Warning to never eat below your BMR?

stacyjh1979

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.

I think eating below BMR is one thing but only eating 700-1000 calories is a whole other issue. If you are feeling ill from it you should probably increase your calories because your body is probably trying to tell you something. Best wishes!

Wookinpanub

I think eating below BMR is one thing but only eating 700-1000 calories is a whole other issue. If you are feeling ill from it you should probably increase your calories because your body is probably trying to tell you something. Best wishes!

I have done some 1-2 day very low calorie fasts all along my journey since March and for the most part felt good the day after a low cal (less than 1,000) day. The last two weeks are a different story. Just no energy and some dizziness when I work out.

yopeeps025

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

All those number are just average as a whole for a one size fits all. Which is not the case for every female and your height and weight.
Where are you getting your calories burn # from? What tool are you using that is also not an exact number that has margin for error? Your saving follow scooby because this calculator works. All that it does is guide you in the right direction. You lost 12 pounds right what did you do? Did you net below your BMR the entire time which slows down metabolism more likely quicker than the BMR drop when you lose weight.

WalkingAlong

stacy- Eating below your BMR is not something you need to worry about. Nor is netting below your BMR. If you're losing slowly at your current intake, you won't lose faster at a higher intake.

yopeeps025

I think eating below BMR is one thing but only eating 700-1000 calories is a whole other issue. If you are feeling ill from it you should probably increase your calories because your body is probably trying to tell you something. Best wishes!

I have done some 1-2 day very low calorie fasts all along my journey since March and for the most part felt good the day after a low cal (less than 1,000) day. The last two weeks are a different story. Just no energy and some dizziness when I work out.

Those are symptoms to eat more.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

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

People don't say that you should increase calories in order to lose more weight. Your weight loss will slow if you increase calories, for the most part. People say you shouldn't eat too little for your health, energy levels, and the sustainability of your plan. Are you certain of the accuracy of your calorie counting? Are you using a food scale to weigh your food? If not you're likely eating more than you think anyway.

Mostly I would say if your weight loss is reasonable (you're not losing too fast), you're hitting your protein and fat minimums and getting in several servings of veggies, and you feel energetic enough to exercise then what you're doing is probably fine.

More info:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

stacyjh1979

stacy- Eating below your BMR is not something you need to worry about. Nor is netting below your BMR. If you're losing slowly at your current intake, you won't lose faster at a higher intake.

Thank you, I've had people tell me to eat more and I'm also wondering why the scooby calculator thinks I would lose at 1450...I'm thinking based off of what I'm doing currently that if I increased I wouldn't be able to lose. At around 1200cal/day I'm losing maybe 1lb/week. I'm almost out of the 190's though so I'm happy about that patience is just not a virtue of mine

stacyjh1979

People don't say that you should increase calories in order to lose more weight. Your weight loss will slow if you increase calories, for the most part. People say you shouldn't eat too little for your health, energy levels, and the sustainability of your plan. Are you certain of the accuracy of your calorie counting? Are you using a food scale to weigh your food? If not you're likely eating more than you think anyway.

Mostly I would say if your weight loss is reasonable (you're not losing too fast), you're hitting your protein and fat minimums and getting in several servings of veggies, and you feel energetic enough to exercise then what you're doing is probably fine.

More info:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

Thanks for the input! On other topics here in the past when I questioned it I had several people say "you need to be eating more" or "that's not enough calories" etc. The weight loss isn't as fast as I'd like but it is reasonable and I am doing well with protein, fat, veggies and exercising every day so I guess I'll just keep plugging away!

DeguelloTex

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

People don't say that you should increase calories in order to lose more weight.

Yeah, some do. On almost every thread involving someone's not losing weight or not losing as fast as he expected to.

malibu927

My BMR is just slightly above my calorie goal on here (1668 compared to 1640), so if I have a lazy day where I don't work out I don't hit it. But I'm also over 200 pounds so it's not a big deal.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

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

People don't say that you should increase calories in order to lose more weight.

Yeah, some do. On almost every thread involving someone's not losing weight or not losing as fast as he expected to.

Fair enough. I'll rephrase. If people say that you should increase calories to lose more weight they are, for the most part, wrong. With the caveat that eating more calories can give more energy which can allow for more activity and harder workouts.

