Net Calories set lower than my BMR?

msdoan

Does anyone have any idea why MFP has my daily calories set lower than my BMR? If my BMR is what I would need to sit on my couch and breath, consuming just enough to stay alive, why set the net for 250 calories lower than that?

joannasaurusrex

I was just wondering this too.

I'm guessing because, if you don't do any exercise at all, to lose weight you'd just have to eat a little bit less every day? Which is probably why we're meant to eat back our exercise calories or we end up wayyyyyy calorie deficit.

antennatom

you only need about 1200 with exercise to keep your body going.. under 1200 your body thinks your starving

reaolliemama

That's your deficit...isn't it? 250 per day=1/2 pound per week:huh:

Jorra

If you have a sedentary lifestyle, the amount of calories you burn in an average day (TDEE) is not much higher than your BMR. You need to eat less than your TDEE to lose weight. If the difference between your TDEE and BMR is not an adequate calorie deficit, you need to eat less than that.

vzucco

So that you can lose weight... right?

angelas0304

They a assuming that you want to lose weight. The deficit should be about 250 calories less per day than what you burn in order to do this and lose about 1-2 pounds per week. If you eat what your BMR is then you won't lose weight with diet alone and you would have to exercise to burn the calories.

onedayillbamilf

Because it can't calculate the exact amount of calories you would need to maintain just walking from the couch to the bathroom, from the bathroom to the car, from the car into work, from work to the car, from the car to the couch??? Did I win?

seasonalvoodoo

People who have a lot of weight to lose (obese) can get away with eating below BMR for a while. Once you are near your goal, or if you do not have too much to lose in the first place, it is best to aim for .5 or 1 lb a week. If you set it for 2 lbs, it will most likely set you at or near 1200 which would only be the BMR of a petite person.

So, in short. If you have little to lose, aim for .5 to 1 LB and it should set you to a more reasonable deficit that isn't below your BMR. But if you have a lot to lose, you can eat below BMR, but this is not advisable in the long term.

ElizabethRoad

Because you told the very simple program that you want to lose 1 pound per week, and it subtracted 500 from your TDEE.

PlanetVelma

Here's a few links that should answer your questions.

There is a group called "Unofficial MFP FAQ" (the last link at the bottom of my post), that has more information that you may find helpful.

Have a great day!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/396638-minimum-caloric-intake

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390234-does-starvation-mode-exist-and-what-is-it

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/474-unofficial-mfp-faq

seasonalvoodoo

They a assuming that you want to lose weight. The deficit should be about 250 calories less per day than what you burn in order to do this and lose about 1-2 pounds per week. If you eat what your BMR is then you won't lose weight with diet alone and you would have to exercise to burn the calories.

Total Daily Expenditure is not the same as BMR (FYI, just want to point this out). BMR is what you would need to eat if you literally laid in bed all day. TDEE is what you burn through daily activity.

For instance, my BMR is around 1675 but my TDEE is around 2050 and that is for a Sedentary lifestyle setting,

joannasaurusrex

I just read this on another thread;

"MFP has a safety check in doing the math for goal calories, no matter what your maintenance calories are, if your desired weight loss requires your goal calories to go under 1200, it will not, for generally accepted safety reasons.

But, by the same token, it misses an equally bad safety effect, eating below your BMR. It will more than happily suggest a goal calorie way below your BMR sadly. "

MaximalLife

Does anyone have any idea why MFP has my daily calories set lower than my BMR? If my BMR is what I would need to sit on my couch and breath, consuming just enough to stay alive, why set the net for 250 calories lower than that?

MFP sets your goals based on your stated deficit which is a function of how many pounds per week you seek to lose.

And they set it BELOW your maintenance level which is 1.3 times BMR or as follows

Harris Benedict Formula
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

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
Here is a BMR calculator if you just want to make sure all is as it should be.

BMR Calculator
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

granolagrl85

Does anyone have any idea why MFP has my daily calories set lower than my BMR? If my BMR is what I would need to sit on my couch and breath, consuming just enough to stay alive, why set the net for 250 calories lower than that?

MFP sets your goals based on your stated deficit which is a function of how many pounds per week you seek to lose.

And they set it BELOW your maintenance level which is 1.3 times BMR or as follows

Harris Benedict Formula
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

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
Here is a BMR calculator if you just want to make sure all is as it should be.

BMR Calculator
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

So to lose 2lbs a week I need to take in 800 calories a day and eat back my exercise calories.

msdoan

Thanks for all the "smart" answers. I was questioning because it is WAY below my BMR and I have it set to lose .5 lbs a week and have lost 7 this past week doing nothing but eating the calories it has set. And I mistyped earlier when I said 250, it is 750 below my BMR.

MaximalLife

Does anyone have any idea why MFP has my daily calories set lower than my BMR? If my BMR is what I would need to sit on my couch and breath, consuming just enough to stay alive, why set the net for 250 calories lower than that?

MFP sets your goals based on your stated deficit which is a function of how many pounds per week you seek to lose.

And they set it BELOW your maintenance level which is 1.3 times BMR or as follows

Harris Benedict Formula
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

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
Here is a BMR calculator if you just want to make sure all is as it should be.

