BMR confusion

Crowhorse
Crowhorse Posts: 394 Member
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
So, I'm confused.

I've been reading about how you should at least eat your BMR + exercise calories.

I did the BMR tool, and it said mine should be 1600 cals/day. If I exercised for 200 cals, then that would put me at 1800 cals that day, right?

But, in my weight loss goal, it said I should eat about 1260/day. This is less than the BMR I'd been given.

Will this put me in starvation mode?

I've been trying to read the posts on this, but I haven't really seen anything short and simple to clarify this and assure me that I won't be in starvation mode. (Today I exercised, so it said I could have 1500).

Can anyone help explain this in simple terms?

Replies

  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    The way MFP calculates your calorie goal is by using your BMR plus your normal daily activity, and then it subtracts a certain number of calories based on your desired weekly weight loss. That's so that if you didn't exercise you'd still lose weight, and that's why you're supposed to eat your exercise calories.
  • jrueckert
    jrueckert Posts: 355 Member
    Did you mark that you want to lose weight? If so, MFP gives you a number of calories to eat that is less than your BMR so you will lose weight. If you burn more calories than you intake, you lose weight.
  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
    I've seen people say that you should eat at least your BMR, but no one has provided any medical justification for it. BMR is just a number. How much your body actually burns during your daily activity varies widely based on your lifestyle. This is where your maintenance calories come in. As long as you are maintaining a healthy deficit (500-1000 calories below your maintenance calories, and above 1200 net), I wouldn't worry so much about your BMR.
  • imagineaballoon
    imagineaballoon Posts: 44
    I used this site earlier today to calculate my BMR:

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    Then used their link to find my daily caloric needs. So, if my BMR is 1540, I then took this line into account:

    "If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55"

    which would be 1540 x 1.55 = 2387.

    I clicked the link for calorie intake to lose weight and see

    "If you want to lose fat, a useful guideline for lowering your calorie intake is to reduce your calories by at least 500, but not more than 1000 below your maintenance level."

    Because I have more than 40 lbs to lose, I subtract that 1000 off, so:

    2387 - 1000 = 1387

    MFP gives me a daily calorie goal of 1350, so that's more or less on target, assuming I don't eat back all of my exercise calories.

    Maybe you could try that formula and see what you end up with? I could be wrong, but I think MFP is not too far off. :)
  • Crowhorse
    Crowhorse Posts: 394 Member
    The way MFP calculates your calorie goal is by using your BMR plus your normal daily activity, and then it subtracts a certain number of calories based on your desired weekly weight loss. That's so that if you didn't exercise you'd still lose weight, and that's why you're supposed to eat your exercise calories.

    I have no problem eating exercise calories...why you should was pretty well explained and very interesting.

    I was confused, because in some other posts, it explained that if you go below your BMR that your body will go into a starvation mode, and you won't lose. Something along those lines, at least.

    I was just wondering, then, if it was healthy for me to only eat 1260/day if my BMR is 1600.
  • Crowhorse
    Crowhorse Posts: 394 Member
    I used this site earlier today to calculate my BMR:

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    Then used their link to find my daily caloric needs. So, if my BMR is 1540, I then took this line into account:

    "If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55"

    which would be 1540 x 1.55 = 2387.

    I clicked the link for calorie intake to lose weight and see

    "If you want to lose fat, a useful guideline for lowering your calorie intake is to reduce your calories by at least 500, but not more than 1000 below your maintenance level."

    Because I have more than 40 lbs to lose, I subtract that 1000 off, so:

    2387 - 1000 = 1387

    MFP gives me a daily calorie goal of 1350, so that's more or less on target, assuming I don't eat back all of my exercise calories.

    Maybe you could try that formula and see what you end up with? I could be wrong, but I think MFP is not too far off. :)

    Thanks. Actually, thanks to all the polite and helpful replies. That makes me feel better about doing it.

    I just don't want to do anything that's unhealthy. I would like this to be a successful year in weightloss. :)
  • imagineaballoon
    imagineaballoon Posts: 44
    I toooootally get that. I want this to be a really successful, lifelong change for my husband and I, too, which is why I was researching the BMR thing this morning. If you're worried about going into starvation mode, which is probably pretty unlikely, you could maybe eat above your daily MFP goal for a week or two and see if you notice a difference?
  • Crowhorse
    Crowhorse Posts: 394 Member
    I think I'll try the goal first, and eat my exercise calories, too.

    I'll give it a month to see how well it is working, and adjust from there.
  • imagineaballoon
    imagineaballoon Posts: 44
    Good luck! :D
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