Warning to never eat below your BMR?

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Replies

  • Joannah700
    Joannah700 Posts: 2,665 Member
    In to watch video links later.

    Just got my RMR and body fat tested and this will be good to know for maintenance and/or becoming a superhero.
  • tbrown1974
    tbrown1974 Posts: 30 Member
    I have read this before and have always been below my BMR but not purposely. MFP sets my calories for me (I don't manually adjust). I'm set to lose 1 pound a week 5'7", Female, 193.8 pounds) Should I not let MFP do this for me? I can't say how long I've been under BMR since I've never really given it a thought until the last couple of articles on this. My current daily calories is 1480 and MFP calculates my BMR at 1582. Thoughts???
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    For about two-thirds of my weight loss ~journey~ I ate below my BMR and saw no ill effects. I think it's one of those things people say without really researching because it sounds good. Whether you eat below your BMR or below your TDEE, you're still eating less than your body needs to maintain your weight. I'd like someone to explain to me why one is awful, terribad, and the other is perfect.

    I say listen to your body - if you're starving, eat more. If you're deficient in nutrients, make sure you get them. If you feel unwell, eat more. You'll be fine.
  • xxhaloxkittyxx
    xxhaloxkittyxx Posts: 13 Member
    BMR is so confusing! Whilst I was losing the mass amount of weight, I ate well below my BMR and became very ill in the process, and even now I still consume below my BMR and mostly maintain >.< With that in mind, every ones body is different
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    As always with these things people forget context. Eating below your bmr when you are morbidly obese and eating below it when you have 5 pounds to lose are totally different.
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    BMR is so confusing! Whilst I was losing the mass amount of weight, I ate well below my BMR and became very ill in the process, and even now I still consume below my BMR and mostly maintain >.< With that in mind, every ones body is different

    If you were maintaining then you ate at TDEE not BMR. Eating at BMR results in a high speed of weight loss (depending on activity level above "comatose").

    Overall, people seem to be confused by the obese v. thin hypothetical scenarios. You just need to know what is a safe calorie deficit for your body. Ignore what calorie deficits another people need. Every body is different.
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    and according to the video, he may be right.

    Oh he needs to print it off - and put it on the fridge!!
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    I don't even know (or care) the total of my BMR.

    Pre fills in all the data from your MFP account, for anyone interested:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    I don't even know (or care) the total of my BMR.

    Pre fills in all the data from your MFP account, for anyone interested:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

    I just tried it. MFP calculates my BMR as lower than any other calculator -- 1077 calories.

    Interesting discussion going on, though. Also explains why I can do 1200 if I don't exercise and feel OK, but if I go below 1100, I really feel it
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    What matters is total deficit, not BMR. If you are sedentary, a mild deficit could be below your BMR.

    As a result, MFP--which does not include exercise calories upfront--will very often give an initial goal below your BMR. But remember it assumes you will add in exercise. That said, MFP is based on NEAT, and only about BMR because it us used to figure NEAT.

    When I started this, my exercise was somewhat limited, and I was extremely overweight, so I ate below my BMR to lose 2 lbs per week. Now I'm closer to goal and am quite active, so I eat well over my BMR. In neither case was I really concerned about BMR at all, but deficit from TDEE. And not only do I believe that eating below BMR at one point did me no harm, I think the faster rate it allowed me was good given how overweight I was and how losing helped me get active again. But I felt good and satiated while doing it. I think you have to do what works best for compliance. (You being general here, of course.)
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,230 Member
    As always with these things people forget context. Eating below your bmr when you are morbidly obese and eating below it when you have 5 pounds to lose are totally different.

    Yes.

    And the other context which is taken out is time.

    I agree that it would be unhealthy for most people to regularly and long term eat under their BMR

    However I don't agree that you have to never do it - if you eat under it now and then because you are on a religious fast or you are sick with the flu or you skip lunch because you are so busy at work or something - then it is not a problem.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    As always with these things people forget context. Eating below your bmr when you are morbidly obese and eating below it when you have 5 pounds to lose are totally different.

    ^This.

    I ate below my BMR at 1200 (1) for a couple of months, and (2) when my BMI was obese, and (3) I'm short so my BMR is pretty low anyway. Didn't do me any harm, and actually forced me to learn a lot about nutrition so I could get enough fat and protein within those 1200 calories.