DeguelloTex

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

People don't say that you should increase calories in order to lose more weight.

Yeah, some do. On almost every thread involving someone's not losing weight or not losing as fast as he expected to.

Fair enough. I'll rephrase. If people say that you should increase calories to lose more weight they are, for the most part, wrong. With the caveat that eating more calories can give more energy which can allow for more activity and harder workouts.

Which is why I wrote earlier, "No" it can't be explained. Even with the caveat, one must burn off more calories than the additional intake, so the net is still lower, not higher.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

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

People don't say that you should increase calories in order to lose more weight.

Yeah, some do. On almost every thread involving someone's not losing weight or not losing as fast as he expected to.

Fair enough. I'll rephrase. If people say that you should increase calories to lose more weight they are, for the most part, wrong. With the caveat that eating more calories can give more energy which can allow for more activity and harder workouts.

Which is why I wrote earlier, "No" it can't be explained. Even with the caveat, one must burn off more calories than the additional intake, so the net is still lower, not higher.

Yep, agreed.

parkscs

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

Once you have data to work with, forget the calculators. Scooby's calculator gives you a starting point - nothing else. Once you have many weeks worth of data on your calorie intake and your body weight, you should be making adjustments based on your own progress. For example, if you're eating 1500 calories and don't lose weight for 3-4 weeks, drop your calories by ~10% and eat 1350 calories for the next few weeks. As another example, if you're losing weight too quickly at 1500 calories or your feeling lethargic and your exercise performance is suffering, up your calories by 10% to 1650 and give that a go for a few weeks. Beyond that, it's just a matter of logging accurately and being very consistent in how you do things so that you can make meaningful adjustments to your routine.

parkscs

Eating below your BMR both is and isn't a good idea depending on your situation.

First let's get one thing straight. Your BMR isn't your total caloric need. Your BMR is what your body WOULD need if it where in a coma. Every time you so much as twitch you exceed your bmr. Now lets take two different cases.

Case one 6 foot odd man with 30% body fat. Fat can metabolize about 1600 calories a day all on its own. Long as he doesn't fill the whole day with strenuous crap this person could probably eat 1200 - 1500 cals and still be ok even considering hes a 6 foot odd man. His fat will make up the difference. And his body will get all the calories it needs to be healthy. And this is what a minimum calorie level is about being healthy.

Case two a 5 food odd man with 12% body fat who eats 800 calories a day trying to lose weight. His fat can probably generate about 3-400 a day his bmr is probably in the low 2000's so the total calories available to his body is now well below his bmr. BIG PROBLEM!

Your BMR needs to be fueled or bad things happen but it doesn't have to come from food. If you have a decent amount of body fat you can sustain larger deficits. However it is inadvisable to cut food beyond a certain level hence MFP's 1200 minimum. Some people could safely go below that but they are exceptions. If you have a decent amount of weight to lose then honestly eating 100 below bmr is probably not a big deal. IF you are skinny then yeah your headed up diarrhea drive without a paddle.

Another way to phrase that is the maximum calorie deficit you can support really isn't tied to your BMR and your BMR certainly isn't a threshold which can never safely be crossed. And actually, to be more accurate, I would say that your actual TDEE is what always has to be fueled, not just your BMR. If eating below your BMR puts your calorie deficit beyond what your body can support, bad things happen. If it doesn't, you're probably fine although energy levels may start to suffer if you are pushing the limits. But that all depends on your body fat and the size of your deficit, not whether your calories are above or below your BMR. Most people with any appreciable amount of weight to lose can go below their BMR without issue (sometimes significantly below).

BombshellPhoenix

I'm not saying that I personally should be eating 1800 (since I'm only 120 lbs.), but that hypothetical woman who is my height but 220 lbs. I guess what your saying is that that hypothetical 200 lb. woman could eat 1800 and lose weight. However, would she face the same risk of damage by eating at or below her BMR that I would -- say, if I ate below mine, which is more like 1250? Because this person is seriously overweight and has reserves to draw on, whereas a more average sized person has less reserve.

You could totally still lose on that intake and your stats, depending on your activity level.

I'm 120 lbs and 5'3.5 " and lose at 1900 calories taking care of my kids, cleaning buildings 3x a week for about 3 hours and lifting 3x a week. I maintain at 2350ish right now.

