MFP warning about eating under BMR

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  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    Sorry to interrupt your discussion and verbal fights but THIS is exactly why I didn't post my questions on the boards for the last few months. Whenever I did two or more wannabe dieticians started fighting about who knows what and all those seeking info, advice etc are being left stunned about what there is to be fighting and arguing for...that's not a discussion for me and after reading a few pages it's become rather confusing.
    Honestly MFPals who you are looking for an idea: aren't you more confused than anything?:frown:

    Yeah I know, we're being horrible. I'm in the middle of exams. There's been pages of people who have been left out, I'm aware. I'll be back next week to calculating everything (but if you read through the thread it's been explained over and over again). And I keep saying I am absolutely not a professional, but I don't know anyone who this hasn't worked for who's given it a fair amount of time. BMI obese high healthy and low weights all eating above their BMR...No underweights, but I haven't bottomed out yet ;) And I know there's many many people who it works for.

    P.S. I'd love to be a dietitian :P It's so satisfying to just say some words to someone and watch them drop weight and be happy. So far I have my mom (10 pounds), mom's friend (started her out yesterday), sister (20 pounds), and 2 friends that have lost up to 20 pounds listening to what I've said (always letting them know that I am not a professional but this is what has worked). Not to mention me following it and a ridiculous amount of MFPs who I've followed on here. This stuff is easy! ...Of course I'm sure there are exceptions (thiroid, hormonal, ED etc).
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I find this just so interesting. Why is it so hard to accept that different things work for different people, and that some people have lost a lot of weight eating below their BMR without any negative effects to their health??

    Virtually every clinical diet trial reported seems to have people eating under their BMR and losing weight. I happen to have one open in another window, the subjects *measured* RMR ranged from 5529 to 9754 kJ/day (1322 to 2333 kcal/day) and they were fed in the range 1170 - 4710 kJ/day (280 to 1126 kcal/day) so there as no overlap between the highest energy intake of the heaviest subject and the RMR of the lightest.

    ( Energy expenditure before and during energy restriction in obese patients, Eric Ravussin et al, Am J C/in Nutr 1985;4l:753-759. )

    With sufficient protein to avoid muscle loss and good food choices you can get all the mineral and vitamin nutrition you need, so where's this health risk that magically appears at 1200 calories or the BMR or <insert arbitrary calorie intake> ? How do these clinical investigators get their designs past the ethics committee ?
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
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    Sorry to interrupt your discussion and verbal fights but THIS is exactly why I didn't post my questions on the boards for the last few months. Whenever I did two or more wannabe dieticians started fighting about who knows what and all those seeking info, advice etc are being left stunned about what there is to be fighting and arguing for...that's not a discussion for me and after reading a few pages it's become rather confusing.
    Honestly MFPals who you are looking for an idea: aren't you more confused than anything?:frown:

    Sorry if I contributed to that. I think yarwell said it perfectly and clearly more eloquently than I did.

    I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all solution. Lots of people eat below their (estimated) BMR and are fine. I'm one of those people. It would be nice to be able to state that opinion without being met by hostility...
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all solution. Lots of people eat below their (estimated) BMR and are fine. I'm one of those people. It would be nice to be able to state that opinion without being met by hostility...
    Neither do I...you seen what I just wrote on your profile :p and...Hostility? Who privately messaged who in a hostile manner before ever talking to me and ever reading this thread because I stated my opinion in my profile? From what you've told me the only reason you didn't want to try it is because you think you'll continuously gain weight. Correct me if I'm wrong.

    Anyway, sometimes I think it's good to butt heads. Then people can see both sides, see new information that they may not have seen before on the topic, and decide for themselves. This is why I think it should be mentioned somewhere aside from the forums. Just the blindness factor that me and others have had.
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
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    "Who privately messaged who in a hostile manner..."

    You should go back and read my original PM.... it wasn't even remotely hostile. It took several back-and-forths before I dropped the "stunning" line :tongue:
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    "Who privately messaged who in a hostile manner..."

    You should go back and read my original PM.... it wasn't even remotely hostile. It took several back-and-forths before I dropped the "stunning" line :tongue:

    Lol! Sorry, I just did, looking back its not like you said anything mean. But you were pretty defensive towards someone who didn't ask to be argued with :p
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
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    Well I am glad we worked it out :flowerforyou:
  • Lanie42
    Lanie42 Posts: 10
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    Very interesting. So according to that site, here are my numbers:

    Based on this formula, your current BMR is 1415 calories.


    Activity Level Daily Calories
    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1604
    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1838
    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2072
    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2306
    Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2540

    I work at a desk all day. However, I do work out (20 minute brisk walk, and just started weights 3 days, sometimes more). So what should I set my calories too on here because I am both sedentary and lightly active. I actually have them at 1410 (that's what somewhere else told me my bmr was) right now and eat back my exercise calories.

