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Compare resting calorie data (M/30/6'3"/222)

A

acosmichippo

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 7, 2008
172
6
Hello everyone,

I was hoping so get some comparisons from other users with my age/height/weight, because my numbers seem super high. I'm male, 30 years old, 6'3", ~223 lbs, and it calculates my resting calories at 3141!!! I've been calorie counting for over a year, and have had good luck losing weight at 0.5-1 lbs per week if I stay under 1800 calories/day. So I'm pretty sure if I ate 3141 calories every day I'd gain a ton of weight. Even BMR calculators (which I think also overestimate for me) say my BMR is around 2050-2200. 3141 is just ridiculous.

I'm wondering if the calculation they do assumes your "weight" is lean body mass, when in actuality (for me and I imagine most other people) is a higher percentage of fat. As a rough estimate, I think I'm around 25-30% body fat.

Anyway, if anyone close to my stats could post their thoughts, I'd appreciate it!
 
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acosmichippo said:
Hello everyone,

I was hoping so get some comparisons from other users with my age/height/weight, because my numbers seem super high. I'm male, 30 years old, 6'3", ~223 lbs, and it calculates my resting calories at 3141!!! I've been calorie counting for over a year, and have had good luck losing weight at 0.5-1 lbs per week if I stay under 1800 calories/day. So I'm pretty sure if I ate 3141 calories every day I'd gain a ton of weight. Even BMR calculators (which I think also overestimate for me) say my BMR is around 2050-2200. 3141 is just ridiculous.

I'm wondering if the calculation they do assumes your "weight" is lean body mass, when in actuality (for me and I imagine most other people) is a higher percentage of fat. As a rough estimate, I think I'm around 25-30% body fat.

Anyway, if anyone close to my stats could post their thoughts, I'd appreciate it!
Click to expand...
1800 for a person your size is very very low...
did you just randomly go to 1800 or have you tried cutting on 23-2500?
 
I eat way more than my resting calories :D

Why would the apple combine resting and active calories? Wouldn't active calories be those you burned?
 
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51 yo Male 6'4/220 and 15% body fat using a caliper and 7 point measurements. It really depends on your activity level. If you are sedentary it tells me I am obese and need 2700 to maintain up to 4400 for very active. It says my BMI is 26.8 or obese.

It can't decipher muscle from numbers inputted. The more muscle the more calorie burn even at rest.

Yours seems right unless you entered active or very active.

Here is mine based on four inputs

Sedentary 2756
Somewhat active 3042
active 3400
Very active 4045

I don't get my watch until tomorrow but it seems not too high for you or we can enter our activity and assume too high.

I would estimate you need 2900 to maintain or at least that is what a guy your size and age comes up for sedentary.

I workout 4-6 days per week around 1 hour 15 minutes and I list as somewhat active.
 
Where do you find resting calories? Mine is blank/no data in the Health App.
 
opill said:
Where do you find resting calories? Mine is blank/no data in the Health App.
Click to expand...

In the activity app, scroll down to your daily "Move" (the calorie burn area) and swipe to the right.

It shows active, resting, and total calories.

Edit: Do it for a full day from the past though, a partial day will only have partial calorie totals.
 
Got it! 6'4", 223, 40 yrs old, male

Sunday active 936/resting 3155
Monday active 623/resting 3170
 
BlueMoon63 said:
51 yo Male 6'4/220 and 15% body fat using a caliper and 7 point measurements. It really depends on your activity level.
Click to expand...

Activity level is irrelevant, I'm talking specifically about the "resting" calories reported in the Activity app. I assume that's apple's version of BMR.

BlueMoon63 said:
It can't decipher muscle from numbers inputted. The more muscle the more calorie burn even at rest.
Click to expand...

I did mention I'm 223lbs and 25-30% body fat.

----------
x-evil-x said:
1800 for a person your size is very very low...
did you just randomly go to 1800 or have you tried cutting on 23-2500?
Click to expand...

Like I said, I've been calorie counting for over a year and have a pretty good idea of my caloric needs at this point. I've come to find I just have a very slow metabolism.

----------
mattopotamus said:
I eat way more than my resting calories :D

Why would the apple combine resting and active calories? Wouldn't active calories be those you burned?
Click to expand...

yes, I think that's the idea. I think they're just trying to make your activity level more quantifiable, but still easy to understand for laymen.
 
mattopotamus said:
I eat way more than my resting calories :D

Why would the apple combine resting and active calories? Wouldn't active calories be those you burned?
Click to expand...

You burn calories no matter what. "Resting" refers to what you burn by simply existing, breathing and heart beating, etc. Active is everything above that.
 
