit: Scroll down through this page for a good example of the Good Morning exercise (in this case Stiff Legged Good Mornings).

 

[imported_Scourge]

Sounds good, and thanks for the advice. I suppose... I don't really need to change what I eat, I just need to exercise more.

One question though- I've heard eating before you go to sleep (Within a couple hours) is a really bad idea. Is that true?

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
lol at JohnCU... at least he means well.

The accepted formula for determining BMR (basal metabolic rate) is (bodyweight in kg)x(24), as the accepted average metabolic rate of adults is about 1 kilocal per kg of bodyweight per hour. So 205/2.2 x 24 = ~2100 calories a day. Don't know where you're getting lb x 15... but the ACSM certainly doesn't use that.

Also, I'd recommend a diet more along the lines of 30% fat, 35% protein and 35% carbs. Why? Because fats and proteins are more satiating (fats most of all) than carbs. In other words, two people could eat 500calories, one in fat, one in carbs, and the person that ate the fat cals is going to feel more full. PLUS, it's pretty much been proven that people on weightloss programs that also follow a high protein diet experience reduced loss of muscle tissue compared to those on low protein diets.

If you REALLY want to get serious about this, figure out how much you eat a day. In order to lose 10lbs in 2 months you're going to need a daily calorie deficit of about 580 calories. Here's what I would recommend. Shoot for a diet of about 1900 calories a day (remember what I said about protein too) and try to burn at least 400 calories a day (2800cal a week) through exercise for a total daily deficit of about 600cal/d. Aerobics will be more efficient than resistance training in straight calorie loss, but as has already been said, resistance training has it's own benefits. A good medium would be circuit training.

Here's a list of activities that should burn about 500-600cal.
Running/Jogging for 45min (12min mile pace/5mpg) = 560cal
Biking, Stationary, etc for 1hr and 10min (similar pace) = 550cal
Circuit Training for 45min = 560cal

Note that the above levels are based on accepted ACSM MET calculations and are subject to variation as no formula can predict for all populations 100% of the time.

Cliffs:
Drop daily caloric intake to 1900.
Make sure you're burning 400+ calories per day.
-If you can't exercise everyday, at least make sure you burn a total of 2800 a week.

Best of luck.

Edit: Scroll down through this page for a good example of the Good Morning exercise (in this case Stiff Legged Good Mornings).

hmmm, i reconsider my calculation of calories burned per day, but it is true that his metabolic rate will increase with exercise.

i still stand by my 15/60/25 ratio, and i have links to back that up. where are yours? just because he may feel more full, doesn't mean anything nutritionally. it's about will power, not about how full you feel. you should eat low-energy-density foods to feel full, aka vegetables and fruit, not an oreo that has 50 calories per piece.

 

[S Freud]

Two places for you to check out that should help you out A LOT

Fitday-you have to set up an account, but it will help

Wannabebig-check out the forums here, full of useful info


Fitday is a place that you can track of all the calories you intake so you know what your eating, how much fat/protein/carbs your getting each day. It really helps if you are trying to get into shape, diet is a big part that people often leave out.

wannabebig is a place where you can find lifting routines, recipes, diet info and any other advice that you are looking for to start a healthy lifestyle. I currently use both sites myself and it has helped me a lot.

Anything else feel free to PM me
Good Luck

 

[NanoStuff]

By 'in shape' are you simply referring to bulking up, or improving your cardiovascular and nutritional system? If your goal is not to bulk up as you say, the best exercises would be those of endurance, such as running/biking/swimming and so on rather than weight training.

Also, as some here mentioned, eating for the hell of it paying attention solely to caloric intake is a guaranteed shortcut to your grave. If the idea behind this is to improve your health, you'd have to be well aware of what you eat and what this food contains. It's more complicated than I can get into, but I'm sure you've heard the story before; grains, fish, fruits, vegetables with minimal amounts of red meat/dairy and processed foods.

If however you're more interested in muscle over health, it's not particularly important what you eat as long as there's a good deal of fat and protein in there. Ofcourse you can have both the muscle and health benefits, but that requires effort

If the former is of primary concern, hanging out at body building sites is rather idiotic IMO.

