My calorie intake is less than my BMR should I change?

ladyhawk00

HI,

First, make sure you're using the right numbers. Is the BMR from the calculator on the Tools page?

But again, if the numbers are right, it probably means your loss per week goal is too high for how much you have to lose. Based on your ticker (I'd need info like height, weight, age, activity level, etc to be more precise/accurate), I would guess you shouldn't have a loss per week goal higher than 1 lb per week, and possibly 1/2 lb.

The BMR is from the calculator on the tools page.

My Loss per week goal is 2lb. I still have to loose around 3 stone!
My height is 5ft 6 my current weight is 202lbs age 37 activity level = light

Aha! Now we're getting somewhere.

You're actually not too far off. But for what you have to lose at this point, 1.5 lbs per week is probably a better goal. You can probably get away with 2 lbs per week a tiny bit longer, but it's a bit aggressive. 1.5 lbs would take you to right around BMR. And the reason it's recommended to not go much under BMR is because that's what you burn just for daily organ functions. So at the very minimum, you want to be supporting those (they're kind of important, no?)

sleepy184

Thanks. Not sure I still understand BMR and target cals etc but as long as it is right I'll trust MFP. Just dont want to damage my metabolism as it already quite slow in my opinion

Jenscan

I've let myself get confused too - so I'm hijacking this thread I hope you guys don't mind.

My BMR as calculated by the MFP tool is about the same, around 1440, but MFP is setting my goal at 1290 (1 lb per week). My maintenance calories show as 1790. I've been working at that goal, actually at 1310 but it looks like MFP dropped me a little due to my loss now. According to the advice I'm seeing, I should eat more like 14-1500 and go way over goal every day?

I'm 5'3" and I need to lose 50 lbs.

So.... what do I do? I've been losing pretty rapidly so far and I'm wondering if it's 1) water weight 2) success 3) me screwing up already.

Or, am I ok since I'm really fat and short, and should work under more stringent conditions than most people?

ladyhawk00

I've let myself get confused too - so I'm hijacking this thread I hope you guys don't mind.

My BMR as calculated by the MFP tool is about the same, around 1440, but MFP is setting my goal at 1290 (1 lb per week). My maintenance calories show as 1790. I've been working at that goal, actually at 1310 but it looks like MFP dropped me a little due to my loss now. According to the advice I'm seeing, I should eat more like 14-1500 and go way over goal every day?

I'm 5'3" and I need to lose 50 lbs.

So.... what do I do? I've been losing pretty rapidly so far and I'm wondering if it's 1) water weight 2) success 3) me screwing up already.

Or, am I ok since I'm really fat and short, and should work under more stringent conditions than most people?

Being a bit smaller than average, with a sedentary activity level (guessing), you're slightly outside the curve. Your case is a little bit more of a judgement call. You can probably stick with the 1 lb/week for a bit longer and be ok. But, in that case I would make sure to eat all of your exercise cals and really aim to meet your cal goal, because even if you're overestimating a bit, your deficit is a little aggressive and you can handle it if it's a little smaller.

Or, you can drop your loss per week goal to 1/2 lb and maybe only eat part of your exercise cals and/or stay a little under goal (100-200) each day.

Kind of depends on how much the red numbers bothers you and how you feel, and how good your eating habits are. If you aren't too careful about your foods, I would go with a higher cal goal to make sure you're getting adequate nutrients. If you eat pretty clean, you may be able to get away with a little lower cal goal. And if you have trouble sticking with the lower cal goal (feeling tired, deprived, etc), then by all means, go with the higher cal goal. Really this about sustainability - you want to choose strategies and habits that you can live with long term.

mamato3inca

Quick question...what about exercise? If my BMR is 1300 and I burn 200 in cardio, does that mean I should eat a minimum of 1300 or the 1500 to include my exercise calories? This is interesting...thank you!

Jenscan

Wow, thanks ladyhawk (ps, love that movie, if that is to what you refer your screenname. love the singer, if that is to what you refer)!!

On the whole, I'm sedentary, yes. I do eat nutritious food; with a few exceptions, sure; but I'm aware that I need to get a lot of bang for my buck since I'm not eating much. I didn't eat healthfully before I started here and that's WHY I ended up here, actually. Stupid fried food and tortilla chips, and stupid me for eating them.

