Totally Lost

eethomson1
eethomson1 Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
My BMR is 1514 calories per day. MFP set my calories at 1200 per day. I started 6 weeks ago and have lost 18 lbs. At the moment I burn 260 calories on a treadmill (I am not fit) but I am improving, is this the right amount of calories for me as come night time I am hungry. I didn't set the calories, MFP did when I put in my details.
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Replies

  • TitaniaEcks
    TitaniaEcks Posts: 351 Member
    If your BMR is ~1500, I would not go any higher than 1200 a day for weight loss. You need a calorie deficit of 500 a day to lose just 1 lb per week (a pound of fat is 3500 calories).

    If you're hungry, it's not that you're not eating enough, it's that you're eating the wrong things. Try increasing protein and fats, and decreasing carbs. Sugar crashes are the #1 cause of unwarranted hunger.
  • Salt_Sand_Sun
    Salt_Sand_Sun Posts: 415 Member
    Are your settings to lose 1.5-2lbs per week? MFP will automatically put in 1200cal. I can say that 1200 cal a day is too low for *most* people.
    If your BMR is 1514 - my suggestion would be to increase your cal intake. Maybe go up to 1350 for 2-3 weeks then up to 1500 for 2-3 weeks. Then re-evaluate!
  • eethomson1
    eethomson1 Posts: 8
    sorry i am a bit thick, does that mean I have to burn 500 calories instead of the 260 i am doing at the moment
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If your BMR is ~1500, I would not go any higher than 1200 a day for weight loss. You need a calorie deficit of 500 a day to lose just 1 lb per week (a pound of fat is 3500 calories).

    Bad advice, even eating BMR you are in a deficit as your maintenance if you do nothing all day would be about 1800 (1500*1.2).

    With the amount you have to lose I suggest a weekly weight loss goal of 1 lb/week, and eat back most of the cals you burn from exercise.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    If your BMR is ~1500, I would not go any higher than 1200 a day for weight loss. You need a calorie deficit of 500 a day to lose just 1 lb per week (a pound of fat is 3500 calories).

    Nope. I think you are confusing BMR with TDEE. Don't eat less than your BMR. Find your TDEE and eat that -20% if you have over 20 lbs to lose. As you lose weight, adjust your goals.
  • Salt_Sand_Sun
    Salt_Sand_Sun Posts: 415 Member
    If your BMR is ~1500, I would not go any higher than 1200 a day for weight loss. You need a calorie deficit of 500 a day to lose just 1 lb per week (a pound of fat is 3500 calories).

    If you're hungry, it's not that you're not eating enough, it's that you're eating the wrong things. Try increasing protein and fats, and decreasing carbs. Sugar crashes are the #1 cause of unwarranted hunger.


    BMR is needed to survive - make the organs in the body fuction properly!! Deficit is based off of TDEE...not BMR!!!!
  • chelsea123453342
    chelsea123453342 Posts: 23
    1200 calories a day is far to little for anyone, your BMR is how many calories you would burn laying in bed all day doing nothing. By only eating 1200 calories a day you are starving your body of the adequate nutrition is needs to keep you alive and healthy. I recommend this website: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/bmr-formula.php this will tell you how many calories you should consume in order to loose weight healthfully and in a sustainable way.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    You shouldn't eat below your BMR so the advice to eat 1200 is incorrect. MFP expects you to eat back your exercise calories. So 1200 + 260 which is still only 1460 and below your BMR. If you put in that you want to lose 2 lbs a week it will put you at the 1200 - bump it down to 1lb a week and see if it gives you more calories for a more sustainable weightloss.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    If your BMR is ~1500, I would not go any higher than 1200 a day for weight loss. You need a calorie deficit of 500 a day to lose just 1 lb per week (a pound of fat is 3500 calories).

    Please note that BMR is the amount of calories you burn a day DOING NOTHING.

    To the original poster, please make sure your weight loss goal is not set to something extreme for your goal. If you only need to lose a little weight, you do not need to set myfitnesspal to lose 2lbs per week. That goal is safer for people who have a lot of weight to lose.

    Unless you are completely sedentary, and lie in bed all day, not even getting up to use the bathroom, you will lose weight eating your BMR as a calorie goal. Please be kind to your body.

