Why doesn't MFP use your BMR for minimum caloric intake?

afwatson15

I'm confused.

My BMR = 1816
TDEE = 2180 (sedentary value, not including my exercise calories)

So I understand MFP just takes this TDEE and subtracts 1,000 calories (2 lbs a week) to get your caloric intake value - which for me is 1200.

However, I've read in multiple areas that you should be eating your BMR at the MINIMUM.

So, not even including eating my exercise calories, I should be eating about 2200 calories a day.

I'm a little perturbed to find out I've basically been starving myself for the last 3 weeks because of MFP's jacked up number.

huntindawg1962

The difference being that you have the MFP program rate which is what you described, and you have the MFP bulletin boards opinions (not necessarily MFP staff people) based on other stuff general public people posting on the BB have found on the internet where many have the opinion that one should never go below their BMR rates.

KareninCanada

MFP is not set up by doctors and does not offer medical advice. It's just a tool. You choose to use the tool the way you best see fit.

It just uses math to give you a number, but won't go below 1200 because that is considered unsafe.


The people on here aren't doctors, either - but I would strongly advise that you choose carefully who you listen to. I tend to choose to listen to people who have had good, long-term weight loss success, getting the kind of results I want to see, and doing it without starving themselves.

afwatson15

The difference being that you have the MFP program rate which is what you described, and you have the MFP bulletin boards opinions (not necessarily MFP staff people) based on other stuff general public people posting on the BB have found on the internet where many have the opinion that one should never go below their BMR rates.

That's fine - if the variables weren't so significant. We're literally talking about doubling caloric intake. If it was a difference of 100-200 calories I'd buy this argument. But as it stands, I'm either severely starving myself, or eating like a whale. How can there be such a huge distortion between MFP and the general community consensus??

sweettthings

You can change the number if you'd rather use a different one.

chachadiva150

MFP is not set up by doctors and does not offer medical advice. It's just a tool. You choose to use the tool the way you best see fit.

Exactly. Do what you think it right. I just use MFP as a logging tool. I worked up my own level of calories and I stick to my own plan.

afwatson15

MFP is not set up by doctors and does not offer medical advice. It's just a tool. You choose to use the tool the way you best see fit.

Exactly. Do what you think it right. I just use MFP as a logging tool. I worked up my own level of calories and I stick to my own plan.

Yes - well, in my first 3 weeks I didn't know MFP was "just a tool" and that the caloric intake levels are +/- 1000.

Don't get me wrong, I love MFP - but I think it's a little unnerving for people just joining. Glad I ended up doing more research, otherwise my body would soon be in a world of hurt.

chachadiva150

Yes - well, in my first 3 weeks I didn't know MFP was "just a tool" and that the caloric intake levels are +/- 1000.

Don't get me wrong, I love MFP - but I think it's a little unnerving for people just joining. Glad I ended up doing more research, otherwise my body would soon be in a world of hurt.

That's funny. I never knew that MFP was a "plan." I did all of my own research before joining the site. I already knew what and how much I was going to eat. I see their numbers and I just see how it fits with what I already planned on doing. Where it differs, I go with my own research.

ladyraven68

MFP is a free site - it's great for logging and tracking.

But it's calculator isn't sophisticated, it is just a numerical calculator that deducts 250, 500, 1000 etc from your estimated TDEE, subject to a lower limit of 1200. It is not sophisticated enough to set the minimum at BMR, (which would change every time you logged your weight), it just has a level 1200 limit based on Government recommended minimum calories for nutrition.

It works out your TDEE, excluding exercise calories, so that people can follow the plan without exercise if they wish.

If you chose 500 calorie defict to lose 1lb a week, it assumes you actually want to keep a 500 defict, so if you exercise it tells you to eat back the exercise burn to maintain the 500 calorie defcit that you told it you wanted.

it really is a great FREE site, but it isn't perfect. If you want a more scientific method for calculating your calories, try other sites/methods and log that as your MFP target calories.

What I find odd, is that people will follow the MFP non-exercise calculations, but then ignore the fact that you are supposed to eat back the exercise calories.

you have 2 options, - use MFP's TDEE, but eat back the exercise calories in the way MFP is intended to work,
or use another method to work out your TDEE , and just eat that amount regardless of exercise (you can either not log your exercise, or log it with 1 calorie so that MFP doesn't add it back in)

For a free site I think it's amazing. Thanks MFP. :flowerforyou:

afwatson15

Yes - well, in my first 3 weeks I didn't know MFP was "just a tool" and that the caloric intake levels are +/- 1000.

