my BMR is almost the same as my daily allowance??

CARNAT22

I assume this is because I am so near goal weight?

BMR comes out as 1297, I am on 1200 cals per day (plus eat back exercise calories)

Sorry in advance to create yet another BMR thread but I cannot see how I am going to shift these final few lbs?

I don't want to maintain yet, is there any benefit in my upping my calories?

Forensic

Keep in kind that unless you lay in bed all day you are burning more than BMR.

CARNAT22

Keep in kind that unless you lay in bed all day you are burning more than BMR.

Ironically I just posted something very similar in another thread - doh!!

But is it usual to have a BMR this low?

ST99000722

glad you posted this , i'm in the same boat . my BMR is 1248 , I am on 1200 calories a day. I am also around your height , 5ft , however i am no where near my goal weight, I hope to loose around 20lbs.

This is where i get confused about whether I should be eating more or less calories - how can my minimum be 1200 if my BMR is 1248?

Xaspar

Your BMR is not your maintenance calories. BMR is what your body would burn if you did NOTHING but exist. Laying in bed resting all day, you body will burn these calories to keep your heart pumping and your organs functioning. Unless you are bed-ridden or in a coma, that number really doesn't mean much to you. You REALLY need to look at your daily calorie burn.
For instance, my current BMR is 1426 calories.
The calories I burn daily (with a SEDENTARY lifestyle) is a little closer to 1700.
As your weight goes down, so does your daily burn, But even when I get to my goal weight, my BMR will be 1386 and my daily burn will be 1590. If I exercise it will be a higher daily burn as well.
Don't get wrapped up in the BMR issue, it is just an extra piece of information, but doesn't give the big picture.

Xaspar

glad you posted this , i'm in the same boat . my BMR is 1248 , I am on 1200 calories a day. I am also around your height , 5ft , however i am no where near my goal weight, I hope to loose around 20lbs.

This is where i get confused about whether I should be eating more or less calories - how can my minimum be 1200 if my BMR is 1248?

The whole point is to lose weight, correct? So if you are taking in less than you are spending, your body dips into the savings account (fat stores) for the extra calories it needs. As long as it doesn't think it is in a famine environment (burning WAY more calories than it can comfortably make up for) then you will lose weight, albeit, maybe a bit more slowly once you get closer to your goal weight.

barbacasec

you need to multiple your BMR by your activity level.
if you work out 3-5 times a week you need to x's it by 1.55
so then you would need 1934.40 to maintain your weight - so then if you subtract say 500 calories a day (1lb a week) you need 1434.4 calories a day- (however this means not eating back your exercise calories as they are included in the 1.55) if you dont want to incluse them then you still need to multiple your BMR by 1.2 which would give you 1497.60 and then you would want to eat your exercise calories back.
BMR alone equals what your body would burn just laying in bed all day- not even including the calories it would take to get up to pee - thats what your body needs to survive each day just laying around....

•If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
•If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
•If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
•If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
•If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

hope this helps..... a little....

ajbeans

Yes, that's normal. I'm short, and I'm close to my goal weight. My BMR (calculated by MFP) is 1267. My calorie goal is 1300, because I don't like to eat less than my BMR. That puts me at an average loss of .6 lbs. per week, with my activity level set to sedentary. I also eat my exercise calories, and haven't had a problem continuing to lose.

yanicka

I am 4'11" and 4 pounds from (my now) goal weight. Using The Harris Benedict method my BMR is 1292. Since I classify myself as moderate I multiply that number by 1.55 give me 2002 calories a day to maintain. Anything less then that will translate as a weight loss.

Women BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kilos) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age)

Moderate Activity = 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)

So yep you BMR can be close to your daily calories MFP give you but in reality eating more then 1200 won't make you gain weight.

http://forums.menshealth.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310347/m/474106321