    Too long, didn't read: If your BMR is 1514, eating 1500 calories per day will result in a loss over time.
  • eethomson1
    eethomson1 Posts: 8
    i have put in losing 1.5 to 2lbs a week, should i change them, I think I am eating ok, I will open my diary, could someone have a look
  • lioooba
    lioooba Posts: 105 Member
    If you are hungry try to change up your food choices.
    I have the same calorie goal and eating a lot of veggies helps me to stay full.
    But i do heaps of exercise so i basically eat min +300cals, think about doing more Cardio. :)

    Btw 1200cal is actually a recommended calorie goal for 4-8year olds.. think about that.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    If your BMR is ~1500, I would not go any higher than 1200 a day for weight loss. You need a calorie deficit of 500 a day to lose just 1 lb per week (a pound of fat is 3500 calories).

    If you're hungry, it's not that you're not eating enough, it's that you're eating the wrong things. Try increasing protein and fats, and decreasing carbs. Sugar crashes are the #1 cause of unwarranted hunger.

    BMR is not TDEE. Most people need to net close to their BMR (meaning eat closer to 1500) to maintain a healthy loss.

    OP, are you eating back your calories? If not, make sure you are eating those back otherwise you are netting under 1000 calories. Listen to your body, if you are hungry and you hit all of your macros, then you need to eat more.

    Edited - wow, a lot of people posted the same thing in the amount of time it took me to write it.
  • glowgirl14
    glowgirl14 Posts: 200 Member
    You can change the settings on MFP...

    Go to goals, change goals, and then select the manual setting.

    I have mine set to my BMR and I log my exercise - so I get extra calories added in when I exercise.

    If you don't want to do that, add the exercise to your BMR, and just eat whatever those calories are.

    But no...you should not be hungry. Most days I am struggling to eat all the calories I am supposed to. : )
  • hannamarie88
    hannamarie88 Posts: 231 Member
    BMR is if you are lying in bed not moving all day -- burning calories on a treadmill means you are more active than that :)

    You might check out this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13 -- I felt hungry at night and discovered I could eat more and still lose weight. That topic is chockfull of all the information needed to learn about calories and activity and such.

    I wish you luck!
  • eethomson1
    eethomson1 Posts: 8
    god you all answer so quickly thank you, i was aiming to lose another 28lbs
  • TitaniaEcks
    TitaniaEcks Posts: 351 Member
    You are all correct in a sense but you're failing to take into consideration that OP's TDEE is probably only 400-500 more than her BMR considering she is a woman, "not fit", and her daily exercise amounts to ~250 cal.

    Assuming this puts her at a TDEE of 1950, 1200 a day would be a deficit of 750 which means she would lose 1.5 lbs per week. Which is already less than most people want to lose.

    1200 a day is too low for *most* people, but it is appropriate for OP.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    My BMR is 1514 calories per day. MFP set my calories at 1200 per day. I started 6 weeks ago and have lost 18 lbs. At the moment I burn 260 calories on a treadmill (I am not fit) but I am improving, is this the right amount of calories for me as come night time I am hungry.

    You are losing weight too fast in my opinion, eat more!
    That's probably why you are hungry.

    " I didn't set the calories, MFP did when I put in my details."
    This isn't strictly true - you influence the numbers by the data you input and the speed of weight loss you choose - did you choose the recommended 1lb a week weight loss?

    You are also supposed to eat back the extra exercise calories you burn - that's why they get added to your daily total.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    If your BMR is ~1500, I would not go any higher than 1200 a day for weight loss. You need a calorie deficit of 500 a day to lose just 1 lb per week (a pound of fat is 3500 calories).

    If you're hungry, it's not that you're not eating enough, it's that you're eating the wrong things. Try increasing protein and fats, and decreasing carbs. Sugar crashes are the #1 cause of unwarranted hunger.

    No. Not ever this.

    You should not eat below your BMR.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    Looked at your diary.
    You should also track your protein.

    I'd suggest upping your fiber and protein. Those 2 things will keep you full longer.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member


    1200 a day is too low for *most* people, but it is appropriate for OP.

