Calories too low??

hstoblish

So, according to MFP, my BMR is 1,288 calories (female, 30, 5'3", 132 pounds at last weigh in) and that just seems so low to me. I'm also working at a sitting job so I have my setting on sedentary and losing 0.5 pounds/week. MFP is saying I need to eat 1360 calories, which is supposedly higher than my BMR, but still seems low.

Completely ignoring exercise, because I eat those calories back (and I track all of them, even all the walking I do), doesn't this sound really low to you?

This means that when I'm at my goal weight, my BMR will be 1,288. That seems just so incredibly low to me. Is that right? Other calculators are giving me slightly higher values and I'm concerned that I've been eating too little (I am satiated, so that's a good sign) because the margin of error here is pretty small.

missiontofitness

I would suggest setting your activity level to lightly active. You aren't sedentary 24/7, so I'd suggest that to begin. I work a desk job as well, but I factor in that I'm still on my feet and moving around outside of my desk. You want to make sure you're getting an accurate calorie profile.

Stat wise, we're close; I'm 5'4 and 130-132lbs right now. My BMR is a little above 1,300 myself. As you lose weight, your BMR does go down, and your BMR is lower if you are shorter. What I would suggest is fixing your activity level, and gauging from there for a month to see if it is working for you.

JaneyB311

The other option for you is to follow the TDEE method, this takes into account your exercise over the week and gives you a calorie allowance with that factored in, meaning you don't eat back your exercise calories.

I have used your stats, plus a loss of 0.5lb per week and it says your TDEE for that weight loss should be 1,645 per day. This is the web address if you want to check it out for yourself, or want to play with the timescales etc. http://www.thefitgirls.com/weight-loss-calculator.aspx. I agree with @missiontofitness that you should set your activity to at least light exercise, as you are exercising and not sedentary all the time.

I have been using this for around 3 months now, and have a steady loss of 1-2lb per week. It says my daily goal is around 1850, but I eat to 1650 through the week so I can have slightly more on the weekend. I also have a desk job where I sit most of the day however I exercise around 5 times a week so have mine set at moderate activity.

I know jumping from 1200 to 1600 sounds like a lot but I can only speak on what has worked for me and this definitely has. I was eating 1200 and my weight totally stalled for 4 weeks. Within a week of eating at 1650 I dropped 8lbs!!

SezxyStef

The other option for you is to follow the TDEE method, this takes into account your exercise over the week and gives you a calorie allowance with that factored in, meaning you don't eat back your exercise calories.

I have used your stats, plus a loss of 0.5lb per week and it says your TDEE for that weight loss should be 1,645 per day. This is the web address if you want to check it out for yourself, or want to play with the timescales etc. http://www.thefitgirls.com/weight-loss-calculator.aspx. I agree with @missiontofitness that you should set your activity to at least light exercise, as you are exercising and not sedentary all the time.

I have been using this for around 3 months now, and have a steady loss of 1-2lb per week. It says my daily goal is around 1850, but I eat to 1650 through the week so I can have slightly more on the weekend. I also have a desk job where I sit most of the day however I exercise around 5 times a week so have mine set at moderate activity.

I know jumping from 1200 to 1600 sounds like a lot but I can only speak on what has worked for me and this definitely has. I was eating 1200 and my weight totally stalled for 4 weeks. Within a week of eating at 1650 I dropped 8lbs!!

How can you calculate TDEE without knowing the OPs exercise?

Truth of the fact is this...OPs TDEE will be the calories given by MFP plus the exericse calories they eat back so it is 6 of one and half dozen of the other...

OP I am 5 ft 7 and when I started with MFP they gave me 1380 calories a day to lose 1lb a week...so your number does not seem low at all esp if you are eating back exercise calories. And what you need to realize is this..1360 is what you eat then you exercise and burn and you eat more so you are grossing about 1500 a day.

As well my BMR is about 1410 at 5 ft 7 and 154lbs...but remember BMR is what you burn if you don't move...it is defined as:

Basal Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy expressed in calories that a person needs to keep the body functioning at rest...so yah yours is not that low considering your height etc.

JaneyB311

The other option for you is to follow the TDEE method, this takes into account your exercise over the week and gives you a calorie allowance with that factored in, meaning you don't eat back your exercise calories.

I have used your stats, plus a loss of 0.5lb per week and it says your TDEE for that weight loss should be 1,645 per day. This is the web address if you want to check it out for yourself, or want to play with the timescales etc. http://www.thefitgirls.com/weight-loss-calculator.aspx. I agree with @missiontofitness that you should set your activity to at least light exercise, as you are exercising and not sedentary all the time.

I have been using this for around 3 months now, and have a steady loss of 1-2lb per week. It says my daily goal is around 1850, but I eat to 1650 through the week so I can have slightly more on the weekend. I also have a desk job where I sit most of the day however I exercise around 5 times a week so have mine set at moderate activity.

I know jumping from 1200 to 1600 sounds like a lot but I can only speak on what has worked for me and this definitely has. I was eating 1200 and my weight totally stalled for 4 weeks. Within a week of eating at 1650 I dropped 8lbs!!

How can you calculate TDEE without knowing the OPs exercise?

Truth of the fact is this...OPs TDEE will be the calories given by MFP plus the exericse calories they eat back so it is 6 of one and half dozen of the other...

OP I am 5 ft 7 and when I started with MFP they gave me 1380 calories a day to lose 1lb a week...so your number does not seem low at all esp if you are eating back exercise calories. And what you need to realize is this..1360 is what you eat then you exercise and burn and you eat more so you are grossing about 1500 a day.

As well my BMR is about 1410 at 5 ft 7 and 154lbs...but remember BMR is what you burn if you don't move...it is defined as:

Basal Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy expressed in calories that a person needs to keep the body functioning at rest...so yah yours is not that low considering your height etc.

Because she indicated that she did some exercise, enough for her to be eating back the exercise calories, therefore as I said, I based it on light exercise, and offered the link for her to adjust things as necessary based on her actual levels etc. I also mentioned (as did the previous poster) that in my opinion she should not consider herself sedentary as she did do some exercise, despite having a desk job. I was not instructing her to eat 1,645 but merely giving an illustration of how TDEE work and then giving her the link the work it out for herself.

Again as I said I could only offer advice based on what worked for me. The MFP calculation did not do this but TDEE has.

hstoblish

Thanks so much! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't too low and it sounds like it's not.

Next step is for me to start weighing myself again (I stopped going to boot camp at my gym awhile back and that was where I used to do my weigh ins.) I might actually be getting closer to maintenance.