Should I eat more or less than my BMR?

LL1894
LL1894 Posts: 21 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My BMR is 1730 but I've been eating 1500 calories each day. I burn about 500 calories a day. My weightloss is really starting to slow down now. Should I start eating my BMR in calories, or continue with 1500 and do more intense excercise?

Replies

  • Kyllosis
    Kyllosis Posts: 66 Member
    Your BMR will change depending on your weight. I'd say stick to your 1500 and maybe change up your workouts a bit. Maybe add in a morning walk a few times a week or add some strength training if you don't already. Swap something for swimming, running, biking.. just change it up a bit and see if you see and changes in 2 or 3 weeks.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    BMR is the amount needed to safely fuel your body's basic life support systems. Eating less for an extended period of time will harm. You should look at BMR as standing for Bare Minimum Requirements. And you should only eat that if you're sedentary. If you're active, even more.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    You need to figure out your TDEE and eat 20% below that. Read this and it will lay everything out for you.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    BMR is the amount needed to safely fuel your body's basic life support systems. Eating less for an extended period of time will harm. You should look at BMR as standing for Bare Minimum Requirements. And you should only eat that if you're sedentary. If you're active, even more.

    This. If you actually know what BMR is rather than it being just a number, you should surely know this for yourself? :frown:
  • LL1894
    LL1894 Posts: 21 Member
    It's just there's so much conflicting advice, some people saying to eat 1200, some saything thats too low, some saying to eat your BMR, some saying to eat your BMR plus the calories you've burnt. I just find it all so confusing I don't know which to follow!
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
    You need to figure out your TDEE and eat 20% below that. Read this and it will lay everything out for you.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
    This ^^^
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    BMR is the amount needed to safely fuel your body's basic life support systems. Eating less for an extended period of time will harm. You should look at BMR as standing for Bare Minimum Requirements. And you should only eat that if you're sedentary. If you're active, even more.

    Oh I like this, definitely going to have to remember that one!
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
    It's just there's so much conflicting advice, some people saying to eat 1200, some saything thats too low, some saying to eat your BMR, some saying to eat your BMR plus the calories you've burnt. I just find it all so confusing I don't know which to follow!
    BMR is just enough to sustain life. You need to figure out your TDEE. Use the Harris- Benedict equation (Google). ACSM recommends a 15-20 percent deficit of calories for losing weight or 500 calories, then times the 15-20% by your TDEE. After that take the number and subtract from your TDEE. This should give you your TDEE Deficit:) hope this helps. ACSM Recommended.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    I've read, and experts here have said that it's OK to eat below your BMR, which, unless you've been tested in a lab, may not be your true BMR. As someone above said, why not try sticking to 1500 and exercising more?
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
    I've read, and experts here have said that it's OK to eat below your BMR, which, unless you've been tested in a lab, may not be your true BMR. As someone above said, why not try sticking to 1500 and exercising more?
    Hmmm...interesting! May I ask were you have read this? I am certain that the equations are estimates and true BMR's and RMR's are done in the lab....but Id like to know who and what the theory is of eating below the BMR even if activity level is high. I can understand someone with a Gastric By-pass as they cannot consume that many calories...but is this expert pertaining to the everday population? Thanks
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    BMR < What you should eat < TDEE

    thread.
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
    BMR is the amount needed to safely fuel your body's basic life support systems. Eating less for an extended period of time will harm. You should look at BMR as standing for Bare Minimum Requirements. And you should only eat that if you're sedentary. If you're active, even more.
    Haha....didnt see this one until now. So much easier to remember than basal metabolic rate.

    Oh I like this, definitely going to have to remember that one!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I've read, and experts here have said that it's OK to eat below your BMR, which, unless you've been tested in a lab, may not be your true BMR. As someone above said, why not try sticking to 1500 and exercising more?
    Hmmm...interesting! May I ask were you have read this? I am certain that the equations are estimates and true BMR's and RMR's are done in the lab....but Id like to know who and what the theory is of eating below the BMR even if activity level is high. I can understand someone with a Gastric By-pass as they cannot consume that many calories...but is this expert pertaining to the everday population? Thanks

    I think the point is that BMR and TDEE calculators are just estimates and there is no way that they can be exactly right for everyone. So you need to find an intake where you have steady weight loss and then once you want to hit maintenance or do slight bulk slowly start eating more to where you fin an intake where you maintain or gain slightly. It seems that everyone always wants to use a TDEE calculator and assume that they are 100% accurate for everyone...but what if it is 10% off on the high end for someone? Your 20% TDEE cut is really then 10%.....

    OP if you are losing on 1500 then I would stick with it ....

    have you recalculated your BMR/TDEE at your new weight? If no start there, but keep in mind that all the calculators are just that, calculators that provide an estimate. You can always bump up to 1550 or 1600 and see how that goes..but do what is currently working for you, not what someone else thinks will work for you ...
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
    I've read, and experts here have said that it's OK to eat below your BMR, which, unless you've been tested in a lab, may not be your true BMR. As someone above said, why not try sticking to 1500 and exercising more?
    Hmmm...interesting! May I ask were you have read this? I am certain that the equations are estimates and true BMR's and RMR's are done in the lab....but Id like to know who and what the theory is of eating below the BMR even if activity level is high. I can understand someone with a Gastric By-pass as they cannot consume that many calories...but is this expert pertaining to the everday population? Thanks

    I think the point is that BMR and TDEE calculators are just estimates and there is no way that they can be exactly right for everyone. So you need to find an intake where you have steady weight loss and then once you want to hit maintenance or do slight bulk slowly start eating more to where you fin an intake where you maintain or gain slightly. It seems that everyone always wants to use a TDEE calculator and assume that they are 100% accurate for everyone...but what if it is 10% off on the high end for someone? Your 20% TDEE cut is really then 10%.....

    OP if you are losing on 1500 then I would stick with it ....

    have you recalculated your BMR/TDEE at your new weight? If no start there, but keep in mind that all the calculators are just that, calculators that provide an estimate. You can always bump up to 1550 or 1600 and see how that goes..but do what is currently working for you, not what someone else thinks will work for you ...
    Thanks! It definitley varies for everyone!
  • RawMomma10
    RawMomma10 Posts: 89 Member
    I've read, and experts here have said that it's OK to eat below your BMR, which, unless you've been tested in a lab, may not be your true BMR. As someone above said, why not try sticking to 1500 and exercising more?
    Hmmm...interesting! May I ask were you have read this? I am certain that the equations are estimates and true BMR's and RMR's are done in the lab....but Id like to know who and what the theory is of eating below the BMR even if activity level is high. I can understand someone with a Gastric By-pass as they cannot consume that many calories...but is this expert pertaining to the everday population? Thanks

    I think the point is that BMR and TDEE calculators are just estimates and there is no way that they can be exactly right for everyone. So you need to find an intake where you have steady weight loss and then once you want to hit maintenance or do slight bulk slowly start eating more to where you fin an intake where you maintain or gain slightly. It seems that everyone always wants to use a TDEE calculator and assume that they are 100% accurate for everyone...but what if it is 10% off on the high end for someone? Your 20% TDEE cut is really then 10%.....

    OP if you are losing on 1500 then I would stick with it ....

    have you recalculated your BMR/TDEE at your new weight? If no start there, but keep in mind that all the calculators are just that, calculators that provide an estimate. You can always bump up to 1550 or 1600 and see how that goes..but do what is currently working for you, not what someone else thinks will work for you ...

    exactly!! :wink:

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