BMR help...

hilarysgiants
hilarysgiants Posts: 132 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My calculated BMR (for sedentary lifestyle) is 1628. So, should I be eating at least that a day and then eating back my exercise calories? I want to lose 10 lbs. I am 5'3", female, and 34 yrs old. MFP has me at around 1330 cals and I was eating my exercise calories back, but then read that I shouldn't eat below my BMR. So, do I change my MFP setting to 1628 and eat back my exercise calories or do I deduct 250 calories from this to help lose weight and continue to eat back my exercise calories??? Thanks!

Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    My calculated BMR (for sedentary lifestyle) is 1628. So, should I be eating at least that a day and then eating back my exercise calories? I want to lose 10 lbs. I am 5'3", female, and 34 yrs old. MFP has me at around 1330 cals and I was eating my exercise calories back, but then read that I shouldn't eat below my BMR. So, do I change my MFP setting to 1628 and eat back my exercise calories or do I deduct 250 calories from this to help lose weight and continue to eat back my exercise calories??? Thanks!

    if you only want to lose 10 lbs you should probably be eating more than BMR in order to retain lean muscle as you lose fat, and eat back the cals you burn from exercise.

    Here is a guide for setting weekly weight loss goals, and on top of these goals, eat back what you burn from exercise:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
  • hilarysgiants
    hilarysgiants Posts: 132 Member
    Thanks. I appreciate your help. I think I was overthinking all of this and just confusing myself. I have been working out hard and eating only 1200 (at first) and not noticing much of a difference. I have slowly started upping my calories and feel better with more energy. I will definitely up them again to eat at or above my BMR.
  • plzlbsbegone
    plzlbsbegone Posts: 233
    Are you actually sendentary? When i started, I had set my goals with sendentary, and when I bought my Body Media, I realized I was WAAAAAY off. If you don't sit at a desk alllll day long, and sit on your keester when you get home, then I would venture to guess that you are not sendentary. I bet if you set it at lightly active, your BMR and MFP goals with get close to matching!
  • hilarysgiants
    hilarysgiants Posts: 132 Member
    I do have a desk job and do sit a lot during the day most of the week. When I get home, I usually don't sit until I am ready for bed. I have a 3.5 yr old and 20 month old to chase after, and cooking/cleaning, etc. I just put in sedentary b/c I am not always loyal to working out like I should.

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