Need to settle this once and for all!

monhumbert
monhumbert Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 21, female and weigh 57 kg. My BMR is roughly 1319 and I go to the gym 6 days a week. I burn roughly 350 calories each time I'm there.
My question is; if I'm eating my BMR (minimum calories) do I need to eat back my 'burnt' calories?
Thanks.
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Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Yes, you should be eating at least a portion of them back. I don't know how you are getting your burn estimates (MFP, HRM, Machine, etc), so the amount would vary based on that... if you are using a HRM, you would be safe to eat them all, if you're using MFP's estimate or a machine, eat about half of them.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Yes at least 50% of them because it puts you net at about 1k and min for a woman unless under medical supervision is 1200.
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  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    "Need to"? No. If you want to follow the MFP plan as programmed, it assumes you will do so and still lose weight at the speed you selected, assuming all the estimates are close enough for you including your intake tracking.

    My intake level while dieting is usually around or below my BMR and I'm not ravenously hungry. I know my body needs the deficit to tap those fat stores and it's not that steep a deficit for me, maybe 500 calories a day max. But I have about 30 lbs. more fat than you, too, assuming similar height.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    why are u eating at BMR? Arent you ravenously hungry?

    This.
    Your BMR is the amount of calories your body uses to stay alive.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    why are u eating at BMR? Arent you ravenously hungry?

    This.
    Your BMR is the amount of calories your body uses to stay alive.
    I eat well under my BMR and am not ravenously hungry.

    Presuming fat stores, why do the calories your body uses to stay alive need to come from food?
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    Not worth it. :laugh:
  • Lemongrab13
    Lemongrab13 Posts: 206 Member
    You're not supposed to eat at BMR. You're supposed to eat at TDEE -20-25%
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I normally eat above my BMR these days, as it's not very high and I'm generally pretty active, but I don't find it makes me ravenous on less active days when I don't and did not back when I was less active and ate under my estimated BMR regularly.

    You can have an overly aggressive deficit without being under BMR and a perfectly reasonable one while eating under BMR.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    A common response when a position can't be defended.

    My BMR is supposedly 2400ish. Given 31 calories per day per pound of fat, my bodyfat can provide 2600ish calories. I could not eat a thing and my body would still have the energy to sustain my BMR. Why, in such circumstances, would my eating below BMR be an issue, in and of itself?

    As far as the OP, she appears to be about 5'4" and 125 pounds. I don't know how that translates into body fat percentage or amount of fat, but if she has bodyfat that can provide the difference in energy between what her body needs and what she eats, why is that an inherent problem?
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    A common response when a position can't be defended.

    My BMR is supposedly 2400ish. Given 31 calories per day per pound of fat, my bodyfat can provide 2600ish calories. I could not eat a thing and my body would still have the energy to sustain my BMR. Why, in such circumstances, would my eating below BMR be an issue, in and of itself?

    As far as the OP, she appears to be about 5'4" and 125 pounds. I don't know how that translates into body fat percentage or amount of fat, but if she has bodyfat that can provide the difference in energy between what her body needs and what she eats, why is that an inherent problem?

    princess-bride-you-keep-using-that-word.gif?w=594
  • Muddy_Yogi
    Muddy_Yogi Posts: 1,459 Member
    why are u eating at BMR? Arent you ravenously hungry?

    This.
    Your BMR is the amount of calories your body uses to stay alive.
    I eat well under my BMR and am not ravenously hungry.

    Presuming fat stores, why do the calories your body uses to stay alive need to come from food?

    Even if you don't "feel" hungry...I assure you that your body is hungry. You need to eat at least your bmr to get the nutrients your body needs to function properly. But I'm sure you know better so carry on.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    A common response when a position can't be defended.

    My BMR is supposedly 2400ish. Given 31 calories per day per pound of fat, my bodyfat can provide 2600ish calories. I could not eat a thing and my body would still have the energy to sustain my BMR. Why, in such circumstances, would my eating below BMR be an issue, in and of itself?

    As far as the OP, she appears to be about 5'4" and 125 pounds. I don't know how that translates into body fat percentage or amount of fat, but if she has bodyfat that can provide the difference in energy between what her body needs and what she eats, why is that an inherent problem?

    BMR? Or do you mean TDEE?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    why are u eating at BMR? Arent you ravenously hungry?

    This.
    Your BMR is the amount of calories your body uses to stay alive.
    I eat well under my BMR and am not ravenously hungry.

    Presuming fat stores, why do the calories your body uses to stay alive need to come from food?

    Even if you don't "feel" hungry...I assure you that your body is hungry. You need to eat at least your bmr to get the nutrients your body needs to function properly. But I'm sure you know better so carry on.
    What nutrients do you presume I am not getting and in what ways do you presume my body isn't functioning properly?

    Do you have any cites that show that BMR must be met in order to assure sufficient nutrition?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    A common response when a position can't be defended.

    My BMR is supposedly 2400ish. Given 31 calories per day per pound of fat, my bodyfat can provide 2600ish calories. I could not eat a thing and my body would still have the energy to sustain my BMR. Why, in such circumstances, would my eating below BMR be an issue, in and of itself?

    As far as the OP, she appears to be about 5'4" and 125 pounds. I don't know how that translates into body fat percentage or amount of fat, but if she has bodyfat that can provide the difference in energy between what her body needs and what she eats, why is that an inherent problem?