 

[JohnCU]

well, from more research, the 15*weight in pounds is not basal metabolic rate, it's resting rate + daily activites. the calculation assumes you are not sitting on your ass watching tv each day, i believe it to be a little more realistic.

all of these are estimates though so...YMMV.

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: NanoStuff
By 'in shape' are you simply referring to bulking up, or improving your cardiovascular and nutritional system? If your goal is not to bulk up as you say, the best exercises would be those of endurance, such as running/biking/swimming and so on rather than weight training.

Also, as some here mentioned, eating for the hell of it paying attention solely to caloric intake is a guaranteed shortcut to your grave. If the idea behind this is to improve your health, you'd have to be well aware of what you eat and what this food contains. It's more complicated than I can get into, but I'm sure you've heard the story before; grains, fish, fruits, vegetables with minimal amounts of red meat/dairy and processed foods.

If however you're more interested in muscle over health, it's not particularly important what you eat as long as there's a good deal of fat and protein in there. Ofcourse you can have both the muscle and health benefits, but that requires effort

If the former is of primary concern, hanging out at body building sites is rather idiotic IMO.

i agree, i assumed the OP was looking for a nutritional way to lose weight and not bulk up. count calories yes, but making sure your calories are nutritional. eat fat and protein all day and see what happens...

anyways, low-energy-density foods are the key. they fill you up, without filling you up with empty calories. like an apple, that's about... 60-80 calories depending on size. a cookie could be 50 or so calories per cookie... which is more filling? an apple or a couple of cookies?

APPPLE --> 80 calories
ORANGE --> 69 calories
HONEYDEW --> 461 in a whole one
CANTALOUPE --> 188 medium whole one

those are some of my favorite fruits and i've collected data on them. could you imagine eating a whole cantaloupe? that's only 188 calories (roughly, those are estimates collected from various food websites).

 

[Playmaker]

Originally posted by: JohnCU

Originally posted by: Playmaker

Originally posted by: JohnCU
remember this: each gram of fat has 9 calories, each gram of carbs has 4 calories, and each gram of protein has 4 calories.

try to limit your calories to a ratio of 60% carbs calories, 25% fat calories, and 15% protein calories each day.

also, let's use a simple calc to see how many calories you burn each day: your weight * 15 = 3075 calories per day just from bodily functions..

3500 calories = 1 pound. want to lose one pound per week? drop down 500 calories (to 2675) so that, after 7 days, you have burned 7days x 500 calories/day = 3500 calories. congratulations, 204. now you are at 204*15 = 3060 calories per day, so drop down to 2660 and continue. if you want to lose more than that, say 2 pounds per week, drop 1000 per day down to 2075 but, no more than that unless you lose the rest by exercising, as it could mess with your base metabolic rate and actually decrease the rate at which you burn calories. your body goes into saving mode since it's not getting enough calories...

anyway, exercising is also important. muscle burns more calories, so more muscle = higher metabolic rate. exercising increases rest metabolic rate anyway. try to do 30 minutes of aerobics (meaning with oxygen, heart rate of 160-175ish?) which burns fat more efficiently than say running until you can't breathe (that uses a different energy system, called ATP or something, can't remember).

so jump on an elliptical machine. and just because you weigh today and it says 205 and tomorrow it says 197 doesn't mean you lost 8 pounds, it means you lost some water. this BS about losing 10 pounds per week eating all the meat and cheese you want is crazy.

oh and don't forget to combine weight training with aerobics. like i said, more muscle = more calories burned each day... so maybe instead of burning 3000 calories a day, you burn 3100 calories per day.

also try to spread out meals so that you eat a little each time. it tells your body not to store up fat. although i don't always follow this, just because i seem to eat more when i do this.

OH and another thing: diet drinks. some studies have shown that they INCREASE your appetite and make you gain weight, since your brain thinks you are drinking something sweet and intaking sugar but you really aren't so it messes with your brain (not sure how this works, i just read it). so try to stick to water. i know its hard, but unsweet tea is not bad... sure, the diet drinks have no calories because your body can't absorb the fake sugar, but who knows how safe they are? i'm not paranoid, but there are no long term studies...

EDIT: PM me if you need more help. i have the houston texans nutrition and conditioning guide... yeah they suck but they have a damn good trainer. it's a great guide.

