MFP warning about eating under BMR

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  • Rowell29s
    Rowell29s Posts: 32
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    Never mind I found it. It says my TDEE is 2261 and my BMR is 1459. How many calories should I be eating?
    I have felt like I was eating way to few of calories at 1200 but thought this site would know better than me.
  • StephySands
    StephySands Posts: 53
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    I checked out the website that Jennie posted and I am TOTALLY SHOCKED!!! This explains why I had such a long plateau :noway:
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    Here is my issue. I have good days and bad days. So if I eat really healthy all day and only get around 1200 calories and then I eat more like 2000 the next day wouldn't it all average out? No one can take in the exact same amount of calories everyday unless they at the same things everyday. Maybe setting the goal at 1200 isn't a bad thing because you will have days where you eat more.

    I disagree. Plus, there's probably a reason why your body is giving you those 'bad days'. First off I would have to over eat weekly by about 1000 calorie every few days for that to work out for me. Not healthy. I can still have my bad days and eat over what I have set and still manage to loose weight every week. I've been lying in bed the past 2 weeks with strep throat eating at least 500 calories above 1200 each day and I've been loosing weight. 1200 is dangerously low for some people and hundreds of calories below the amount some would need in a coma.
  • Lisseth03
    Lisseth03 Posts: 518 Member
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    wow good thing I read this, MFP has me eating 1380 but I just checked and my BMR is 1565
    So I should be eating at least 1500 calories?
    I can adjust my intake on this site right?
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    Never mind I found it. It says my TDEE is 2261 and my BMR is 1459. How many calories should I be eating?
    I have felt like I was eating way to few of calories at 1200 but thought this site would know better than me.

    Somewhere between or at the top of those 2 numbers. Don't go below your BMR.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    wow good thing I read this, MFP has me eating 1380 but I just checked and my BMR is 1565
    So I should be eating at least 1500 calories?
    I can adjust my intake on this site right?

    You should be eating at or below your TDEE, which is above your BMR, and above 1565. See the link JennieAL posted on the first page.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    JUST TO CLARIFY again...BMR is suppose to be the average amount of calories your body and organs burn at rest, lying down, not moving, for the full day. So if you didn't need to sit up, use the bathroom, look around, your body would appreciate that amount to live. If you sit up, move, eat, look, live, sneeze, work outside of your bed lying down, move around more then you would in a coma or use the bathroom on a regular basis, your body burns and appreciates calories that are over your BMR. I suggest eating somewhere OVER your BMR and AT or below your TDEE (the guestimates can be over sometimes, which is why I say AT).

    Personally (and this isn't everyone I suppose) my goal is AT TDEE and I manage to loose a pound a week.

    Why eat less when you can stuff more nutrition into you and loose weight? It's a win win loose situation!
  • Lisseth03
    Lisseth03 Posts: 518 Member
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    TDEE is said to be 2138

    that seems like a lot of calories.

    I read to subtract 15-20% so if I do 20 that has me eating around 1710.
    so that's what I should aim for?
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    TDEE is said to be 2138

    that seems like a lot of calories.

    I read to subtract 15-20% so if I do 20 that has me eating around 1710.
    so that's what I should aim for?

    Correct :) Your TDEE (2138) would be maintenance, so anything under that and you will lose weight.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    TDEE is said to be 2138

    that seems like a lot of calories.

    I read to subtract 15-20% so if I do 20 that has me eating around 1710.
    so that's what I should aim for?

    Correct :) Your TDEE (2138) would be maintenance, so anything under that and you will lose weight.

    Not a whole lot, most nutritional information I've read is based on a 2000 calorie diet. So you're still eating below what most nutritional information assumes your eating. But eat anything below that and above your BMR and you will loose. Yesterday I ate 2400 calories and woke up a pound lighter today. Believe me, all the food was worth the chance :P
  • lvondy
    lvondy Posts: 76 Member
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    I agree. I thought this site was correct as i've been eating 1200, where can I go to find out my real Cals??

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ is a good one.

    MFP uses good calculations (Mifflin St Jeor, if I'm not mistaken), it just takes out the activity factor and gives you back "exercise calories"... which can be misunderstood, misused, abused, etc.

    All this info has been really helpful to me today. I've been feeling overwhelmed with all the different information. I plugged in my stats to the above site and received this information:

    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1699
    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1947
    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2195
    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2443
    Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2690

    If I workout for 30-45 minutes, 5 days a week should I be eating 2195 calories? I still have a few pounds and love handles I am working hard to lose but I'm pretty sure I'm not eating enough. At least that is what I am gathering from this thread. It is all so confusing!
  • Lisseth03
    Lisseth03 Posts: 518 Member
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    TDEE is said to be 2138

    that seems like a lot of calories.

    I read to subtract 15-20% so if I do 20 that has me eating around 1710.
    so that's what I should aim for?

    Correct :) Your TDEE (2138) would be maintenance, so anything under that and you will lose weight.

    Not a whole lot, most nutritional information I've read is based on a 2000 calorie diet. So you're still eating below what most nutritional information assumes your eating. But eat anything below that and above your BMR and you will loose. Yesterday I ate 2400 calories and woke up a pound lighter today. Believe me, all the food was worth the chance :P


    Great, thanks guys! I will adjust my calorie intake on fitpal to just over 1700
  • lvondy
    lvondy Posts: 76 Member
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    Sorry if I sound like an idiot here, just wanting to figure this out. After reading this post I realize I have been eating under my BMR. So using the links I found out my BMR is 1431 and my TDEE is 2218 since I exercise 5-6 days a week. So I should be eating between these two to lose weight? Do I still need to log my exercise? Thanks for all the information, it has been so helpful!
  • stephie4111
    stephie4111 Posts: 118
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    Im still confused on it all lol. if Im 42 weigh 134 and 5 foot 3 working out 6 days a week how many should i be eating
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Im still confused on it all lol. if Im 42 weigh 134 and 5 foot 3 working out 6 days a week how many should i be eating
    Your BMR is 1347.
    Your TDEE as Moderately Active (I assume you have a desk job or such as you work out so much) is 2088. Cutting 20% from this gives you a daily goal of 1767. :flowerforyou:

    Using TDEE, your exercise is accounted for so it's the same number every day, regardless of exercise UNLESS it takes you under your BMR on Net Calories - so, if your Net Calories is less than 1347, eat up - you can eat a little over BMR all the way back up to 1767 - choice is yours.
  • stephie4111
    stephie4111 Posts: 118
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    thank you and no Im a stay at home mom who exercises doing the brazil butt lift and walking mixed in somedays
  • stephie4111
    stephie4111 Posts: 118
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    can i change it so it shows daily calories as 1347 cause right now it says 1540
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    can i change it so it shows daily calories as 1347 cause right now it says 1540

    No, but I'll tell you how to make it say 1767 :P

    Go to home, then Goals, hit Change Goals, custom, then it's the first box on the left :)
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
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    I've read the thread and now I'm concerned...

    BMR: 1,410.
    Sedentary.
    Breastfeeding too. (Adding on an additional 300-500 calories...)

    What does that put me at? Because with the 1200 standard, I only just meet that requirement daily and I'm usually not hungry enough to eat more....
  • stephie4111
    stephie4111 Posts: 118
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    cversey thanks so now it shows 1907 left for day with exercise. I usually go to 1400 maybe 1500 a day

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