    I've seen the studies for the 20% lower energy needs etc. My understanding was that the sample was fairly small (not sure if this is correct now though). It sounds like a bummer and completely unfair, but ultimately I guess my take on it is that I don't really care if I have to eat 20% less than I would have if I'd always been this weight - it's irrelevant for me, because I am who I am now, not some wannabee always-thin-person..
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    BMR is so confusing! Whilst I was losing the mass amount of weight, I ate well below my BMR and became very ill in the process, and even now I still consume below my BMR and mostly maintain >.< With that in mind, every ones body is different

    You ate below you BMR and became very ill. What happen when you did this?
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
    I've tried to understand all of this and it still confuses me. I am 34yrs old, 5'2.5" and currently 191lbs. I have a desk job so I sit all day long but I do exercise for 30-60 min normally every day (I did not miss any days in August and none so far this month).

    According to the scooby calculator it tells me my BMR is 1614, my TDEE (the amount needed to maintain my current weight) is 1937 and that my daily calories to lose should be 1452 (that is with 25% reduction or a deficit of 484 cal/day). I typically eat 1200-1400 cal/day and then exercise 100-200 cal/day but I normally do not eat back my exercise calories so I am netting 1000-1300 cal/day if my math is correct. From what I gather that means I am eating below BMR? I've tried over the last week to increase my calories and I get scared of netting 1400 even though that's what the scooby calculator tells me to do.

    My thinking is if I'm not losing very fast eating such a large calorie deficit now then how am I going to lose if I increase it? Can anyone explain to me how/why a person would need to eat more calories to lose weight? That doesn't make sense to me. I want to do whatever is healthiest I'm just scared of halting my loss entirely by increasing calories. Thanks in advance I'm not sure why I am having such a hard time understanding this. I really am a fairly smart person lol!

    ETA: One more question if I'm using the scooby calculator and it gives me 1452 is that how many calories I should be eating or is that what my net should be after exercise if I'm not eating my exercise calories back....or does it mean I should eat them back? Like would I eat 1600 exercise 200 and net 1400 or would I need to eat 1400 exercise 200 and eat 200 more? I'm so confused :/
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Can anyone explain to me how/why a person would need to eat more calories to lose weight?
    No.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Can anyone explain to me how/why a person would need to eat more calories to lose weight?
    No.

    I could but there is no point to bringing in unhealhty issues.
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
    Can anyone explain to me how/why a person would need to eat more calories to lose weight?
    No.

    I could but there is no point to bringing in unhealhty issues.

    Maybe what I'm asking is not clear because I don't understand these responses? What I'm saying is if I'm currently netting 1200 calories and the scooby calculator tells me I should 1450 calories can someone tell me why that would be? Why is it telling me to higher calories when I'm trying to lose? I don't understand why I'm not losing faster when I'm creating an even larger deficit than the calculator tells me. People on the boards have said to eat more I'm just wanting to understand WHY. I'm not bringing up any unhealthy issues I'm trying to understand how this works.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Can anyone explain to me how/why a person would need to eat more calories to lose weight?
    No.

    I could but there is no point to bringing in unhealhty issues.

    Maybe what I'm asking is not clear because I don't understand these responses? What I'm saying is if I'm currently netting 1200 calories and the scooby calculator tells me I should 1450 calories can someone tell me why that would be? Why is it telling me to higher calories when I'm trying to lose? I don't understand why I'm not losing faster when I'm creating an even larger deficit than the calculator tells me. People on the boards have said to eat more I'm just wanting to understand WHY. I'm not bringing up any unhealthy issues I'm trying to understand how this works.

    Large deficit can slow down metabolism. Also you have not said what you input into the calculator that spits outs estimates? Not one calculator is a true this is it follow it to the T. Should I eat 1450 means nothing without knowing anything about your stats?
  • Wookinpanub
    Wookinpanub Posts: 635 Member
    I am really feeling light head and a little nauseous today. I had a binge guy trip weekend so I really limited my calories on Tuesday (about 1,000) and Wednesday (about 700). I worked out this morning and had to stop. I guess I am seeing the effects of eating below my BMR.
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
    I've tried to understand all of this and it still confuses me. I am 34yrs old, 5'2.5" and currently 191lbs. I have a desk job so I sit all day long but I do exercise for 30-60 min normally every day (I did not miss any days in August and none so far this month).

    According to the scooby calculator it tells me my BMR is 1614, my TDEE (the amount needed to maintain my current weight) is 1937 and that my daily calories to lose should be 1452 (that is with 25% reduction or a deficit of 484 cal/day). I typically eat 1200-1400 cal/day and then exercise 100-200 cal/day but I normally do not eat back my exercise calories so I am netting 1000-1300 cal/day if my math is correct. From what I gather that means I am eating below BMR? I've tried over the last week to increase my calories and I get scared of netting 1400 even though that's what the scooby calculator tells me to do.

    How did I not give my stats??? Never mind I'll get help and answers from someone who actually cares to answer my question

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