BMR Calculator
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

So to lose 2lbs a week I need to take in 800 calories a day and eat back my exercise calories.

No.
Go into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE! It should be somewhere around 1300 or so - whatever.
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES~!
That's it.
Again, quite simple.
The easy part is the what to do; the hard part is the doing.

Good Luck!

heybales

Thanks for all the "smart" answers. I was questioning because it is WAY below my BMR and I have it set to lose .5 lbs a week and have lost 7 this past week doing nothing but eating the calories it has set. And I mistyped earlier when I said 250, it is 750 below my BMR.

You may have a BMR that would be better calculated with a different formula than just age, weight, height.

If you know your body fat % you can go here and get a better estimate of healthy BMR. Just change the height option to BF% option, and you won't use the same formula as MFP and others.

Site is nice too because you can better tune your daily activity outside exercise, just in case you don't fall in to 4 broad categories.

But as mentioned by others, too aggressive a goal for being close to desired weight causes the problem you mention of goal being lower than BMR.
And the problem of eating below you BMR by too much is just getting a lower BMR, because you body will readily slow metabolism down to match the energy you are giving it, if it's not enough.

So you want the deficit to come out of the activity calories you would normally be eating, not your calories for basic life functions.

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

And feed that exercise, as accurate as you can get it, when you enter it into MFP.

MaximalLife

Thanks for all the "smart" answers. I was questioning because it is WAY below my BMR and I have it set to lose .5 lbs a week and have lost 7 this past week doing nothing but eating the calories it has set. And I mistyped earlier when I said 250, it is 750 below my BMR.

You may have a BMR that would be better calculated with a different formula than just age, weight, height.

If you know your body fat % you can go here and get a better estimate of healthy BMR. Just change the height option to BF% option, and you won't use the same formula as MFP and others.

Site is nice too because you can better tune your daily activity outside exercise, just in case you don't fall in to 4 broad categories.

But as mentioned by others, too aggressive a goal for being close to desired weight causes the problem you mention of goal being lower than BMR.
And the problem of eating below you BMR by too much is just getting a lower BMR, because you body will readily slow metabolism down to match the energy you are giving it, if it's not enough.

So you want the deficit to come out of the activity calories you would normally be eating, not your calories for basic life functions.

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

And feed that exercise, as accurate as you can get it, when you enter it into MFP.

WOW!
That calculation NAILED ME!
Than k You!

granolagrl85

Does anyone have any idea why MFP has my daily calories set lower than my BMR? If my BMR is what I would need to sit on my couch and breath, consuming just enough to stay alive, why set the net for 250 calories lower than that?

MFP sets your goals based on your stated deficit which is a function of how many pounds per week you seek to lose.

And they set it BELOW your maintenance level which is 1.3 times BMR or as follows

Harris Benedict Formula
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

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
Here is a BMR calculator if you just want to make sure all is as it should be.

BMR Calculator
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

So to lose 2lbs a week I need to take in 800 calories a day and eat back my exercise calories.

No.
Go into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE! It should be somewhere around 1300 or so - whatever.
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES~!
That's it.
Again, quite simple.
The easy part is the what to do; the hard part is the doing.

Good Luck!

But I want to lose 2lbs a week. AND at 1200 calories it says I will lose 1.3lbs a week.

heybales

But I want to lose 2lbs a week. AND at 1200 calories it says I will lose 1.3lbs a week.

Then best to increase your normal daily activity level so you have enough maintenance calories to deficit from.

If the BMR is semi-accurate, eating below it too much will just slow it down, then you won't be at 2 lbs/week anymore.

Then what, eat less and exercise even more?

BMR goes lower again. Now eat even less and exercise even more?

Think you can win that downward spiral?

Just be realistic with weight goal, and increase daily activity.

MaximalLife

Does anyone have any idea why MFP has my daily calories set lower than my BMR? If my BMR is what I would need to sit on my couch and breath, consuming just enough to stay alive, why set the net for 250 calories lower than that?

MFP sets your goals based on your stated deficit which is a function of how many pounds per week you seek to lose.

And they set it BELOW your maintenance level which is 1.3 times BMR or as follows

Harris Benedict Formula
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

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
Here is a BMR calculator if you just want to make sure all is as it should be.

BMR Calculator
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

So to lose 2lbs a week I need to take in 800 calories a day and eat back my exercise calories.

No.
Go into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE! It should be somewhere around 1300 or so - whatever.
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES~!
That's it.
Again, quite simple.
The easy part is the what to do; the hard part is the doing.

Good Luck!

But I want to lose 2lbs a week. AND at 1200 calories it says I will lose 1.3lbs a week.

That's because what you seek to do is unhealthy.
1 lb per week.
This is not a race.
MFP just won't enable us to harm ourselves with starvation diets.

ElizabethRoad

Thanks for all the "smart" answers. I was questioning because it is WAY below my BMR and I have it set to lose .5 lbs a week and have lost 7 this past week doing nothing but eating the calories it has set. And I mistyped earlier when I said 250, it is 750 below my BMR.

You asked for a deficit of 250, and it's giving you a deficit of over 750? No. Something is wrong with that. Where did you get the number for your BMR?