The heavier you are, to my understanding, the more aggressive you can approach weight loss because yes, there's more fat stores. The leaner you get, the more likely muscle loss will happen. But as I see it, I'd rather take things slower just for the fact that Im not 100% what that number Will be. Any number you pull off of a calculator varies so heavily. It takes trial and error to find that happy medium between losing weight but not too aggressively.

WalkingAlong

Fair enough. I'll rephrase. If people say that you should increase calories to lose more weight they are, for the most part, wrong. With the caveat that eating more calories can give more energy which can allow for more activity and harder workouts.

The 'more energy' argument is an interesting one, too, though you see it here all the time. I know there is some adaptive thermogenesis with dieting and its main effect is to reduce non-exercise activity, so in that respect I see how many feel like sitting around more when dieting. But our bodies have access to energy in the form of calories from fat, which is how weight loss happens. I know there can also be blood sugar issues for some or glycogen issues, with long workouts.

But overall I think for most dieters, feeling like you have more energy at 1500 calories vs. 1300, e.g., is probably mostly psychological. Like DeguelloTex suggested, I doubt most of them 'exercise off' those extra 200 calories due to feeling differently, so the net effect is slower losses. Though I guess if your goal isn't to speed up weight loss but to maximize exercise time/effort...

I don't feel more energetic at higher calorie levels, not that anecdote means much. If anything I probably feel less energetic the more I've eaten. Feeling light and energetic is often reported from people fasting, too. Not that I'm recommending that here.

stealthq

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

People don't say that you should increase calories in order to lose more weight.

Yeah, some do. On almost every thread involving someone's not losing weight or not losing as fast as he expected to.

Fair enough. I'll rephrase. If people say that you should increase calories to lose more weight they are, for the most part, wrong. With the caveat that eating more calories can give more energy which can allow for more activity and harder workouts.

Which is why I wrote earlier, "No" it can't be explained. Even with the caveat, one must burn off more calories than the additional intake, so the net is still lower, not higher.

Yep, agreed.

Misread - nm.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Fair enough. I'll rephrase. If people say that you should increase calories to lose more weight they are, for the most part, wrong. With the caveat that eating more calories can give more energy which can allow for more activity and harder workouts.

The 'more energy' argument is an interesting one, too, though you see it here all the time. I know there is some adaptive thermogenesis with dieting and its main effect is to reduce non-exercise activity, so in that respect I see how many feel like sitting around more when dieting. But our bodies have access to energy in the form of calories from fat, which is how weight loss happens. I know there can also be blood sugar issues for some or glycogen issues, with long workouts.

But overall I think for most dieters, feeling like you have more energy at 1500 calories vs. 1300, e.g., is probably mostly psychological. Like DeguelloTex suggested, I doubt most of them 'exercise off' those extra 200 calories due to feeling differently, so the net effect is slower losses. Though I guess if your goal isn't to speed up weight loss but to maximize exercise time/effort...

I don't feel more energetic at higher calorie levels, not that anecdote means much. If anything I probably feel less energetic the more I've eaten. Feeling light and energetic is often reported from people fasting, too. Not that I'm recommending that here.

Could be psychological. For me it seems to be true just gauging by my activity tracker. But I've got medical conditions so I can't always apply my own experience to the general population.

I would point out though that psychology is important. Not really relevant to the discussion of speed of weight loss, but important to overall adherence.

DeguelloTex

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

People don't say that you should increase calories in order to lose more weight.

Yeah, some do. On almost every thread involving someone's not losing weight or not losing as fast as he expected to.

Fair enough. I'll rephrase. If people say that you should increase calories to lose more weight they are, for the most part, wrong. With the caveat that eating more calories can give more energy which can allow for more activity and harder workouts.

Which is why I wrote earlier, "No" it can't be explained. Even with the caveat, one must burn off more calories than the additional intake, so the net is still lower, not higher.

Yep, agreed.

Not agreed.

Generally when this happens it's because the person is originally eating so low or so carelessly that they're not getting sufficient nutrients. Bumping it up can let them get in the nutrition so they feel better. Sometimes it's not just about energy balance.

The point was about weight loss. Your point isn't about weight loss.