Does anyone only eat what there BMR is??

My BMR is 1300 and my goal (net) is 1200, but I usually go slightly over. I'm not sure if this is good or not? MFP suggested 1200 for me but I can't decide if I should eat more in smaller meals or eat way less. I've lost a little bit but I seem to have hit a plateau.

BMR- basal metabolic rate what your body burns if you laid in bed all day
TDEE- total daily energy expendature - BMR plus activity



I eat well under both. (1800 and 2300 respectively) and I eat less than 1300

*Cracks knuckles*

Alright.

BMR is the amount of calories (or units of energy) that your body expends performing bodily functions -- breathing, cellular respiration, pumping blood, digestion, etc. It is often referred to as the amount of calories you would burn in a coma or lying in bed all day.

TDEE is the amount of calories you burn including your BMR plus daily activities and exercise. Daily activities can be as simple as washing dishes or brushing your teeth, but they all add up in calorie burn and contribute to a higher TDEE. A nurse, for instance, with a daily lifestyle of walking and standing all day will burn significantly more calories than an author who sits at his computer writing all day. Exercise is usually included in TDEE unless you prefer to set your calorie goal based on a reduction from your sedentary levels and then eat exercise calories back.

The idea is to eat between BMR and TDEE. That way you have enough calories to keep your body functioning properly, but also have a calorie deficit. The calorie deficit is what it all boils down to in weight loss. A large deficit of over 1,000 calories will result in weight loss, but if you keep it up long enough, it will also result in malnutrition. A smaller deficit will keep your weight loss steady and keep you overall healthy.

Now to answer your main question.

Why do people eat at their BMR?

Like I said before, BMR is the amount of calories you would burn in a coma. Many people prefer to NET at this level so that they can fuel their bodies, but also have the largest deficit that is safe for them. For example, my BMR is 1660 and my TDEE with my daily exercise program is 2300. I choose to eat at a 15% reduction (1950 calories a day). That is a daily deficit of 2300 - 1950 or 350 calories. The safest daily deficit based on the 'eat more weigh less' movement is considered to be 500 calories for a weight loss of a pound a week.