15/60/25 pcf ratio seems crazy. I see 40/40/20 for gram percentages recommended most of the time (on fitness message boards) and occasionally 30/50/20 for the long-distance runner types, but you seem VERY low on protein and high on carbs.

carbs are pure energy and from what i've read, most people use more protein than is needed. you see all these protein powders and protein shakes, but protein from natural sources, like a tuna sandwich, is much more beneficial and too much protein intake can be dangerous...

EDIT: plus, protein is a poor source of energy. essential, of course. but there is way too much emphasis on protein today.

Based on evidence for risk of heart disease and obesity, the Institute of Medicine recommends that American and Canadian adults get between 40-65% of dietary energy from carbohydrates.[1] The Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization jointly recommend that national dietary guidelines set a goal of 55-75% of total energy from carbohydrates.

Wikipedia - reference: Joint WHO/FAO expert consultation (2003). Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (PDF). Geneva: World Health Organization. Pages 55-56. ISBN 92-4-120916-X

Provide a link, I'd like to read about their methodology. It sounds about as useful as their food pyramid.

To the OP, and others interested in improving their diet, check out the link.

Text

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: JohnCU
well, from more research, the 15*weight in pounds is not basal metabolic rate, it's resting rate + daily activites. the calculation assumes you are not sitting on your ass watching tv each day, i believe it to be a little more realistic.

all of these are estimates though so...YMMV.

I am a little confused by this. Are you saying your body weight * 15 is how many calories you burn everyday just by moving around and doing normal stuff? Or am I just reading this wrong?

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: Playmaker

Provide a link, I'd like to read about their methodology. It sounds about as useful as their food pyramid.

To the OP, and others interested in improving their diet, check out the link.

Text

i provided the reference, look it up for yourself.

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: Mike

Originally posted by: JohnCU
well, from more research, the 15*weight in pounds is not basal metabolic rate, it's resting rate + daily activites. the calculation assumes you are not sitting on your ass watching tv each day, i believe it to be a little more realistic.

all of these are estimates though so...YMMV.

I am a little confused by this. Are you saying your body weight * 15 is how many calories you burn everyday just by moving around and doing normal stuff? Or am I just reading this wrong?

from what i can find BMR, basal metabolic rate, is like, what you burn while you are resting, laying down, no stimulation to the CNS and no digestive processes going on (which a formula was given for above by someone else). You also have to take into account the thermic effect of food (you use energy to digest food) and most people do not lay in bed 24 hours a day, there is some basic activity, like walking around a store, sex, etc. So I'm thinking 15*weight in pounds is the total metabolic rate. If I had to guess I'd say it's a little higher than an exact number, but it should be a fairly decent guideline.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: JohnCU

Originally posted by: Mike

Originally posted by: JohnCU
well, from more research, the 15*weight in pounds is not basal metabolic rate, it's resting rate + daily activites. the calculation assumes you are not sitting on your ass watching tv each day, i believe it to be a little more realistic.

all of these are estimates though so...YMMV.

I am a little confused by this. Are you saying your body weight * 15 is how many calories you burn everyday just by moving around and doing normal stuff? Or am I just reading this wrong?

from what i can find BMR, basal metabolic rate, is like, what you burn while you are resting, laying down, no stimulation to the CNS and no digestive processes going on (which a formula was given for above by someone else). You also have to take into account the thermic effect of food (you use energy to digest food) and most people do not lay in bed 24 hours a day, there is some basic activity, like walking around a store, sex, etc. So I'm thinking 15*weight in pounds is the total metabolic rate. If I had to guess I'd say it's a little higher than an exact number, but it should be a fairly decent guideline.

Interesting, I am losing about 4500-5000 calories a day by that calculation and my exercises I do. My caloric intake is est. at 2000 or less on some days. My weight loss isn't far off from those numbers considering my intake is a rough est. In the last 2 weeks I've lost 6 pounds, with the numbers est. me at an 8 lb loss.

EDIT: just used the weight/2.2 * 24 calculation which resulted in a 6.6 lb lost which seems to be on par with what I am seeing. I must say though, I do watch some TV and use the computer alot.