Don't get me wrong, I love MFP - but I think it's a little unnerving for people just joining. Glad I ended up doing more research, otherwise my body would soon be in a world of hurt.

That's funny. I never knew that MFP was a "plan." I did all of my own research before joining the site. I already knew what and how much I was going to eat. I see their numbers and I just see how it fits with what I already planned on doing. Where it differs, I go with my own research.

You're clearly smarter than me. I must be in the minority of people that joined MFP and took their advice concerning GENERAL health guidelines. I wanted to diet, found MFP as a good resource and went to it. Pardon me for not getting my nutritionist license before commencing my diet.

qtiekiki

But you have to remember that you enter for your weight loss to be 2lbs a week, so the MFP will just calculate the number for you. It doesn't know that 2lbs/week is not realistic for a lot of people.

afwatson15

MFP is a free site - it's great for logging and tracking.

But it's calculator isn't sophisticated, it is just a numerical calculator that deducts 250, 500, 1000 etc from your estimated TDEE, subject to a lower limit of 1200. It is not sophisticated enough to set the minimum at BMR, (which would change every time you logged your weight), it just has a level 1200 limit based on Government recommended minimum calories for nutrition.

It works out your TDEE, excluding exercise calories, so that people can follow the plan without exercise if they wish.

If you chose 500 calorie defict to lose 1lb a week, it assumes you actually want to keep a 500 defict, so if you exercise it tells you to eat back the exercise burn to maintain the 500 calorie defcit that you told it you wanted.

it really is a great FREE site, but it isn't perfect. If you want a more scientific method for calculating your calories, try other sites/methods and log that as your MFP target calories.

What I find odd, is that people will follow the MFP non-exercise calculations, but then ignore the fact that you are supposed to eat back the exercise calories.

you have 2 options, - use MFP's TDEE, but eat back the exercise calories in the way MFP is intended to work,
or use another method to work out your TDEE , and just eat that amount regardless of exercise (you can either not log your exercise, or log it with 1 calorie so that MFP doesn't add it back in)

For a free site I think it's amazing. Thanks MFP. :flowerforyou:

I agree - MFP is an outstanding tool for logging calories. However, I just wish they would point you to other, more accurate websites to obtain caloric intake recommendations, rather than recommend some bogus number to some unsuspecting noob (i.e. - me.)

victoria4321

Yes - well, in my first 3 weeks I didn't know MFP was "just a tool" and that the caloric intake levels are +/- 1000.

Don't get me wrong, I love MFP - but I think it's a little unnerving for people just joining. Glad I ended up doing more research, otherwise my body would soon be in a world of hurt.

That's funny. I never knew that MFP was a "plan." I did all of my own research before joining the site. I already knew what and how much I was going to eat. I see their numbers and I just see how it fits with what I already planned on doing. Where it differs, I go with my own research.

You're clearly smarter than me. I must be in the minority of people that joined MFP and took their advice concerning GENERAL health guidelines. I wanted to diet, found MFP as a good resource and went to it. Pardon me for not getting my nutritionist license before commencing my diet.

No need to get snippy. Even if mpf was exact it would still be your job to educate yourself on healthy food choices. I still think the calculators here work for most people in general. You're expected to eat back your exercise calories so when everything is added up it kind of does level out.

I used the mfp default calculators for months and did pretty well. I always ate back my exercise calories though. I only changed it recently because I started lifting more.

KareninCanada

I think they should enlist a few MFP members like helloitsdan to write some new entries for the Help/FAQ section!

darcialarosa

I too felt a bit deceived by MFP, but once I changed my goal to 1 pound a week and increased my activity level (you're not sedentary if you exercise 3-5 x a week), it put my calories right around my BMR. I now eat that, and eat back all or most of my exercise cals, and I've lost 2 lbs!

The thing is, everyone's looking for an easy fix. And they come to MFP and plug in that they want to lose 2+ lbs a week, and MFP just gives them what they want: an unreasonable and unattainable calorie goal.