    I do not agree with this.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    My BMR is 1514 calories per day. MFP set my calories at 1200 per day. I started 6 weeks ago and have lost 18 lbs. At the moment I burn 260 calories on a treadmill (I am not fit) but I am improving, is this the right amount of calories for me as come night time I am hungry. I didn't set the calories, MFP did when I put in my details.

    Eat your exercise cals
  • imblondewhatsyourexcuse
    imblondewhatsyourexcuse Posts: 35
    You are all correct in a sense but you're failing to take into consideration that OP's TDEE is probably only 400-500 more than her BMR considering she is a woman, "not fit", and her daily exercise amounts to ~250 cal.

    Assuming this puts her at a TDEE of 1950, 1200 a day would be a deficit of 750 which means she would lose 1.5 lbs per week. Which is already less than most people want to lose.

    1200 a day is too low for *most* people, but it is appropriate for OP.

    You're failing to understand TDEE and BMR, lol. Look at what you eat, and then consider whether you should be handing out such potentially damaging advice.
  • eethomson1
    eethomson1 Posts: 8
    right according to MFP, in order to lose 1lb a week I should eat 1390 calories, so if i go up to 1390 calories and do the exercise, which is getting better, I should eat the exercise calories back is that correct?
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    You are all correct in a sense but you're failing to take into consideration that OP's TDEE is probably only 400-500 more than her BMR considering she is a woman, "not fit", and her daily exercise amounts to ~250 cal.

    Assuming this puts her at a TDEE of 1950, 1200 a day would be a deficit of 750 which means she would lose 1.5 lbs per week. Which is already less than most people want to lose.

    1200 a day is too low for *most* people, but it is appropriate for OP.

    Checked out her diary. It makes me sad. Do not take advice from this person, ever.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    right according to MFP, in order to lose 1lb a week I should eat 1390 calories, so if i go up to 1390 calories and do the exercise, which is getting better, I should eat the exercise calories back is that correct?

    Yes, you should eat back the exercise calories with MFP calculations.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    right according to MFP, in order to lose 1lb a week I should eat 1390 calories, so if i go up to 1390 calories and do the exercise, which is getting better, I should eat the exercise calories back is that correct?

    Yes, if you do this eat exercise calories. Make sure to consume at least your BMR every day.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    You are all correct in a sense but you're failing to take into consideration that OP's TDEE is probably only 400-500 more than her BMR considering she is a woman, "not fit", and her daily exercise amounts to ~250 cal.

    Assuming this puts her at a TDEE of 1950, 1200 a day would be a deficit of 750 which means she would lose 1.5 lbs per week. Which is already less than most people want to lose.

    1200 a day is too low for *most* people, but it is appropriate for OP.

    Checked out her diary. It makes me sad. Do not take advice from this person, ever.

    I was going to respond also, but then saw that she boasting about losing 20lbs in 3 weeks. Wasn't worth the time. OP got the information she needed. Hopefully she goes with the majority here.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    right according to MFP, in order to lose 1lb a week I should eat 1390 calories, so if i go up to 1390 calories and do the exercise, which is getting better, I should eat the exercise calories back is that correct?

    Yes, if you do this eat exercise calories. Make sure to consume at least your BMR every day.

    This.

    And not ever this...
    You are all correct in a sense but you're failing to take into consideration that OP's TDEE is probably only 400-500 more than her BMR considering she is a woman, "not fit", and her daily exercise amounts to ~250 cal.

    Assuming this puts her at a TDEE of 1950, 1200 a day would be a deficit of 750 which means she would lose 1.5 lbs per week. Which is already less than most people want to lose.

    1200 a day is too low for *most* people, but it is appropriate for OP.

    Never that. Just never.
  • eethomson1
    eethomson1 Posts: 8
    I have read it as well, that is scary. I think i get the picture, i can eat my BMR and will lose wait with the exercise is that correct provided i eat my exercise calories back, oh god i am so not used to this
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    I have read it as well, that is scary. I think i get the picture, i can eat my BMR and will lose wait with the exercise is that correct provided i eat my exercise calories back, oh god i am so not used to this

    If you eat your BMR (1500) you will lose, yes.
    If you eat 1500 as well as your exercise calories, you will also lose, but slower.

    Maybe aim for 1500 daily and eat your exercise calories if you feel hungrier that day?

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