BMR!

schauj1
schauj1 Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
I used the BMR calculator and it said that my body uses 1491 calories a day on basic functions. This website has set me on a plan where I only consume 1200 calories a day, if I don't exercise.

Is consuming 1200 calories a day giving my body adequate nutrition or am I sending myself into starvation mode?

Replies

  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
    If it calculated your BMR, that means that number is the baseline amount of calories your body needs to function. If you are exercising, you need to multiply that number by an "activity factor" to get the # of kcal you should consume.

    Pulled this from a website, but I'm a nutrition student and this is accurate:

    If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
    If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
    If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
    If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
    If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

    My BMR is close to yours, and since I am "moderately active" I multiplied my BMR by 1.55. That gave me ~2,300 kcal/day. Since I'm trying to lose weight, I subtracted 500 from that number. My goal is to eat about 1,800 calories per day.

    If you are not exercising, multiply your BMR by 1.2. That's how much you need to maintain. If subtracting 500 kcal (to lose a pound per week) puts you below your BMR, that's too fast a rate to attempt to lose weight. That's what will send you into starvation mode.

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