Do YOU eat below, above, or at your BMR?

2

Replies

  • mich1902
    mich1902 Posts: 182
    I'm going the net my BMR route. I tried doing TDEE -20%, but since my exercise is not consistent netting my BMR is easier to work with. I plugged my numbers into MFP using sedentary and eat my exercise calories back. I chose sedentary since I have a desk job with long hours. The goal MFP gave me (1430) is very close to my BMR (1400) anyway!

    So to answer your question, on exercise days I eat above my BMR so that I net my BMR.
    On non-exercise days I try to eat at my BMR.
    Some days I'm over or under, therefore I just go by the weekly average on the app.

    Good question! I'd like to see what others have to say.

    This is the way it has worked out for me too!
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    I eat between 850 and 1250 above my BMR and I'm maintaining. Workout 4 days a week and walk at least a mile every day.
  • katedevall
    katedevall Posts: 240 Member
    I net below my BMR. I usually gross above it. I've done this for 2 years now and it hasn't hurt my metabolism at all.

    ^^ this
  • jdhoward_101
    jdhoward_101 Posts: 234 Member
    My BMR is 1200 net, and i am usually either spot on or under by between 100-200 calories. However, because i do a lot of exercise, i'm generally eating between 1300 and 1500 calories a day.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Above my BMR because I like to be able to do things like move and think straight! I use TDEE (calculated via FitBit and corroborated by hard sums) -15%.
  • frasergentles
    frasergentles Posts: 11 Member
    Recalculate TDEE every seven days based on plabbed activity and target 90% intake (give me room if I decide not to do some exercise or if I go over on a day).
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I should add, when I calculated my TDEE and took a 20% cut, it was pretty close to what I do now (off by maybe 500 calories per WEEK). The biggest difference is that with my method, I have to earn my extra calories every day. For me, that's a very important distinction to make. If I didn't do that, I would be slacking on the exercise.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I recalculate my TDEE every week based on that week's activity to reflect my actual activity, it's just as motivating as doing it on a daily basis, and means I do more non-exercise activity too.
  • HotrodsGirl0107
    HotrodsGirl0107 Posts: 243 Member
    My bmr is just over 1400 and I eat 1900 to 2000 calories a day and have been losing .5 or more a week. I wasn't trying to lose anymore but had a drastic increase in my activity level (job wise) and it has increased my calories to maintain. I am slowly increasing back up to my new maintenance goal.
  • nettletea_
    nettletea_ Posts: 7 Member
    I net way below my BMR, but since I'm recovering from an eating disorder I'm trying not to worry about it. If I force myself to eat more I know I'm going to relapse (tried it), so it's actually healthier for me this way. Eventually I'd like to net way above it, but it's hard right now...
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    I net way below my BMR, but since I'm recovering from an eating disorder I'm trying not to worry about it. If I force myself to eat more I know I'm going to relapse (tried it), so it's actually healthier for me this way. Eventually I'd like to net way above it, but it's hard right now...
    Best of luck. Here's hoping you do a little better at your healthy goals each day.
  • nettletea_
    nettletea_ Posts: 7 Member
    I net way below my BMR, but since I'm recovering from an eating disorder I'm trying not to worry about it. If I force myself to eat more I know I'm going to relapse (tried it), so it's actually healthier for me this way. Eventually I'd like to net way above it, but it's hard right now...
    Best of luck. Here's hoping you do a little better at your healthy goals each day.