I'm feeling really comfortable at my current goal. I don't feel deprived right now but I'm not eating back all of those exercise calories either. Since I'm a very big perfectionist, red is the enemy, unfortunately and that's why I was like, "I have to go OVER GOAL??". Not so good for someone like me.

This is good food for thought, pun intended. I will be sure to shoot closer to my goal since I don't always eat all my calories back out of concern I've screwed up an estimate, and if I start to plateau I'll start to eat more. I definitely have a game plan later if things start to go awry and I will feel a little better now if I go a few calories over goal. I need to keep telling myself that this isn't a perfect science, as much as I'd like it to be!

Thanks again for the thoughtful response.

ladyhawk00

Quick question...what about exercise? If my BMR is 1300 and I burn 200 in cardio, does that mean I should eat a minimum of 1300 or the 1500 to include my exercise calories? This is interesting...thank you!

Well, remember that BMR is what you burn just being alive, as if in a coma. Then, on top of that, you have daily activity level - brushing your teeth, watching tv, cooking dinner, what you do for work, etc.

MFP has already deducted the necessary cals to allow for your chosen loss per week goal (as long as that wouldn't take you under 1200) - but it has NOT accounted for exercise until you log it. For someone who has very little to lose, like you, it is MUCH more important to have a conservative deficit and eat enough to fuel your workouts. Otherwise, you risk losing lean mass (muscle) and slowing your metabolism.

What is your age, height/weight, activity level and what is your loss per week goal at now?

mamato3inca

I am 5'4 and 135 pounds with the loss per week set at 1 pound. My goal is 120. I am a stay at home mom, so I think I picked light activity?

Once again it has my goal at 1200 and BMR is 1308 I believe.

ladyhawk00

I am 5'4 and 135 pounds with the loss per week set at 1 pound. My goal is 120. I am a stay at home mom, so I think I picked light activity?

Once again it has my goal at 1200 and BMR is 1308 I believe.

For less than 20 lbs to lose, I'd change your loss per week goal to 1/2 lb per week.

Then, for exercise cals, if you're going off of MFP or a machine, I'd try to eat 50-75% of them. If using an HRM, closer to 100% of them.

ladyhawk00

Wow, thanks ladyhawk (ps, love that movie, if that is to what you refer your screenname. love the singer, if that is to what you refer)!!

On the whole, I'm sedentary, yes. I do eat nutritious food; with a few exceptions, sure; but I'm aware that I need to get a lot of bang for my buck since I'm not eating much. I didn't eat healthfully before I started here and that's WHY I ended up here, actually. Stupid fried food and tortilla chips, and stupid me for eating them.

I'm feeling really comfortable at my current goal. I don't feel deprived right now but I'm not eating back all of those exercise calories either. Since I'm a very big perfectionist, red is the enemy, unfortunately and that's why I was like, "I have to go OVER GOAL??". Not so good for someone like me.

This is good food for thought, pun intended. I will be sure to shoot closer to my goal since I don't always eat all my calories back out of concern I've screwed up an estimate, and if I start to plateau I'll start to eat more. I definitely have a game plan later if things start to go awry and I will feel a little better now if I go a few calories over goal. I need to keep telling myself that this isn't a perfect science, as much as I'd like it to be!

Thanks again for the thoughtful response.

The movie

Yeah, I think for people who are bothered by the thought of going over, it's better to use the bigger deficit so you have some wiggle room. However, just have to remember not to take that mindset too far.

Good luck with it!

ToxicTinkerbell

Thank you for simplifying this. Where does exercise come in though? Woud you eat the calories burned through exercise?

If your BMR is 1440, and you are Sedentary (lowest option) then your Daily Caloric Expenditure is 1728. 1 lb/week would be 1228, half pound per week would be 1478.

BMR is not Daily Calorie Burn. Are you mixing the two up?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate
TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure (also called Maintenance calories)
Calorie = (unit of measurement), a unit of energy or heat variously defined. In nutrition terms, the word calorie is commonly used to refer to a unit of food energy. (The word calorie is used instead of the more precise scientific term kilocalorie.)

BMR and TDEE are two different things..

BMR is the amount of energy (calories) your body needs to function in a coma.

TDEE is the amount of energy (calories) that your body actually uses (burns) each day by living your life.

Eating less than your TDEE will give you a calorie deficit and you will lose weight.

Eat less than your BMR and you risk slowing your metabolism down; making it that much harder to continue to lose weight and that much more likely that you will regain that weight when you get to maintenance.

smilebhappy

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