Am I eating enough?! MFP goal or BMR?

aliciagudino

Okay, so I know that a lot of people have asked this question, but I figured since I'm still confused on my own stats, that I'll post them here and see what you guys think! I've been reading the forums trying to figure it out but I'm still a little lost. Don't even get me started on whether I should eat my exercise cals back, haha,...I just want to know if my cals are about right?!

My goal right now, for sedentary life style (I exercise but I'll add it in myself) and to lose 1.5 lbs a week is 1370 calories. I guess I am confused on the whole BMR thing, when I calculate that, it's 1680 cals. I read that you're suppose to eat what your BMR is? So am I suppose to be eating 1680 or what MFP sets my goal calories to? I'm confused! I've been doing MFP for about a month and haven't lost much weight (but I'm also doing shred, so maybe I'm gaining muscle? Hopefully?)...I was set at 1200 when I first started because I put in 2 lbs a week, but I just changed it because I felt like that extra 100-or so cals was worth it. The funny thing is that last week I didn't lose, and coincidentally the last few days I've eaten more than I usually do, (like had a couple screw it nights) and I thought for sure I'd gain, but I ended up losing 2 lbs...wth?! Now I'm wondering why. Was it because I upped my calories for those few days and my body liked it or what? I just want to make sure I am eating the right amount of calories. Also, like I said about my exercise calories, at first I was eating them all back, because that's what I thought I was suppose to do...but then I kept reading and saw some people didn't, and since I wasn't losing weight I decided to not eat them back, or most anyway...so as of the last week or so, I've been eating SOME back but not all. Usually only if I want to eat something then I'll just do it, since I have those cals, but I won't eat them all back.

SO, am I doing fine at 1370, what MFP set me at? Or do I need to up my cals? I feel like 1370 is fine, if I eat healthy of course, but even though I feel like it's fine for me, I want to make sure that's what I'm actually suppose to be doing. Thanks for any opinions...(oh, if it matters, I am 5'9" and 194 lbs right now)

stubbornfilly

I usually go by the BMR, so I would try to do that if you can.
However, if you feel like 1370 is fine then you can keep it at that.
Just know, that if you go over your MFP goal , it won't hurt as long as you don't go over your BMR.
(Added insurance in case you mess up).

mishelnkiki1

id say that if ur happy with what mfp says and u arent hungry at the end of the night then stick with it. but its always nice to know that if u do go over as long as u stay within ur bmr then u should be fine. only u know ur body and how it is feeling. good luck. its all so confusing i know. i feel the same way a lot of the time.