BMR and calories question. Help please!

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Lisa1971
Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If my BMR calculates to 1,492 then why did MFP put me at 1200 calories a day? I'm asking because I think I should get more since I am nursing and losing weight very slowly. I'm very confused right now!!! I'm a SAHM so I'm moderately active. I'm 5'4 and weigh 183.5 right now. I'm female and 39 years old.

Can someone find out for me once and for all how many calories I need to lose 2lbs a week. Thanks so much!!!!!!!!

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  • smae1980
    smae1980 Posts: 794 Member
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    Setting your goals to losing 2 lbs a week will put you in a 1000 calorie a day deficit. If your BMR is 1400 and you said you are lightly active, your calories needed was probably around 1800 to 2000 a day ( not counting exercise) Put in a 1000 calorie deficit and you would be at 800 to 1000 calories a day and since MFP won't set your calories to less than 1200, there you are. I would say you should reset your goals to lose 1 lb a week and this will decrease your deficit to a 500 calorie deficit, probably giving you an extra 100 to 200 calories a day
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Weight loss while nursing is a bit of a one off anyway. I'm definitely no expert, but from all the medical journals I've read on this topic, you should be adding 200 to 500 extra calories a day onto your existing dietary intake to account for the loss of calories brought on by breast feeding an infant.

    Others probably have a lot more insight into this than I, but that's what I've read about it. So if you're at a 1000 calorie deficit, you should probably be at a 500 or 600 calorie deficit to begin with and then tweak as needed.
  • sheri3762
    sheri3762 Posts: 159
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    Hi Lisa, I was at about your weight when I readjusted my calories. I was ona 1200 a day also because I wanted to lose 2 pounds a week. I found that by increasing my calories to 1400-1500 a day and made sure I worked out 5 days a week for 1 hour, I had much better results. what happened to me was by excercising and eating 1200 a day after an initial loss, I hit a plateau. Fueling with a higher amount of caloreis with a higher amount of calories burned through excercise gave me the loss I was looking for. I'm 10 years older than you and also about the same height.

    something that I figured out as I went was that 2 pound loss they say you will have each week is only an estimate. We're all different and will lose according to what our bodies say, not the computer. Some weeks you may not lose any and others you may drop 4-5! Limiting your calorirs because you want to lose atleast 2 a week may not work for you. I know it seems illogical to eat more to lose more, but believe me, it really does work!! I've lost 43 pounds as of today and I even eat between 1400-2000 on the weekends!!! Good luck!!!
  • Candiceg13
    Candiceg13 Posts: 218
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    I am in the same boat as you! MFP says 1,200/per day but ai am BFing a 9mo old. I always add 300 cal per day for the nursing, but I do not factor in exercise calories...

    I went to a nutritionist who reccommended I eat between 1,400 -1,600 per day (which really is an accurate amount 1,200 + 300 = 1,500). I am not doing a lot of cardio, I am doing mostly strenght training based on Dr reccomendation, and i am seeing a lot of change, not so much on the scale but size, definition and how clothing fits. But this is also baby #4 and C-Section #3, so I am having a much harder time than with the other kiddos...

    I would increase just a bit and see if that helps!
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
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    Thanks everyone!!!
  • jsreay75
    jsreay75 Posts: 5 Member
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    SO SO SO true, up the cals Mama! I am exactly where you are, i reliazed that i uped the cals just because i was hungry, and I have lost 2lbs in a week. I will keep you posted, so next wed. i will weigh again and let you know if I lost anymore!!

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