BMR says 1263 calories a day, MFP says eat 1200 how will I

Skinnytime

I see this is a big topic on these boards and I've read as much as I can, but it still makes no sense to me. I checked the BMR tool and compared it to what MFP says I should be eating. It didn't take out many calories at all! Shouldn't I be eating a minimum 200 calories less than my BMR in order to loose weight, rather than just maintaining?
I would think I should be eating something like 900 -1000 calories a day in order to see any weight loss.
I know I'll get some calories for exercise, but are those enough to loose weight if I continue with 1,200 calories a day?
Someone who knows more than I do, please help.

Skinnytime

I see this is a big topic on these boards and I've read as much as I can, but it still makes no sense to me. I checked the BMR tool and compared it to what MFP says I should be eating. It didn't take out many calories at all! Shouldn't I be eating a minimum 200 calories less than my BMR in order to loose weight, rather than just maintaining?
I would think I should be eating something like 900 -1000 calories a day in order to see any weight loss.
I know I'll get some calories for exercise, but are those enough to loose weight if I continue with 1,200 calories a day?
Someone who knows more than I do, please help.

MisoSoup79

Your BMR is NOT the same thing as maintenance calories! Your BMR is the absolute minimum you need on a daily basis to feed your vital organs while in a practically comatose state. Your actual maintenance calories will be 400-800 MORE than your BMR, depending on a number of factors.

Go to your "Goals" page. Look at the number MFP has as your "Calories Burned from normal daily activity" on the right. That number is an estimation of your maintenance calories. As long as you are eating less than that number and MORE than your BMR, you will lose weight.

ChubbyBunny

Thank you Miso, very well put.
I was about to freak out.

Skinnytime

No reason to freak out ... I won't starve myself :laugh: If I were capable of that, I wouldn't be in the shape (or lack of shape) I'm in now.
I was just confused.
Thanks,Miso. I will look there.

Also, I just went around to different BMR calculators and got a bunch of different numbers from each of them! I guess they all use different calculation methods.

I'll try to stick to 1,200 calories a day and see how I do.

Thanks!

AJCM

Just something that worked for me....

I always used the calculation of: your current weight x 12 = what you burn in an average day (non sedentary) and without exercise.

I use this formula for mainteance calories too....
E.g. 130 lbs of body weight = 130 x 12 = 1560 calories to maintain (not including exercise)

Hope that is helpful on some level!
:flowerforyou:

DonzGirl

From reading other people's blogs, I have decided that the ' weight times 12' method seems to work for average-sized people but seems to be TOO MUCH for heavier people....i.e. if one weighs 200 pounds plus, then the daily calorie intake is way high (2400)