MFP puts my daily calories below BMR

duddits5321
duddits5321 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Just started using this again, and redid my goals. I did the BMR calculator, and came up with a BMR of 2196 calories a day.

My goals are 80KG (down from 120KG), losing 1kg a week, put lightly active lifestyle (apprentice sparky, some days can be quite active but other days I could spend hours standing in front of a panel not doing anything strenuous). I put 0 days exercise, but only cause my exercising can be very inconsistent so I was going to put it in as I go.

Anyway, it reckons I should consume 1970 calories a day. I thought it was absolutely not recommended to eat below your BMR? Please help

Thank you

Replies

  • ajnb88
    ajnb88 Posts: 339 Member
    edited January 2015
    Which calculator are you using to get your bmr? It's very rarely an exact science (hence why I stopped using it as a measure) and small variations in a calculation can throw the results.

    Edit: for what it's worth, my bmr now (at 74ish kg) is only about 1800, but has been going up since I started weight training.
  • duddits5321
    duddits5321 Posts: 4 Member
    edited January 2015
    I used the MFP one with the exact same details I put into the Goals, that's why i find it really odd
  • BeTheChange352
    BeTheChange352 Posts: 253 Member
    MFP doesn't take exercise into account. eat your exercise calories and that will put you at your BMR.
  • ajnb88
    ajnb88 Posts: 339 Member
    duddits5321 wrote: »
    I used the MFP one with the exact same details I put into the Goals, that's why i find it really odd

    Hmm, maybe you made a slight miscalculation? I don't have time right now but if you pop your details down I'm sure someone can rerun the figures for you and see if they get the same result :)

    BeTheChange352 wrote: »
    MFP doesn't take exercise into account. eat your exercise calories and that will put you at your BMR.

    But his bmr should be independent of exercise. It's the minimum to retain current form even if in a coma. With eating back exercise hell still end up at the same figure.

    (unless I'm too sleepy and am missing something here)
  • duddits5321
    duddits5321 Posts: 4 Member
    This is what I put into the BMR calculator:

    120KG
    177CM
    Male
    Age 23

    2196 Calories BMR

    What I put into the Goals:
    Current: 120KG
    Goal: 80KG
    Height: 177CM
    Male
    1991 DOB
    Lightly Active
    0 exercise
    Track in Calories
    Goal 1KG / week

    1970 Calories / Day
  • honkytonks85
    honkytonks85 Posts: 669 Member
    I don't get this 'don't eat below your BMR' thing. Is there actually any evidence that this is harmful or ineffective? Caloric deficit = weight loss.
  • BeTheChange352
    BeTheChange352 Posts: 253 Member
    edited January 2015
    "But his BMR should be independent of exercise. It's the minimum to retain current form even if in a coma. With eating back exercise hell still end up at the same figure."

    exactly, it's the same either way. MFP expects you to eat back your exercise calories, that's why they're not calculated into your baseline calories. MFP gives me 1200 a day even though my BMR is 1500 something. I eat back my exercise calories and that puts me at my BMR and I'm consistently losing weight. he could just make things simple and set his custom calorie goals to his BMR and then not worry about exercise.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I have your BMR at ~1650 calories. With the amount you have to lose, the normal calculators will overestimate your BMR because they aren't accounting for high levels of body fat.
  • ajnb88
    ajnb88 Posts: 339 Member
    edited January 2015
    honkytonks85 wrote: »
    I don't get this 'don't eat below your BMR' thing. Is there actually any evidence that this is harmful or ineffective? Caloric deficit = weight loss.

    Short term yes you can lose weight, but if you consistently eat below your bmr you are effectively eating less than your body needs to survive long term. When you've got a lot to lose its viable, but if you're adding exercise also, and you're still eating below your bmr, you'll end up hurting yourself.

    Eg bmr of 1500, plus 500 exercise = 2000 just to maintain weight and function. If you're eating 1300 total (below bmr) that's a deficit of 700 a day which is ridiculous.
    BeTheChange352 wrote: »
    "But his BMR should be independent of exercise. It's the minimum to retain current form even if in a coma. With eating back exercise hell still end up at the same figure."

    exactly, it's the same either way. MFP expects you to eat back your exercise calories, that's why they're not calculated into your baseline calories. MFP gives me 1200 a day even though my BMR is 1500 something. I eat back my exercise calories and that puts me at my BMR and I'm consistently losing weight. he could just make things simple and set his custom calorie goals to his BMR and then not worry about exercise.

    Lol, this is one of the reasons I'm glad to not be tracking anymore. :smiley:
  • duddits5321
    duddits5321 Posts: 4 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    I have your BMR at ~1650 calories. With the amount you have to lose, the normal calculators will overestimate your BMR because they aren't accounting for high levels of body fat.

    Cheers, so do you think the daily caloric intake MFP has set is appropriate?
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    duddits5321 wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    I have your BMR at ~1650 calories. With the amount you have to lose, the normal calculators will overestimate your BMR because they aren't accounting for high levels of body fat.

    Cheers, so do you think the daily caloric intake MFP has set is appropriate?

    Seems to be in the right ballpark. Ultimately these are all guesstimates, and you'll just have to pick a number, see what happens, and adjust accordingly.

    Good luck! :drinker:
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