    If I set them to 1604 or 1838 do I still eat back my exercise calories or not log them?
  • aimeeinohio
    aimeeinohio Posts: 301 Member
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    Oh man, I am so confused!
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
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    Oh man, I am so confused!

    Just eat right at your BMR and then you will please both camps :drinker:
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    Very interesting. So according to that site, here are my numbers:

    Based on this formula, your current BMR is 1415 calories.


    Activity Level Daily Calories
    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1604
    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1838
    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2072
    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2306
    Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2540

    I work at a desk all day. However, I do work out (20 minute brisk walk, and just started weights 3 days, sometimes more). So what should I set my calories too on here because I am both sedentary and lightly active. I actually have them at 1410 (that's what somewhere else told me my bmr was) right now and eat back my exercise calories.

    If I set them to 1604 or 1838 do I still eat back my exercise calories or not log them?

    I work at a desk all day. I usually walk from my car to class to my car. I just bought a pullup bar. I'm trying to not fail at that. I set mine to my Sedentary TDEE, enter exercise calories (so my walks and weights) and eat those calories back. My stats are in my profile if you want to read. I'm not afraid to go over as long as my week is around my TDEE (Last week was a bit over, sometimes I'm a bit under). That sets me at about a pound a week, but that won't work for everyone. Some will eat below their TDEE.
  • jchrisman717
    jchrisman717 Posts: 780 Member
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    Oh man, I am so confused!

    Yes if you read too many threads on this - it will confuse you -- I've finally picked a number and am going with it. I will reassess in a couple of weeks and see if I need to adjust. It is easier for some people than others to lose - many different factors and if you let all the numbers get to you - it can be overwhelming.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    Oh man, I am so confused!
    I'm confused to what you are confused about :P
  • JennieAL
    JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
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    Attention CONFUSED people: READ... read, think... read and think some more. Then you will no longer need to ask the questions and sift through all the argumentative answers. Don't be dependent on MFP's in-house calculation... and don't be dependent on picking the right "expert" to tell you what to do.

    Read Lyle McDonald & Alan Aragon... because these two guys are pretty straight when it comes to science backed info.

    If you will go back and click on the link I left you will see it all... the SPECTRUM OF CALORIE DEFICITS... from SMALL TO LARGE, and the PROS & CONS OF EACH.

    ...happy reading
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
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    "Some will eat below their TDEE."

    I promise, promise, promise I am not trying to keep the flame war going. But I think statements like this might be confusing.

    TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure - that is, the number of total calories your body burns on any given day. Unless you are hooked up to special machines and go through a rigorous scientific process, it is impossible to know your *exact* TDEE. All of the calculators on the internet are just estimates.

    To lose weight, you *must* eat below your *actual* TDEE. It's impossible to eat the exact same number of calories that your body is expending and lose weight. Think about it. If you are burning an extra pound of fat per week, then your actual TDEE is 500 calories per day higher than you think it is.

    When you plug your numbers into the internet and it spits out 2200, maybe your actual TDEE is 2600. Maybe it's 1800. It's impossible to know for sure except to eat a consistent number of calories for a period and see what happens. If you find yourself losing weight, congrats! You are eating below your TDEE. If you find yourself staying the same, you have found your exact TDEE. If you are gaining weight, you are above your TDEE (which isn't necessarily a bad thing if you are trying to add muscle).

    If I have been confusing or argumentative, it was unintentional. The debate over whether or not to go below your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn at rest) is an interesting one. But you have to eat below your actual TDEE to lose weight. (again, what you think is your TDEE might be an under-estimate or an over-estimate!!)

    Peace to all. :smile:
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
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    I wish they would! So many people on here undereat.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
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    Love this idea!!!
  • skyan
    skyan Posts: 12
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    There's a BMR calculator on the site if you go to tools. Personally, 1200 is a cap I can never seem to reach since I don't eat much (I try to, but how I eat I normally only eat around 800 calories.)

    It just depends on the purpose. You have to know your own body - the site can't do EVERYTHING for you. It just stops at 1200 because that is the lowest recommended limit.
  • skingszoo
    skingszoo Posts: 412 Member
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    I have several female friends that have adopted this lifestyle with me and can tell you that they have seen the best results in terms of weight (fat) loss when they eat in the 1500-1800 calorie range......Along with heavy strength training as well (which I know is another debate entirely).......

    -Rob

    This is what I do too!
  • Hannahxlouise
    Hannahxlouise Posts: 3
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    I don't think I have been doing this properly then my cal intake is ment to be 1200 I eat 1000 and exercise burns of 600 so now I look at it I'm only eating 400 after exercise is this really bad ,when I first started my diet I did find 1200 cals hard to stick to but now I'm so used to it I'm full up on 1000 a day and couldnt possibly eat any more x

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