MFP warning about eating under BMR

mcarter99

But no one has suggested you change your method. You said before you thought 1200 was dangerous. You and others are suggesting others change their method to your method.

I went through the research studies based on the National Weight Control Registry and found nothing to suggest that the speed of losses predicted the rate of re-gain. The only reduction in RMR was due to the expected reduction in lean body mass common to all dieters. The registry includes both fast and slow losers.

http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/published research.htm

heybales

Okay, so I am using today as a rest day, because I want to know how much I really burn, just sitting and doing "normal" things. I'm on target to eat about 1750 cals today. I'm trying to eat close to what my BMR is based on the Katch-McArdle formula - is the Harris-Benedict formula better? Looking back at my fitbit, the highest I have burned is 3248 and lowest is 2510. My non-exercise TDEE is 2199, and based on what I've burned so far, I've calculated that my total calorie burn for today should be 2112, which is really close. I don't plan on keeping my LBM at 145, I know I wouldn't be able to maintain such a low BFP, I'm just trying to build muscle as well as burn fat, I assumed I would lose some LBM in the process. I had MFP set to lightly active, and it was giving me 1540 for my cals, but if I burn say 2840 on a workout day, that would leave me at a deficit of roughly 1300. Wouldn't that be too high of a deficit? I realized that both MFP and fitbit were over-estimating my circuit training exercises. They had them around 600+ for MFP and about 550 for fitbit. Now when I log circuit training, I multiple the minutes by 8.92, and I roughly get 214 at the lowest and 428 at the highest, which I think is a bit more accurate than what MFP and fitbit were projecting, but I could be wrong. Should I eat back my exercise calories? Wouldn't that be making my TDEE for 5 days of workouts a moot point? Should I be looking at my net cals or what I actually eat?

Harris BMR is considered about 5% less accurate. Both Harris and Mifflin based on age/weight/height are inflated outside healthy weight unless LBM/Fat ratio is maintained the same - yours almost is.
Katch BMR is deflated outside healthy weight because it doesn't take into account the energy that is actually spent on fat mass.

So for MFP to be set for the same maintenance calories (their term for non-exercise TDEE) of about 2200, you would set to Sedentary actually.
I find that really hard to believe with the dog walking.
Is that about 2200 include walking the dogs?

If it does, then that is it then.

You should select 1 lb weekly weight loss. Should make 1800 daily goal, which is in-between BMR values.

Now, on the exercise days, you log a workout and manually correct calories and your goal increases to keep the same deficit.
And I think for circuit training your FitBit would be underestimated and MFP is overestimated - so in-between value.
As long as the FitBit site has current correct stats, it is estimating your BMR also, and using that as basis for calorie burn too.

So you keep the same 500 deficit whether you exercise or not.

fiveminutes

Harris BMR is considered about 5% less accurate. Both Harris and Mifflin based on age/weight/height are inflated outside healthy weight unless LBM/Fat ratio is maintained the same - yours almost is.
Katch BMR is deflated outside healthy weight because it doesn't take into account the energy that is actually spent on fat mass.

So for MFP to be set for the same maintenance calories (their term for non-exercise TDEE) of about 2200, you would set to Sedentary actually.
I find that really hard to believe with the dog walking.
Is that about 2200 include walking the dogs?

If it does, then that is it then.

You should select 1 lb weekly weight loss. Should make 1800 daily goal, which is in-between BMR values.

Now, on the exercise days, you log a workout and manually correct calories and your goal increases to keep the same deficit.
And I think for circuit training your FitBit would be underestimated and MFP is overestimated - so in-between value.
As long as the FitBit site has current correct stats, it is estimating your BMR also, and using that as basis for calorie burn too.

So you keep the same 500 deficit whether you exercise or not.

My calorie burn yesterday was 2254, and that was without walking the dogs, literally being lazy. Only getting up to prepare/cook food for meals. I wanted to see what I really did burn on one of my "lazy days". The last three days, I was eating close to the 1794 mark and my official weigh-in was about a 1.4lb loss, which is better than my starving myself did for me (I actually gained). If I walk the dogs, I'm usually around 2500-2600 calories and M-F, I'll be around 2800-3100 depending on the intensity at the gym. The one thing that fitbit doesn't take into account is net calories. It just shows all calories consumed period. I don't always eat back all of my exercise calories, but I do eat most. I'm going to see how this next week goes with eating at the high cal level and eating back some exercise calories and adjust from there. Thanks for your help!

luvJOJO

bump just bc I want to save and read this later