Another question: BMR vs. Net

fatmom51

I used the BMR calculator for MFP and came up with 1745. Then I did the profile, where you enter your weight, height, age, gender, amount you want to lose and at what pace, and your activity level and plans for exercise. I said I was lightly active and that I would probably do some kind of cardio 3x a week for 30 minutes. It told me my NET should be 1360.
I thought you weren't supposed to go below your BMR, so now I'm confused. Or is the calculation trying to tell me that I'm basically such a lump that I have to go below my BMR since my activity level, planned exercise and desire to lose 2 lbs. a week will require it?
Thanks!

yarwell

I thought you weren't supposed to go below your BMR

you'll read that here, but not in many other places. There's nothing magic about a calorie intake 100 either side of your BMR - if you use the sedentary setting with a 1.2 multiplier it is mathematically inevitable that a 500 calorie deficit will be below your BMR unless your BMR is more than 2500.

When the "eat your BMR" crowd chime in with some BS about comas or starvation, the answer is that the calories will be provided from your fat reserves which is how you're going to lose weight. They can give up 30 calories per day per pound of body fat to fuel your systems in addition to what you eat.