Calorie levels, BMR etc

RachelN76

Hi, I've read some of the posts about calorie levels, BMR and TDEE etc.

I've just gone with the calorie level that MFP gave me. Which is 1200. Seemed fair enough to me. I'm only 4'11".

But I've just plugged my details into the BMR calculators and I get about 1400. So, should I override MFP and eat 1400 a day? Or a wee bit more? That seems a lot of me as one of life's permanent dieters!

stt43

Consume as many calories as you can to still lose weight. Try 1400+ , log everything as accurately as possible, see how much weight you lose each week. As long as you are losing something every couple of weeks then you're good.

jennegan1

Hi hun its funny I just saw a cpl of other topics about this as well. Let me post the links so this way you can read up on them as well I will be also cuz I am curious as well. I however did up take my calorie in take to 1500 cuz I am eating and drinking that much and I notice as long as Im getting in enough excersize in and being more active then I am under my goal for the day http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1134394-i-am-a-bit-confused

Mokey41

You can over ride MFP or change your loss rate to something lower to get a higher budget.

jacksonpt

Hi, I've read some of the posts about calorie levels, BMR and TDEE etc.

I've just gone with the calorie level that MFP gave me. Which is 1200. Seemed fair enough to me. I'm only 4'11".

But I've just plugged my details into the BMR calculators and I get about 1400. So, should I override MFP and eat 1400 a day? Or a wee bit more? That seems a lot of me as one of life's permanent dieters!

First...
MFP can only do the calculations based on the numbers you give it. Ultimately, it's up to you to provide the common sense. 1200 is pretty low for most people, especially when you consider long term sustainability. And as an admitted "life's permanent dieter", I'm betting long term sustainability is a problem for you.

Second...
Some trial and error should be expected for the first couple of months as you get a feel for things. Pick a reasonable calorie goal, and stick to it as best you can for a few weeks. Then evaluate and tweak things as necessary. Eventually you'll find a point where you feel pretty good and are seeing reasonable progress... then it just becomes a matter of sticking to the plan.

TavistockToad

Hi, I've read some of the posts about calorie levels, BMR and TDEE etc.

I've just gone with the calorie level that MFP gave me. Which is 1200. Seemed fair enough to me. I'm only 4'11".

But I've just plugged my details into the BMR calculators and I get about 1400. So, should I override MFP and eat 1400 a day? Or a wee bit more? That seems a lot of me as one of life's permanent dieters!

if you exercise you should eat back exercise cals using MFP, so that will probably give you a figure closer to your TDEE calculation...

BenjaminMFP88

Hi, I've read some of the posts about calorie levels, BMR and TDEE etc.

I've just gone with the calorie level that MFP gave me. Which is 1200. Seemed fair enough to me. I'm only 4'11".

But I've just plugged my details into the BMR calculators and I get about 1400. So, should I override MFP and eat 1400 a day? Or a wee bit more? That seems a lot of me as one of life's permanent dieters!

if you exercise you should eat back exercise cals using MFP, so that will probably give you a figure closer to your TDEE calculation...

First you need to find a very reliable method to calculate calories lost during exercise before you commit to eating back all of those calories. Second of all, what calculator did you use? I recommend IIFYM as it calculates your BMR/TDEE based upon your height/Weight/BF%/Activity, which is the most affective method of testing your numbers. Once you find this number, go with it and adjust MFP to this value. MFP doesn't calculate as correctly and makes too many guesses when estimating your fitness level and goals.

If your BMR really is 1400, then calculate what your TDEE is and eat/eat back to net anywhere between those two values. Avoid eating below BMR in order for your body to maintain healthy function, and avoid eating above TDEE to discourage fat growth.

RachelN76

Right, IIFYM says that my BMR is 1568 calories. And a TDEE of 1723 (based on being lazy and sedentary, on the basis that I can add in exercise calories later but I can't take them out once I've eaten them!).

So, I need to eat about 1600, but exercise and exercise well right? Because I need a deficit of at least 500 and if I don't exercise I'm only getting a deficit of about 150.

Now, therein lies the problem. I don't want to make excuses, but I have various health issues that make exercising a little tricky. Not impossible. But a lot more difficult than it was a few years ago when I actually did successfully lose weight for the only time ever! But I DO know that exercise is the key, so I do feel I bit caught between a rock and a hard place.

I suppose I'll just have to try to do it, suck it up, go for the exercise as best I can and see what happens to my poor old body! LOL. It might even like it after the initial shock.

I was kind of hoping to lose quite a few pounds first without having to do any major exercise in the hope that that would make the exercise part easier, but I'm not sure that will happen for me.

