BMR: 1,658. MFP Cals: 1,600. Problem Here? Eat More?

ThriftyChica12
ThriftyChica12 Posts: 373 Member
edited January 13 in Health and Weight Loss
So, though I am NOT new to weight loss and healthy eating, I AM new to the idea of BMR.

Just used MFP tools to calculate my BMR, which is defined as something like " the minimum cals need to keep my body functioning, heart beating, brain thinking, etc etc etc even if you laid in bed all day".

Based on my weight, height, and age, BMR spit out was:
1658.

My goal on MFP is to lose a pound a week. So, after telling MFP that, it grants me an allotment of:
1600 daily (not including exercise cals).

So...technically, doesn't that mean that my most BASIC needs are not met?! I mean, I don't necessarily consider 1600 dangerously low, but what about keeping my "heart beating, lungs breathing"?

My health is excellent, except for still carrying excess weight. My weight loss has been kinda slow, but i DO have PCOS, which can effect...

Is eating below my BMR bad? How focused on this number should i be?
When i do exercise, I eat back my cals. I am also the kind of person who might go over cals a couple times a week as long as it is on healthy food. I am not depriving myself, but do want steady loss.

Replies

  • LaNetsah
    LaNetsah Posts: 35 Member
    Yes, that might be too little for you. I recommend you read this:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    IPOARM really saved me when I realised I was eating way under my BMR.
    Good luck! :)
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    it's called numbers don't do anything. Weightloss has nothing to do with calories. It's just roulette apparently because one can do everything right numerically and not see results.
  • jehavin
    jehavin Posts: 316 Member
    Well, look at it this way: calories on food nutrition labels are "allowed" to be off by up to 20% AND chances are, if you are not *weighing* all your food and measuring out condiments tablespoon by tablespoon, you will have about a 15% margin of error on the surplus side. So I'm pretty sure your 58 calories will come out in the wash. Plus, as snarky as the above poster is being, sometimes it's not a simple math problem and it's more about seeing which types of foods your body favors/responds to. For example, I could eat 1200-1400 calories of flours, sugars, fruits, dairy and lose NOTHING or I could eat 1600 of meat, legumes, rice, veggies and lose like crazy b/c my body is using the food as fuel instead of filler.

    Either way, 1600 sounds about right. It's a heck of a lot better than some of the people who go willynilly 1200 on here and quit (or complain) within 2 weeks and you'll definitely see loss of inches/pounds if you're in a 200-300 deficit every day as it sounds like you will be.

    Good luck!
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