My calories are set lower than my BMR

ikiss71
ikiss71 Posts: 2 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I let myfitnesspal set my daily calorie goal based on my answers to the questions (sedentary job, working out 3 times a week to start with, and I want to lose 2 lbs per week). It set me at eating 1200 calories per day. My BMR (which I checked on the Apps tab) is around 1600. I'm 41, female, 5'3". The calories seem really low to me. I realize it's net calories so on the day I work out I can actually eat more but 1200 still seems too low even for days I don't work out. Does this seem really low to anyone else? I read on another thread that you shouldn't eat less than you BMR. Should I be eating at least 1600?

Replies

  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    If your BMR is 1600 you shouldn't eat below that. MFP set you at 1200 because you said you wanted to lose 2lbs a week. If you change that number MFP will set you higher.
  • Joe_schmoe
    Joe_schmoe Posts: 2 Member
    Hello Ikiss,

    Myfittnesspal chose 1200 for me as well, but I am not sure what my BMR is. I am a bit more active than you state and I am a male, 5'7'. It takes a couple of weeks to get used to eating that few calories but you get used to it. After awhile if you eat more then that you feel like you ate a 12 course meal. I lost 34 pounds and then plateaued for awhile due to an injured foot. You should be ok with that calorie level. Joe
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    Both of you should read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    Loads of great information from very successful members of MFP :smile:
  • IMYarnCraz33
    IMYarnCraz33 Posts: 1,016 Member
    but I am not sure what my BMR is.


    You can find your BMR under the APPS tab... 2ndary tab BMR =]
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    Hello Ikiss,

    Myfittnesspal chose 1200 for me as well, but I am not sure what my BMR is. I am a bit more active than you state and I am a male, 5'7'. It takes a couple of weeks to get used to eating that few calories but you get used to it. After awhile if you eat more then that you feel like you ate a 12 course meal. I lost 34 pounds and then plateaued for awhile due to an injured foot. You should be ok with that calorie level. Joe

    No, you should NOT be ok with that calorie level. 1200 is a generic number and MANY people need to eat much more than that! You should eat above your BMR... I did that 1200 cal nonsense until I got educated about what my body needs and now I'm eating 2100/day and am losing weight at a good pace. OP, check out scoobys calculator http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and eat at -20% of your TDEE (which takes into effect your exercise). YOU will be happier and so will your body
  • ikiss71
    ikiss71 Posts: 2 Member
    I'm a career dieter...LOL. Trust me, I know how to reduce calories and I don't think I ever got used to it because I always revert to old ways and gain it back. I'm working on the emotional issues that got me here but a lot of people I talk to about the nutrition aspect say 1200 is too few calories. Especially if I do start working out more as well. I'm just trying to figure out a good guideline for me. I don't have to lose weight super fast. I just want to do it in a healthy way and a way that I can stick to this time!
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    I'm also a career dieter...I figured I had nothing to lose by trying something (or everything) different. Good luck!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    MFP doesn't care what your BMR is. It takes whatever number of pounds you say you want to lose per week, and subtracts a set amount of calories from your estimated calorie needs based on that number. If you say you want to lose 2 pounds a week, it subtracts 1,000 calories (but to a minimum of 1200 cals).

    If you chose the correct amount of pounds per week, it is not always a problem, but since everyone says heck yeah, I want to lose 2 pounds per week, many people get set too low.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Eating below BMR is fine, but not that far below.

    If your BMR is actually 1600, you should be getting around 1450 on days you're sedentary. On days you're active, just add the exercise on top of 1450. Done.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    MFP set me at 1200 too. I wanted to lose 2 pounds per week, but I didn't even achieve 1/2 pound a week.

    Then I manually reset to my BMR, extra on days that I actually get around to exercising. Still limited success, but I'm not gaining either and feel more satisfied, so that's good.
  • Fiesty1006
    Fiesty1006 Posts: 95 Member
    For all of the responses to eat above BMR, I'm curious what your BF% is.... That seems to play a role.

    I'm eating below RMR (and probably RMR) because of my BF%..... Apparently, those with larger BF% aren't as affected by the hormonal changes.... So, I've been told. I'm just parroting.

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