Confused by BMR!

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Shanormski
Shanormski Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, I'm pretty new to this been here three weeks now and I've searched through posts but still remain confused. MFP calculates my BMR at 1279 and that I should be eating 1200 regardless of whether I want to lose 1 or 2 pounds per week. I don't have much to lose, 9 pounds but would like to have that lost within 6 weeks. I'm not exercising much at the moment I'm walking between 30 mins and 2 hours per day although I am heading back to the gym this week.

I don't find it too difficult to eat 1200 per day and have been going over 1 day a week as I am adding a 'cheat day' just so I can eat one meal of my choice and have a treat. I have lost 4lbs in a little over a month ( I added a pound I'd lost before I joined MFP) The question is, how many calories should I be consuming to lose weight as I'm hoping I don't have to wait 9 weeks to get this extra off!

Replies

  • pickledlilly
    pickledlilly Posts: 98 Member
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    What weight are you? The minimum BMR for your body to function is 1200 and at that you would weigh about 112 pounds.
  • Shanormski
    Shanormski Posts: 7
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    I currently weigh 135 and I'm 5ft 3, so I don't really understand!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    Your BMR is what your body requires in order to function if you were doing absolutely nothing (ie: in a coma). Every single thing you do beyond 'nothing' burns calories (energy) and is added to your BMR to come up with your maintenance calories (TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure - ie: what you need to eat in order to stay the same weight). These calories are calculated when you enter your activity level - sedentary, lightly active, active, etc.

    MFP takes your maintenance (based on age, weight, height, activity level) and deducts a set amount, depending on what you entered as your goal - 2 pd week loss= minus 1000, 1 pd week loss= minus 500, etc. and that is your calorie goal. The body requires a minimum in order to function, so MFP won't let you go below that (1200 is generally accepted for females).

    The less you have to lose, the smaller your deficit needs to be, as your body isn't happy letting go of those last few stores of fat. The stickies at the top explain all this in much more detail.
  • Shanormski
    Shanormski Posts: 7
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    Thank you that makes some more sense. I was just concerned that being only a deficit of 79 that I'd never lose any more weight but I think I get it now as I'm not overly active during the day as I have a desk job but I do enough that would be bumping that figure up. This is the first time I've tried to lose weight by monitoring everything so just need to get my brain around it!

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