Anybody know how to change the setup from low moderate heavy activity levels. Or after you choose one can you only change calorie goals with force touch?
 
x-evil-x said:
Anybody know how to change the setup from low moderate heavy activity levels. Or after you choose one can you only change calorie goals with force touch?
Click to expand...

My understanding is that the resting calories are your sedentary calorie burn. Everything else comes from the watch/phone under the health app where it adds in active calories, etc. If we say we are very active and then do nothing the numbers are way off. Hard to explain. Resting calories are the total calorie burn just for being your age/weight/height plus all active calories. All other numbers are estimates because the health app will determine the active calories (active, very active, somewhat...)

At least that is my understanding.

** I should have added that we do need to enter in at least estimates in the health app for body fat and any of the other numbers if we want an accurate resting calorie. I have that entered on mine.
 
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Delete.
Seems that resting calories for the day are how many have been used so far, rather than expected for the day?
 
McDaddio said:
For the last five days, my resting calories are 2476.
Today they are 1006.

I made no changes to anything.
I confirmed that the settings in the watch (weight, height, etc) are the same.
Click to expand...

They update in real time. Check at 11:59PM and it will be 2476. Also, the counting is flawed and I believe Apple is aware of the issue; your "resting calories" include the activity level you specified upon first opening the activity app (e.g. "lightly active"). It then adds how many "active calories" you've burned to how much it thinks you burn based on activity level! Basically, it is double counting how much you've burned. Resting calories should be your BMR (basic metabolic rate) - what you need to survive if you were bed-ridden and not moving all day.
 
McDaddio said:
For the last five days, my resting calories are 2476.
Today they are 1006.

I made no changes to anything.
I confirmed that the settings in the watch (weight, height, etc) are the same.
Click to expand...

That doesn't make sense but I would definitely make sure the settings in the health app are correct for everything. Including body fat, etc. I was under the impression that resting calories is just a calculation from the phone so it shouldn't vary like that...
 
Basal Metabolic Rate

Is BMR the same or close to resting calories?

I just measured BMR at gym and got 1620.
Resting calories for the day are in at 2476.

I agree that Apple seems to add the expected active calories into the resting calories, but that still seems like a big difference.

----------
BlueMoon63 said:
That doesn't make sense but I would definitely make sure the settings in the health app are correct for everything. Including body fat, etc. I was under the impression that resting calories is just a calculation from the phone so it shouldn't vary like that...
Click to expand...

as Alxz mentioned, it seems that that number is based on how much you have used so far during the day. It is a bit silly of a way for them to do that, since that is just a calculation based on weight/etc and seems they just allocate that over 24 hours.
 
Yes, Resting Calories is SUPPOSED to be BMR:

Gfo4tEnl.jpg
 
BlueMoon63 said:
My understanding is that the resting calories are your sedentary calorie burn. Everything else comes from the watch/phone under the health app where it adds in active calories, etc. If we say we are very active and then do nothing the numbers are way off. Hard to explain. Resting calories are the total calorie burn just for being your age/weight/height plus all active calories. All other numbers are estimates because the health app will determine the active calories (active, very active, somewhat...)

At least that is my understanding.

** I should have added that we do need to enter in at least estimates in the health app for body fat and any of the other numbers if we want an accurate resting calorie. I have that entered on mine.
Click to expand...

where do you enter body fat ?

----------
acosmichippo said:
Yes, Resting Calories is SUPPOSED to be BMR:

Image
Click to expand...

how to you get resting calories to show up in the health app?
 
Are you eating 100% prepackaged food or measuring everything with a scale?

I'm 6'2 and at 1800 calories I was down to about 170. I don't have the slowest metabolism out there but still I find it hard to believe that you're 50 to 60 lb heavier at the same amount of calories. 2000 BMR with no exercise seems about right to me. 3100 is definitely wrong.
 
alxz1194 said:
They update in real time. Check at 11:59PM and it will be 2476. Also, the counting is flawed and I believe Apple is aware of the issue; your "resting calories" include the activity level you specified upon first opening the activity app (e.g. "lightly active"). It then adds how many "active calories" you've burned to how much it thinks you burn based on activity level! Basically, it is double counting how much you've burned. Resting calories should be your BMR (basic metabolic rate) - what you need to survive if you were bed-ridden and not moving all day.
Click to expand...

Yes Apple is aware of this but please write in to report a problem. I did since my resting calories were given by apple as 2700. That is over a 1000 more than any other calculator out there and my dunk test. Here is the answer I received from a senior iOS applecare advisor:
"I did hear back from Engineering. He explained that Apple has received reports of this behavior and at this time the reports are under investigation. The results of the investigation may come in the form of an update, an article, or both so keep a look out for future updates from Apple. Let me know if you have any questions. Have a Great day!"
 
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