Calorie goal under BMR? Is that right?

Amiike
Amiike Posts: 21
in Health and Weight Loss
Dear MFPals.. Please help,

I tried to google for it and I read a few posts here – I just don’t understand it! :sad:

My BMR is 1.780 – but my daily calorie goal is 1.680 – why is the suggestion to eat under my BMR to lose weight? (I set my goal to lose 0.5 Kilos a week)

Am I not eating enough?

Do you all eat under your BMR to lose weight??

*help*
Maike
:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
    Usually eating under your BMR should put your body in starvation mode, so I don't know what mine's doing.

    My BMR should be about 1600 calories but MFP has me eating 1400 a day, and I actually have shed a few pounds since I joined.

    My suggestion? Try it out for a bit. If I doesn't work, or stops working, play around with it.
  • mperrott2205
    mperrott2205 Posts: 737 Member
    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ - Do this. Lose weight in a healthier way.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    There are a couple of reasons here -

    1. You may have chosen a weight loss goal per week that is too high for the amount you have to lose. Many people chose 2lbs a week but that is far to aggressive for most.

    2. MFP expects you to exercise and eat those calories back which would bring your calorie goal to over your BMR likely.

    3. You may have chosen the work activity level. The sedentary level on MFP is too low for most people.


    ETA - sorry I missed your goal. You chose 1 lb a week. You can disregard that point.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    You are trying to lose weight too fast, that's why MFP put your calorie goal so low. (MFP does not calculate your BMR) You will end up in a plateau after yes, some weight loss, but also after losing muscle mass with it.

    Calculate your BMR- eat above that.
    Calculate your TDEE- eat below that. (250 cals below for 0.5pound/ week, 500 cals below for 1pound/ week)

    Voila! Healthy, sustainable weight loss.

    Try here: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    or here: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
  • MatthewMacG
    MatthewMacG Posts: 27 Member
    The amount of calories from BMR is just what your body would use if you just sat all day and did nothing, eating below this means that your body will need to find the calories else where, as it needs the energy. That's exactly how you lose weight, by consuming less calories than your body needs, therefore the body uses up energy stored in the body including that fat you are trying to lose.

    Also if you eat over 1200 calories per day, you have no chance of going into starvation mode. A popular term that people seem to misunderstand as it takes the body 2-3 days of eating nothing to go into starvation mode and up to 4 days on a 400-500 calorie diet to enter this mode and go into ketosis. An example is that my BMR is 2800 calories, if I eat 2000 I will certainly not go into starvation mode.

    This website seems to use Harris Benedict equation taking BRM and adding a multiplier to provide enough calories per day. i.e. if you are sedentary then you multiply BMR by 1.2 giving me around 3300 calories per day to maintain my weight as my BMR is 2800. Then if you want to lose two pounds per week you need a deficit as if you at your multiplied BMR calories you would stay the same weight, so this website reduces calorie intake by 3500 per pound you want to lose over the week. So it takes 1000 calories per day off you, meaning that my new calorie intake to lose 2 pounds a week would be BMR x activity level (2800 x1.2=3360) minus 1000 calories per day, meaning I can eat 2360 calories and lose 2 pounds a week.

    Its as simple as that and My Fitness Pal takes all the work out of it for you!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    The amount of calories from BMR is just what your body would use if you just sat all day and did nothing, eating below this means that your body will need to find the calories else where, as it needs the energy. That's exactly how you lose weight, by consuming less calories than your body needs, therefore the body uses up energy stored in the body including that fat you are trying to lose.

    Also if you eat over 1200 calories per day, you have no chance of going into starvation mode. A popular term that people seem to misunderstand as it takes the body 2-3 days of eating nothing to go into starvation mode and up to 4 days on a 400-500 calorie diet to enter this mode and go into ketosis. An example is that my BMR is 2800 calories, if I eat 2000 I will certainly not go into starvation mode.


    This website seems to use Harris Benedict equation taking BRM and adding a multiplier to provide enough calories per day. i.e. if you are sedentary then you multiply BMR by 1.2 giving me around 3300 calories per day to maintain my weight as my BMR is 2800. Then if you want to lose two pounds per week you need a deficit as if you at your multiplied BMR calories you would stay the same weight, so this website reduces calorie intake by 3500 per pound you want to lose over the week. So it takes 1000 calories per day off you, meaning that my new calorie intake to lose 2 pounds a week would be BMR x activity level (2800 x1.2=3360) minus 1000 calories per day, meaning I can eat 2360 calories and lose 2 pounds a week.

    Its as simple as that and My Fitness Pal takes all the work out of it for you!

    Starvation mode is overused and misunderstood on here yes. But 1200 is not a magic number either. You aren't "safe" at 1200. For many even 1500 isnt enough. There are others who actually should eat under 1200 and be fine. Very few but there are those who I would apply.

    Forgetting whether or not you are in "starvation mode" there are other reprecussions to eating too few calories.

    Here is one users interesting experience. She thought she was eating enough. She was well over 1200.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/919536-get-your-metabolic-rate-tested-my-metabolic-reset-story
  • Amiike
    Amiike Posts: 21
    There are a couple of reasons here -

    1. You may have chosen a weight loss goal per week that is too high for the amount you have to lose. Many people chose 2lbs a week but that is far to aggressive for most.

    2. MFP expects you to exercise and eat those calories back which would bring your calorie goal to over your BMR likely.

    3. You may have chosen the work activity level. The sedentary level on MFP is too low for most people.


    ETA - sorry I missed your goal. You chose 1 lb a week. You can disregard that point.

    Oh thats it - I also added my exercise goals and that will make me eat over my BMR! I just was not aware that I will HAVE to eat them!! Good to know!! :tongue:

    Thanks so much for all your help! :drinker: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • Amiike
    Amiike Posts: 21
    The amount of calories from BMR is just what your body would use if you just sat all day and did nothing, eating below this means that your body will need to find the calories else where, as it needs the energy. That's exactly how you lose weight, by consuming less calories than your body needs, therefore the body uses up energy stored in the body including that fat you are trying to lose.

    Also if you eat over 1200 calories per day, you have no chance of going into starvation mode. A popular term that people seem to misunderstand as it takes the body 2-3 days of eating nothing to go into starvation mode and up to 4 days on a 400-500 calorie diet to enter this mode and go into ketosis. An example is that my BMR is 2800 calories, if I eat 2000 I will certainly not go into starvation mode.

    This website seems to use Harris Benedict equation taking BRM and adding a multiplier to provide enough calories per day. i.e. if you are sedentary then you multiply BMR by 1.2 giving me around 3300 calories per day to maintain my weight as my BMR is 2800. Then if you want to lose two pounds per week you need a deficit as if you at your multiplied BMR calories you would stay the same weight, so this website reduces calorie intake by 3500 per pound you want to lose over the week. So it takes 1000 calories per day off you, meaning that my new calorie intake to lose 2 pounds a week would be BMR x activity level (2800 x1.2=3360) minus 1000 calories per day, meaning I can eat 2360 calories and lose 2 pounds a week.

    Its as simple as that and My Fitness Pal takes all the work out of it for you!

    Thank you for that explanation!

    I finally got it :glasses:

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