BMR higher than goal. Am I missing something?

erickirb

Thanks - and I agree with what you are saying. But is that not in conflict with the "don't eat below your BRM" remarks some are making?

Okay, if you have a lot to lose 75+ lbs you would be able to sustain eating below BMR, once you have less to lose not so much without risking losing lean muscle mass.

My1985Freckles

Hmmm ... Don't you need to take in (or burn off) 3,500 calories less than your BMR each week in order to lose a pound?

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

It is 3500 calories less than your TDEE (which is your BMR times activity level -- sedentary, lightly active, etc.)

Example: My BMR is approximately 1460. I am sedentary (desk job) so my activity multiplier is 1.25. My TDEE is approximately 1825 (1460*1.25).

I need to eat 3500 calories less than my weekly TDEE to lose a pound.

Additionally, it is ill advised to eat below your BMR for an extended time period (a day here and there is going to hurt). If you eat under your BMR long term, it will lower your BMR. This isn't a good thing since the BMR calories burned are basically "freebie" calories.

Please eat at least your BMR. If the difference between your BMR and TDEE is only 250 and you want to lose a pound a week you'll need to average 250 exercise calories burned each day for a total of 500 calorie deficit.

Take care of your body for the long term. Slow and Steady wins the race!

I did these calculations: tdee × 7 = x, x - 3500 = y, y ÷ 7 = calories I should consume a day to lose weight. My y = 862.5

The difference between my bmr and tdee is about 275

My calorie intake is set at 1200 calories, isn't that too many calories to be consuming?

You would need to make up the 225 calories a day difference (500-275) in exercise and NOT from your diet.

Additionally, you are 101.6 and right smack dab in the middle of the healthy weight range for your height. You should try changing that to half a pound of weight loss per week (or 250 calorie deficit per day). That would have you eating right around your BMR of 1090.

psuLemon

Keep in mind eating below your BMR will slow down your metabolism. It's sophisticated enough to adjust when it doesn't see enough food.

BTW some good info on the link below.


http://www.shapefit.com/basal-metabolic-rate.html

huntindawg1962

Thanks - and I agree with what you are saying. But is that not in conflict with the "don't eat below your BRM" remarks some are making?

Okay, if you have a lot to lose 75+ lbs you would be able to sustain eating below BMR, once you have less to lose not so much without risking losing lean muscle mass.

Excellent - thanks!

LynneGG

bump

3dogsrunning

I did these calculations: tdee × 7 = x, x - 3500 = y, y ÷ 7 = calories I should consume a day to lose weight. My y = 862.5

The difference between my bmr and tdee is about 275

My calorie intake is set at 1200 calories, isn't that too many calories to be consuming?

1. You are small. Most of these numbers, 1200, 500 whatever, are generalizations. You may not fit neatly into those. Some suggest using a percentage of your TDEE instead of the straight 500.

2. You are very close to goal weight, 1lb a week should not be your goal anyway.

erickirb

I did these calculations: tdee × 7 = x, x - 3500 = y, y ÷ 7 = calories I should consume a day to lose weight. My y = 862.5

The difference between my bmr and tdee is about 275

My calorie intake is set at 1200 calories, isn't that too many calories to be consuming?

1. You are small. Most of these numbers, 1200, 500 whatever, are generalizations. You may not fit neatly into those. Some suggest using a percentage of your TDEE instead of the straight 500.

2. You are very close to goal weight, 1lb a week should not be your goal anyway.

see #2 above

Your goal should be 0.5lbs/week when you have less than 15lbs to go to ensure you are not losing too much lean muscle.

Mabohlale

So why doesn't MFP calculate our goal based on TDEE? Seems that from what everyone has said that would be a very simple programming item ...

psuLemon

So why doesn't MFP calculate our goal based on TDEE? Seems that from what everyone has said that would be a very simple programming item ...

It does. When you go into your settings, you will have an indicator on whether you are sedentary, lightly active, etc.. and based on which one you select, will determine how it sets up your goal. Unfortunately, most people don't add their exercise into your TDEE calculation. This is why it's suggested to eat back their exercise calories.

As a point of reference, if your BMR would be 1500, and you chose a sedentary lifestyle, it will take your BMR and multiply it by 1.2 and then add the deficit you chose.

erickirb

So why doesn't MFP calculate our goal based on TDEE? Seems that from what everyone has said that would be a very simple programming item ...

Because the MFP way is supiriour. The reason being the TDEE method gives you calories for planed exercise. Well not everyone sticks with their plan, either working out more or less or burning a dif # of cals then what was estimated. MFP allows you to lose your goal amount of weight regardles of exercise, whereas using TDEE you have to exercise exactly as you planned to lose your goal amount of weight. MFP allows you to adjust via food intake, instead of amount of exercise, food intake is easier to control/measure.