A little advice, please?

JusMarc

Hello,

I'm relatively new to MFP. I have a few questions to ask as I have been a little confused. Firstly, my BMR is 1800, I currently weigh 252lbs and yet my calories set by MFP are just 1260. It seems pretty low and doesn't give me much scope.

I followed this amount for 3 weeks and then read that we are supposed to consume any calories burned via exercise. I was swimming for 80 mins 5 days a week without making up those calories because I simply wasn't aware. I have now cut my swimming down to just 3 times a week as I was finding it difficult to muster the energy needed to do it.

Should I be eating more calories than I am at present?

Any help is much appreciated.

I thank you in advance.

mystikalbeanz

Search for the thread "In place of a roadmap" it will help you figure out your TDEE subtract 20% or 500 to get how many calories you should be eating a day. If your BMR is 1800 you should be eating above that because your bmr is the amount of calories your body needs to function even if you laid and did nothing all day! Good luck!

JusMarc

Hello,

Looking at that post right now, thank you

Chipmunk222

You should not be eating BELOW your BMR, like the last poster said, search for the topic suggested, you will feel so much better and have lots of energy

sgthaggard

Thank you for your quick response. According to a calculator on scooby, my TDEE is 2543 and my BMR is 1854. The figures mean absolutely nothing to me. Could someone be kind enough to enlighten me?

Your BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate is the number of calories your body needs for basic function - breathing, pumping blood, etc. Your TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the number of calories in total that you burn during the day - it will include your BMR and any other physical activity above and beyond basic function.

michellematteson

Some people will tell you that your BMR is the absolute lowest that you should eat at. They will say eating below that will slow your weight lose down because your body will try to hold on to all the fat reserves it has if you do this for an extended period of time. Others will say that the above statement is not proven by science and that you can even eat below 1,200 calories a day with no ill effects. It is all a matter of opinion and you will see a lot of points for each side.

Personally, my goals are to lose half a pound a week. So I don't eat back my exercise calories because I see that as helping me towards my goals. I have found however that if I eat below my BMR for several days I do lose faster, but I am hungry and grumpy and don't want to do any exercise. So I try to keep my net calories above my BMR as much as possible.

If your TDEE is 2,500 and you want to lose 2 pounds a week, that means you could be eating 1,500 caloreis a day and still be losing. If you are worried about eating that much, try increasing your calories by 100 per week and see how it works out.