1200 or 1500?

free3reeder
free3reeder Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there,

Started MFP last Saturday and loving it so far. It's so much easier than trying to keep a running total in my daft head!

My question is about BMR. MFP has calculated mine at 1200. I do around 30 mins of cardio every day and make sure I eat back my calories. I have a light activity level looking after my toddler and baby.

Other BMR calculators seem to suggest that I should be aiming for 1500. I currently weigh 126lb but have quite a high amount of fat so I'm looking to tone up and lose about 8-10lbs (to get back to my pre-baby weight). I am 5'4".

I realise I don't have a lot to lose but I want to make sure that I do it right and most importantly that I don't put my body into starvation. I am very keen to lose fat and don't necessarily mind what the scales say, I just want to make sure I'm as healthy as I can be so I stick around a very long time for my children!

Replies

  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    Keep in mind that outside calculators are different than MFP. With MFP you eat 1200 + exercise which could very well total 1500. Outside calculators tend to add in exercise calories already.

    Just pick one method and stick with it. If you want to use MFP's method, be sure to eat back those exercise calories so you are going to be eating 1200 + whatever extra. If you want to use another calculator, just eat 1500 without eating back those calories since they are already factored in.
  • free3reeder
    free3reeder Posts: 8 Member
    Ah okay that makes sense. So MFP factors in my running up and down the stairs 20 times a day (potty training my toddler!) and general movement while looking after the kids, but the other ones don't?

    That makes me feel better. I don't want to 'underdo' it - I need my energy every day! But at the same time, I have a schedule in mind and I want to stick to it.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    MFP factors in your lifestyle, but not exercise routines. The other calculators factor in everything which is why they give you higher calorie goals. But, when you log exercise, your MFP number goes up too.

    What I like to do is log about 1-2 weeks of exercise, and then go back to see what my total calorie goal ended up being on average over that time frame. Then I can better predict what I will need to eat daily in the future because I can see how much I burn off in exercise.
  • free3reeder
    free3reeder Posts: 8 Member
    that is very helpful, thank you for replying!
  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
    BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the amount of calories you'd burn if you were in a coma. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) takes activity into account. http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    The usual suggestion is to find TDEE and then eat 10-20% less than that, and to not eat less than BMR.

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