    Thank you :flowerforyou:
  • bwnorton
    bwnorton Posts: 100 Member
    Wow! This topic always spurs great conversations! I eat the amount that consistently helps me lose 1-2 pounds per week. So far, it's about my BMR. When I add back exercise calories, I maintain. I noticed my Garmin always overestimates the calorie burn.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    Bump
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I have no idea what my BMR is, but since I've been maintaining my weight I'm definitely not eating under it. I've just started trying to lose more weight and I'm having a hard time eating under my TDEE. I can't imagine trying to eat under my BMR.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I net under my BMR but eat well over it. I'm going to stop counting calories though and that will be an adventure of its own! I am soooooo nervous about that but excited at the sane time--I have a scale and I intend to use it. That's the plan.
  • tomg33
    tomg33 Posts: 305 Member
    Some days when I exercise very intensely for a long duration, you could consider my net calories to be VERY well under my BMR (as much as 1000). When this happens, usually I lose any real sense of willpower so I try to avoid that. It's like a primal urge that completely subverts your higher-level thinking and it's almost impossibly difficult to control. Those that formulate an eating lifestyle such that they are forced to constantly struggle with this tend up developing EDs because it's no joke. If you don't know what I'm talking about then it doesn't matter but if you do, then know that it's because you're eating so far under your BMR and your body is fighting to survive /melodrama :D
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    When I started out, MFP put my goal a bit lower than my BMR. I ate pretty close to my goal for the first month, and lost as expected. I added more activity my second month and ate about the same, so I was netting a bit below BMR, and lost about as expected. I upped my activity and dropped my goal (because I'd lost 10 pounds) and was eating a bit MORE below my BMR -- and I stalled out.

    I had my RMR tested, it came back considerably below what the calculators said it should be. I took a real break (went on vacation, didn't track, ate at restaurants but tried not to go crazy, tried to keep to my exercise goal of pedomter steps). Came back, reset my MFP goal to "Lose a half pound a week," and set a personal goal to eat over BMR but under TDEE while starting to work on building up my strength with some weight work. Since they say you can't build muscle on a deficit, I've been consciously eating much closer to TDEE - and yet i've lost another 5 pounds this month.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    BMR: 1567
    TDEE: 2428
    Daily goal: 1900
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    MFP calculated my BMR at 1575, Katch Mcardle calculated it at 1375, I have eaten around 1200 for the past 8 months and have steadily lost, and have yet to hit a plateau.

    This is because you cannot see the damage happening inside your body. You are losing a higher percentage of lean body mass than if you were eating enough - which is damaging your hormone regulation and lowering your metabolism. I know you won't believe me until you plateau - but you will eventually plateau (everyone is different in how it takes to get there...but we always eventually get there when we under eat)
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
    My BMR is about 1450 and I try to shoot for 1700 calories a day, which is, depending on my activity levels, 450 to 700 calories below my TDEE. I am losing about a pound a week at this rate. I ALWAYS eat at least my BMR, though, for all the excellent and sound reasons other people have listed in this thread.
  • IbiH
    IbiH Posts: 250 Member
    I'm going the net my BMR route. I tried doing TDEE -20%, but since my exercise is not consistent netting my BMR is easier to work with. I plugged my numbers into MFP using sedentary and eat my exercise calories back. I chose sedentary since I have a desk job with long hours. The goal MFP gave me (1430) is very close to my BMR (1400) anyway!

    So to answer your question, on exercise days I eat above my BMR so that I net my BMR.
    On non-exercise days I try to eat at my BMR.
    Some days I'm over or under, therefore I just go by the weekly average on the app.

    Good question! I'd like to see what others have to say.

    Ditto. My exercise is inconsistent too.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    BMR calculations are witchcraft.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Below, had it measured twice too.

    No science suggests you should regard it as an issue in setting calorie intake per se.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Yes
  • bostongeorge617
    bostongeorge617 Posts: 2
    .
  • leholcomb
    leholcomb Posts: 146 Member
    Great conversation! :)
  • Diamond05
    Diamond05 Posts: 475 Member
    .bump
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    I eat well above my RMR. Not sure the difference between that and my BMR but due to lean body mass, my RMR is supposedly 1790 calories, which gives me a fair bit of leeway. I workout hard and thus eat well above it.
  • JDBLY11
    JDBLY11 Posts: 577 Member
    I've recently learned how unhealthy it is to eat below your BMR, but I did it anyways because I was losing weight doing so. Anyways, I was just wondering how all of you are managing to lose weight? (P.S. I'm now aiming to eat at least my BMR every day and will see if I still lose!)

    I eat below my BMR. I would not lose any weight if I ate at my BMR. I don't burn that many calories a day over my BMR. I believe my TDEE is about 2800 a day and I eat around 1600 a day with one maintenance day so it averages about 1800 calories a day which is 300 calories below my BMR.

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