Should I be eating below my BMR?

vermillionlove
vermillionlove Posts: 37 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Here is some info about me. I have my MFP settings set at sedentary and set to lose 1 lb a week. I think I have it set at no exercise.
I'm female, 22 years old, 5'2. I started at 220lb and am now around 198. My calorie goal from MFP is 1540 a day, it started me at 1600. I set my thing as sedentary because I spend a lot of my day sitting but I do go for a 30 minute walk and have recently been doing a short bike ride every other day trying to get back into bike riding shape.

I assumed that MFP takes 500 calories away from my maintanence level, and that would be my goal. but then I started learning more about TDEE and BMR. i just plugged the info I listed above into the IIFYM TDEE calculator, and it gave me a BMR of 1613 and a TDEE of 1936. From what I understand, eating anywhere between your BMR and TDEE will result in a weight loss. But MFP has me set to eat BELOW my BMR. is this okay?

I usually end up eating between 1400-1800 calories a day, depending on how hungry I am and if I had some kind of treat that day. And usually have 100-300 exercise calories earned. I would like to be eating more "healthy" foods, what i'm eating now is alright, but not as good as it could be with sodium and sugar content. I live at home still and am supported by my parents who are not on any kind of special diet, so I make do with what they buy. From what I understand that as long as there is a deficit, what I eat doesn't really matter, but you will feel like crap if it's all junk food. I think I'm doing okay with it though.

I guess my question is, should I be eating closer to my BMR? I have been pleased with my loss, 22 lb since early June. But is it too much of a deficit, or am I okay? My diary is open and you can go have a look-see.

Replies

  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    Bumping for answers too!
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    With sedentary, you would be below your BMR estimate using 1 lb/week with MFP or TDEE-20%.

    Is it working? Are you feeling ok? Your target is pretty much the same as your BMR estimate, and BMR isn't a BIG RED LINE YOU SHALL NOT PASS scenario.

    Eat back your exercise calories and you'll be above your BMR estimate most of the time. Unless something is going wrong, it doesn't seem like a problem.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    People who have a lot of weight to lose can safely eat below BMR for a time, because they have a lot of extra stores to draw from. People who don't have a lot of weight can't afford to do that. So, if your energy level is good and you feel fine, and you are losing the weight at a rate you want, then it is fine for now. As you lose weight you will want to keep reassessing your numbers.
  • 4daluvof_candice
    4daluvof_candice Posts: 483 Member
    Well, I can just tell you what I have been doing using the TDEE method. Im pretty heavy. I started at 293 now 258. My BMR is 1945 and TDEE is 2139. I eat 2139 each day regarless of exercise becasue your activity is alredy plugged into your TDEE. I set mine at lightly active becasue I do move during the day at work, kids, groccery shopping etc. I do -20%. I workout 5-6x/week but I dont eat those back due to just like I said thats already plugged in. So iusually burn 500+ working out 2139-500=1639 or less calories consumed. You must consume your BMR for your body to function(from my understanding) i.e breathing, heart, kidneey function etc. you do this becasue you want your metabolism to stay steady to burn. the more weight you lose you must recalculate like every 10-15lbs. I hope this helps and wasnt too complex...:flowerforyou:
  • vermillionlove
    vermillionlove Posts: 37 Member
    Thank you all for your responses, I appreciate anyone taking their time to write back. :heart:
    I didn't think about how since I have extra energy stores, it's more okay for me to dip under my BMR. as I get closer to 150, 140, 130, maybe not as much.

    I do feel tired and exhausted some days, but I think it's because I am hungry and not wanting to eat and have MFP go into the red. I do it anyway though if I am really hungry. I don't want to starve myself that's for sure. So as long as I eat below my TDEE, I am losing, even if only a tiny amount? that is comforting. I feel bad seeing MFP go into the red, but remind myself that unless I go over by 500 or something, I am not even at maintenance. And I'd have to eat even MORE than that to gain fat. If I am understanding correctly. :P
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    So as long as I eat below my TDEE, I am losing, even if only a tiny amount? that is comforting. I feel bad seeing MFP go into the red, but remind myself that unless I go over by 500 or something, I am not even at maintenance. And I'd have to eat even MORE than that to gain fat. If I am understanding correctly. :P

    You have it exactly right.
  • lindustum
    lindustum Posts: 212 Member
    as I get closer to 150, 140, 130, maybe not as much.
    I cannot stress that enough. I am already in my healthy weight range and have less than 10lb to lose. Eating at TDEE-20% leaves me starved already. I had to reduce the deficit. "the last pounds are the hardest" is true exactly because of that, really.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    You're probably not really sedentary. Very few ambulatory users are actually sedentary the way MFP defines it.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    If you're eating between 1400-1800, in my opinion you're doing just fine.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    People who have a lot of weight to lose can safely eat below BMR for a time, because they have a lot of extra stores to draw from. People who don't have a lot of weight can't afford to do that. So, if your energy level is good and you feel fine, and you are losing the weight at a rate you want, then it is fine for now. As you lose weight you will want to keep reassessing your numbers.

    This ^^^

    Also, if you're just a little below it's not really that big of a deal...it's not like your body says, "oh...we're 100 calories below BMR...shut 'er down." Eating substantially below your BMR for an extended period of time can cause issues, but if you have a lot to lose and you're just a little under, it's not going to be the end of the world.

    Also, you're probably not sedentary really...so you could probably eat a bit more and still lose at a safe and healthy clip.
  • vermillionlove
    vermillionlove Posts: 37 Member
    Thank you again for the replies! I do wonder if I should be in sedentary at all. I figured I'd set it as such because my exercise is pretty light. at first, I would only walk about 20 minutes, but I've upped it. I do housework and things but I spend a lot of time sitting at the computer. :P I don't have a job. But if I got one I would definitely be moving myself up to lightly active, because I'd be walking or biking to and from, and working. It is good to know that I can eat a fair amount and still lose. It's not hard to eat at a deficit. it makes me wonder how I managed to put on all of this weight in the first place.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    People who have a lot of weight to lose can safely eat below BMR for a time, because they have a lot of extra stores to draw from. People who don't have a lot of weight can't afford to do that. So, if your energy level is good and you feel fine, and you are losing the weight at a rate you want, then it is fine for now. As you lose weight you will want to keep reassessing your numbers.

    ^^^ This. BMR is far more important when you are at a healthy weight than it is with a lot to lose.

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