Confused about the MFP cal requirement

jasmin1310

Hi All
Started this site yesterday and am reading through posts and blogs and finding everything quite helpful, but I am a little confused...

It appears that everyone should have a net calorie intake of 1,200 but shouldn't this be body specific?
I just calculated my BMR and its is 1345 so if I have 1200 net, i have only got a deficit of 100 cals per day which means i will only lose 1lb every two weeks. I would like to aim for 1lb a week, but am now also worried about going into starvation mode, slowing my metabolism etc, why is it so complicated?

Can i have a deficit of 500 cals a day without going into starvation mode?
Why is 1,200 the optimum number?

Sorry if i come across a dumb :huh:

ashleigh2311

Saaaame, my BMR is only 1400 and something, so once ive subtracted the 500 cal deficit to lose the weight i want, ive gone below the MFP recommendation

my body very easily goes into starvation mode (probably my own fault from my genuine starvation in the past), and i have a slow metabolism as it is so i have the same dilemma

TripleJ3

To maintain your weight that you are at now lets say its 2300 calories per day. For each pound you want to lose you subtract 500 calories to make your deficit. Your 1300 calories is the deficit for a projected 2lb loss.

They say as a rule in general people shouldn't net under 1200 calories per day, that everyone should atleast eat that amount.

stormieweather

BMR is not what you burn everyday. That is the bare minimum your body organs need to function (ie: if you were in a coma and did absolutely nothing). What you burn is called your TDEE or Daily Calorie Burn. To find out what your REAL deficit is, go to home > goals and look at the right side of the screen. You'll see your Daily Calorie Burn, your deficit and your projected weight loss per week.

momma3sweetgirls

The basic BMR calculation does not take into account your daily activity level. See the link below to recalculate your BMR.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

erickirb

BMR is not what you need to maintain your weight, maintenance calories are what you need. Go to goals look at the top right where it says calories burned from normal daily activity, this is your maintenance calories. BMR is your energy requirements while in a coma maintenance calories takes into account your activity level, digestion, sitting etc. This goals page also shows your deficit and your predicted weekly weight loss based on that info.

1200 is not the optimum number, it is the minimum amount you should get, most people should get more. Since you only have 20 lbs to lose your goal should not be more than 1 lb/week otherwise you may burn muscle instead of fat while losing weight.

jasmin1310

Hi Triple J

So as my BMR is 1345 if i did nothing and ate that much i would remain the same.
But to lose 1lb i would need to burn 500 cals a day, so no excercise would mean 845 cals.

But as I am excercising and if i burn 500 cals my net would still be below 1,200 - so does that mean i have to have slow weight loss in order to ensure not going into starvation mode?

I feel really silly asking, but i just want to make sure i get it and not fall back as before.

jasonweinberg

bmr is based on NO activity. you then have activity which burns calories and your bmr plus that activity sets your maintenance clorie level and the deficit is based on that. then you add exercise on top of that. if you use the guided goals which you should as a newbie, it does all the calculation for you. just follow the math in your goal setting page.

jasmin1310

thanks guys makes so much more sense now!

heathersmilez

BMR is not what you need to maintain your weight, maintenance calories are what you need. Go to goals look at the top right where it says calories burned from normal daily activity, this is your maintenance calories. BMR is your energy requirements while in a coma maintenance calories takes into account your activity level, digestion, sitting etc. This goals page also shows your deficit and your predicted weekly weight loss based on that info.

1200 is not the optimum number, it is the minimum amount you should get, most people should get more.

YES! The deficit comes from your maintenance NOT your BMR.

phinners

The basic BMR calculation does not take into account your daily activity level. See the link below to recalculate your BMR.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

I just tried that. thank you.

Now I'm confused, that site gives me a BMR of 1703.75. MFP gives it as 2100. There seems to be quite a difference there, so how would I go about choosing which one I go by?

erickirb

The basic BMR calculation does not take into account your daily activity level. See the link below to recalculate your BMR.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

I justy tried that.

Now I'm confused, that site gives me a BMR of 1703.75. MFP gives it as 2100. There seems to be quite a difference there, so how would I go about choosing which one I go by?

Does MFP give you 2100 as your BMR or your maintenance calories, these are 2 different things.

phinners

The basic BMR calculation does not take into account your daily activity level. See the link below to recalculate your BMR.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

I justy tried that.

Now I'm confused, that site gives me a BMR of 1703.75. MFP gives it as 2100. There seems to be quite a difference there, so how would I go about choosing which one I go by?

Does MFP give you 2100 as your BMR or your maintenance calories, these are 2 different things.

oh, I'll go look. Not sure at the moment.

Ah, it gives me:

Calories Burned
From Normal Daily Activity 2,050 calories/day


So that must be BMR plus daily activity cals?

Xaspar

Don't look at just your BMR ... go to your goals page and look at the section that says calories burned from normal daily activity. THAT is where you want to calculate your 500 cal deficit. If THAT number is too low to accomodate a 500 cal deficit with a 1200 calorie diet, I hate to say it, but you need to exercise to get that number up above 1700. Mine is at 1810 right now. so a 1200 calorie diet gives me a 610 calorie deficit daily UNLESS I work out... Then I add workout calories to the daily burn and subtract my desired deficit from there to get an appropriate number of calories.. If I burn 400 calories exercising and add that to my daily burn, I am actually using 2210 calories... subtract 500 I can eat up to 1710 calories and still lose at the 1 pound rate. Subtract 750 calories and eat 1460 calories for the 1.5 pound rate or simply eat my 1200 calories and still be OK. BUT I try not to have a deficit greater than 1000 calories and generally aim for the 750 -800 calorie deficit range

jasmin1310

Should i just look at daily deficit or is a weekly deficit ok as long as it equates to no more than 1,200 if it was divided equally?

TripleJ3

Yes I would go for the slower loss of 1lb per week. I always went for the bigger loss and lost zero weight.

I think its more of a personal thing on whether you should do it daily or by the week. When I reached the weight I'm going for now I zig zagged caloried naturally. It had to do with my busy life at the time but one day my calories would be low, the next would be higher. A lot higher.

To me I see it as its all in what you do in a week verses a day. You can eat a big meal in one day and still lose that week but for some to stay successful they need the same calorie goal everyday. Having set higher calorie days just works better for me and keeps me from getting too frustrated.

The hardest part for me is learning it takes time and there will be trial & error until you find what works for you. While I normally see myself as a patient person in most areas, this is one area I don't have patience for, I want results today!!:laugh: But I'm learning....

stormieweather

If your daily burn is 2050, and you create a deficit of 500 calories (to lose 1 pound a week), you would be eating 1550 calories a day (without any purposeful-fitness-related exercise).