    BMR? Or do you mean TDEE?
    BMR. The discussion was about eating less than BMR. I presume anyone trying to lose weight is eating below TDEE.
  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
    Exercise calories

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    Setting Your Calorie and Macro Targets

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

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1072049-thoughts-on-tdee-calculators-and-switching-from-mfp-to-tdee

    Also am unsure what you mean by settle this once and for all, your TDEE and BMR changes over time depending on changes such as activity, adaptions etc what was the question again?

    ETA: Oh do you eat back your exercise calories, well it is suggested you eat back half and monitor the results and adjust accordingly, as exercise cals burnt are often overstated...It is very dependent on the individual.

    The links I provided covers it much better than I ever could.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    Yes.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    why are u eating at BMR? Arent you ravenously hungry?

    This.
    Your BMR is the amount of calories your body uses to stay alive.
    I eat well under my BMR and am not ravenously hungry.

    Presuming fat stores, why do the calories your body uses to stay alive need to come from food?

    Even if you don't "feel" hungry...I assure you that your body is hungry. You need to eat at least your bmr to get the nutrients your body needs to function properly. But I'm sure you know better so carry on.
    From the "oh noes" link referenced above:

    "Having a large deficit can well be an issue, depending on the context, and having a very low calorie target may be, due to macro and micronutrient requirements, but eating below your BMR...well, there is no evidence to support that."
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    It's a good question and asked a lot. MFP should be more clear about it.

    They vary your calorie amount depending on how much exercise you say you do, but then when you enter exercise, it gives you more calories. It seems odd!

    Everyone has a different answer, usually Yes, No or Eat half. I've seen people say they eat some other percentage, too.

    I vary. Little exertions like walking or lifting weights -No, it doesn't make me hungrier. Hard swimming - Yes, I will want more food, so I'm eating more.

    You have to do what works for you. :)
  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
    OP pay attention to your rate of weight loss and energy levels and overall health, I highly recommend weight training to maintain as much LBM as possible whilst being at a calorie deficit.

    Here is a cut 'n' pasta from one of the links I provided as a general guide for rates of weight loss...

    General recommendations for weekly weight loss goals should be based on a number of factors, the main one of which is how much weight you have to lose. The more weight that you have to lose the less severe the negative impact of being at a calorie deficit will have generally (see below for examples).

    As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing these negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:
    More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
    40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
    10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
    Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

    Obviously, the deficit that is right for you will depend on your personal circumstances and how well you deal with the deficit. For example, for someone who is morbidly obese, the health benefits of getting the weight off quickly will often outweigh the possible negative impact and, as such, a higher than 2 lb a week deficit may well be appropriate.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    I just came here to say don't mess with Texas.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Not worth it. :laugh:

    it's like an argument about religion....everyone gets all worked up insisting they are right...but ultimately, no one gets anywhere.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Actually, this site has moved well into being more sensible and correct in recent years. If you pull up a long thread from two years ago about 'eating below BMR', there were only about two of us (me under a prior user name) who argued there's nothing inherently wrong with it. Now most people seem to hold that position, including some of the 'gurus' around here and (I think) the moderators, overall.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    In for the cut and pasta
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Aww damn. I didn't know MFP had a built in BMR calculator. And all the info is already filled in since our account already has it. I feel like such a dolt :laugh:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

    OP, since your smaller, your BMR may be quite low. My issue with eating below BMR would be eating too little food for my personal taste. If I can eat more and still lose weight, I will
  • Rachywascakes
    Rachywascakes Posts: 14 Member
    If your BMR is the energy required to keep you alive, i.e. to ensure your body functions even if you are in a coma, then surely eating below this would leave you feeling weak, not to mention hungry. This can't be a good thing over a sustained period of time. Or am I missing something?
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Your body 'funds' any caloric deficit from body fat. To assume that it needs today's intake for today's BMR needs assumes it has no 'tank'. Consider how we can eat once a day but survive all day. We store calories for future use. Overfat is the condition of having over-stored calories for future use. Losing weight is the act of accessing those stored calories and burning them off.

    If you had no body fat stores, you would be hurting yourself to eat below BMR regularly.
  • Rachywascakes
    Rachywascakes Posts: 14 Member
    Your body 'funds' any caloric deficit from body fat. To assume that it needs today's intake for today's BMR needs assumes it has no 'tank'. Consider how we can eat once a day but survive all day. We store calories for future use. Overfat is the condition of having over-stored calories for future use. Losing weight is the act of accessing those stored calories and burning them off.

    If you had no body fat stores, you would be hurting yourself to eat below BMR regularly.


    Ha! Didn't think of that! I think I'd be ok to survive quite a while then ....

    To be honest though, the thought of eating so few calories to be below BMR would be enough to push me over the edge and into the donut shop though.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Your body 'funds' any caloric deficit from body fat. To assume that it needs today's intake for today's BMR needs assumes it has no 'tank'. Consider how we can eat once a day but survive all day. We store calories for future use. Overfat is the condition of having over-stored calories for future use. Losing weight is the act of accessing those stored calories and burning them off.

    If you had no body fat stores, you would be hurting yourself to eat below BMR regularly.


    Ha! Didn't think of that! I think I'd be ok to survive quite a while then ....

    To be honest though, the thought of eating so few calories to be below BMR would be enough to push me over the edge and into the donut shop though.

    :laugh:
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