Mr_Knight

But I've just plugged my details into the BMR calculators and I get about 1400. So, should I override MFP and eat 1400 a day? Or a wee bit more? That seems a lot of me as one of life's permanent dieters!

If you have a lot to lose, the common BMR calculators may be over-estimating your BMR. A BMR of 1568 is very high for someone 4'11. It would require 170 pounds bodyweight at a healthy body fat (ie, massive muscles).

How much do you need to lose?

WalkingAlong

I'm afraid to open this can of worms, but there is no reason you can't eat below your BMR to lose weight. Usually the guideline is stay at or above 1200 for adequate nutrition unless under medical supervision. At your height especially, I would be fine with 1200, though if you prefer to eat more and either lose slower or exercise more, that is of course an option.

RachelN76

I do have a lot to lose.

I'm 4'11" and 186lb. I know.
Not sure of my body fat % but I know it's NOT GOOD. I have those body fat scales upstairs, and last time I dared to check I'm sure it was around the 46% mark. But how accuracy they are? Who knows? I will check again later after I've made the kids tea.

So maybe 1200 - 1300 might be more like it then?

yarwell

at 186 lb your body fat is going to be 40 - 50% but at that level you need not worry about precision as the course of action won't be affected by a few % here and there.

With a BMI of 37.6 UK clinical guidelines would suggest a low calorie diet is appropriate for 6-8 weeks. You have the calorie reserves on board to fill the gap.

RachelN76

at 186 lb your body fat is going to be 40 - 50% but at that level you need not worry about precision as the course of action won't be affected by a few % here and there.

With a BMI of 37.6 UK clinical guidelines would suggest a low calorie diet is appropriate for 6-8 weeks. You have the calorie reserves on board to fill the gap.

Oh yes, I have reserves on board! Of that there can be little doubt!! LOL

So, I'll stick with the 1200 for now. Try to exercise. See what happens.
I'm sure exercise is the key. That's what I need to get a grip of.

Thank you so much everyone.

jacksonpt

at 186 lb your body fat is going to be 40 - 50% but at that level you need not worry about precision as the course of action won't be affected by a few % here and there.

With a BMI of 37.6 UK clinical guidelines would suggest a low calorie diet is appropriate for 6-8 weeks. You have the calorie reserves on board to fill the gap.

Oh yes, I have reserves on board! Of that there can be little doubt!! LOL

So, I'll stick with the 1200 for now. Try to exercise. See what happens.
I'm sure exercise is the key. That's what I need to get a grip of.

Thank you so much everyone.

For weight loss? No, diet is the key.

BenjaminMFP88

at 186 lb your body fat is going to be 40 - 50% but at that level you need not worry about precision as the course of action won't be affected by a few % here and there.

With a BMI of 37.6 UK clinical guidelines would suggest a low calorie diet is appropriate for 6-8 weeks. You have the calorie reserves on board to fill the gap.

Oh yes, I have reserves on board! Of that there can be little doubt!! LOL

So, I'll stick with the 1200 for now. Try to exercise. See what happens.
I'm sure exercise is the key. That's what I need to get a grip of.

Thank you so much everyone.

Exercise is the icing, but diet is the cake. If you don't have a solid foundation built in your eating habits, then a strong exercise is going to get you nothing but exhausted. I would still suggest not going below BMR for any reason. Yes, you have the reserves to fuel your daily living, but you will still be depriving your body of the essential nutrients it needs to sustain healthy living. What's the point of dieting if your body is going to suffer in the long run? If you net at BMR for a while, you will still lose weight but your body will still gather the required nutrients it needs and you body can not convert fat to nutrients...

Mr_Knight

So maybe 1200 - 1300 might be more like it then?

I get right around 1200 for your BMR and 1500 for your non-exercise TDEE (NEAT). Throw in a bit of exercise here and there, and yes, it does seem like 1200ish is an appropriate ballpark for you. As with all of this, every number is approximate, so try to be consistent for 3-4 weeks so you have a base to evaluate from/ask questions from.

Good luck!

RachelN76

So maybe 1200 - 1300 might be more like it then?

I get right around 1200 for your BMR and 1500 for your non-exercise TDEE (NEAT). Throw in a bit of exercise here and there, and yes, it does seem like 1200ish is an appropriate ballpark for you. As with all of this, every number is approximate, so try to be consistent for 3-4 weeks so you have a base to evaluate from/ask questions from.

Good luck!

Thank you for that. I'll go with that.

And thank you also to those who said diet is the most important factor as well. I need to make sure if I'm only having 1200 calories that they are good quality calories and well balanced. I'm not usually very good at that. I know what to do, it's just the actual doing it, where I fail spectacularly!!