could someone please give me some clarification? thanks! :

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megpiemac12
megpiemac12 Posts: 76
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok. I have been here for a few months and have been loosing about 1-2 pounds for week so it is working! :) My question is that when I calculate my BMR, it says about 1477 calories. What I don't understand is I thought you were supposed to eat about 500 calories less which would put me under 1200. Does this sound about right? I'm 33, weigh about 197 and am about 4'9". I have been trying to exercise about 4-5 times a week also and don't typically eat my calories back. I know I should not go lower than 1200 a day, but would like to at least loose 2 pounds a week. Any suggestions? thanks!

Replies

  • megpiemac12
    megpiemac12 Posts: 76
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    Also, if I were to eat 500 calories less a day, that would be only a weight loss of 1 pound a week....hmmmm....
  • Timolyn
    Timolyn Posts: 7 Member
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    The BMR is already taking into account the 500 less calories so you should be eating the 1477. If you eat 500 less than 1477 than you would actually be eating 1000 calories less than what you burn just standing still. If you want to burn more than a pound a week than you will need to increase your exercise or reduce the number of calories you eat.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    BMR is not your maintenance, it's actually about 60 to 75% of your maintenance calories.

    to answer your question eating 500 calories less than your maintenance would theoretically yield a 1 lb of fat per week loss, in a perfect environment.
  • EDBENAGLIO
    EDBENAGLIO Posts: 424
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    i got 1674 but look everyone is different 1100 might work for you i would eat 1300 and mack the def. with your workouts just eat something every 3-4 hours so your body knows you are eating and see how that goes and adjust from there
  • megpiemac12
    megpiemac12 Posts: 76
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    wow...thanks! It had told me to eat 1200 not 1477. Thanks for the responses! I can't even understand basic math! :laugh:
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
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    If you go to My Home -> Goals it explains the calories you need in each day and then how much they tell you to eat and the difference so you lose your goal each week.
  • kevanos
    kevanos Posts: 304 Member
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    the 1200 is a floor value by MFP, but lets ignore it for the moment.

    your BMR is about 1500, 500 less is 100. this will result in 1 lbs/week lost assumming you do nothing but sit, eat and sleep.

    Now consider the extra calories you burn in a day through normal activitiees and exercise, lets assume that adds 650 calories.

    your your total daily expended calorie sis 1500+650 = 2150 calories.

    so if you eat 1000 calories, your defict is 1150 and you will lose more tahtn 2lbs/week. This is not reccomended since you are eating very little nutrients and losign weight too fast will cause muscle loss adn long with fat loss.

    If you eat 1650 calories, you will create a deficit of 500 calories and lose 1lbs/week.


    For healthy weight loss I would say eat somewhere inbetween 1000 and 1650 calories per day, so about 1300 calories. that would give you a deficit of 950 calorie swhich is just under 2lbs/week.

    note: maybe you burn less than the 650 calories per day i estiamted. If you have been losign 1-2 lbs/week your doign grerat work. Keep your diet and exercise as is.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    retracted, I misread something.
  • Therapist_mama
    Therapist_mama Posts: 135 Member
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    Hi Meg,

    I have read that eating less than 1200 calories a day is not healthy. I am not an expert on BMR or anything scientific,
    but I do know that there are times when we will hit a plateau in our weight loss and that is normal. I have read in the Curves book that one of their success theories to weight loss is that when that plateau occurs, increasing our calories by 500 for a day or two and then reducing it back down will re-ignite our metabolism to burn more efficiently. I myself have not tried this method but know some folks personally who have and they swear by it being authentic and useful. I have plans to give it a try when I face the challenge of the plateau. I don't know if that is what your concern is here or not but, I hope my thoughts and information serve you in some positive way.

    Take good care
  • dixiechicdana
    dixiechicdana Posts: 67
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    Use this tool from Mayo clinic to see what you need to maintain. Then you would be 500-1000 calories under that to lose. Never go under 1200 calories or you send your body into starvation mode.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    FYI meg, if you're BMR is 1470 then your maintenance calories are probably between 1950 and 2200 calories. Since I don't know your lifestyle or specific information, I can't come any closer than that.
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
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    the 1200 is a floor value by MFP, but lets ignore it for the moment.

    your BMR is about 1500, 500 less is 100. this will result in 1 lbs/week lost assumming you do nothing but sit, eat and sleep.

    Now consider the extra calories you burn in a day through normal activitiees and exercise, lets assume that adds 650 calories.

    your your total daily expended calorie sis 1500+650 = 2150 calories.

    so if you eat 1000 calories, your defict is 1150 and you will lose more tahtn 2lbs/week. This is not reccomended since you are eating very little nutrients and losign weight too fast will cause muscle loss adn long with fat loss.

    If you eat 1650 calories, you will create a deficit of 500 calories and lose 1lbs/week.


    For healthy weight loss I would say eat somewhere inbetween 1000 and 1650 calories per day, so about 1300 calories. that would give you a deficit of 950 calorie swhich is just under 2lbs/week.

    note: maybe you burn less than the 650 calories per day i estiamted. If you have been losign 1-2 lbs/week your doign grerat work. Keep your diet and exercise as is.


    ahhh this makes sense
  • megpiemac12
    megpiemac12 Posts: 76
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    thank you for all the feedback! everyone really is terrific on here! I did find a calculator that told me to maintain my current weight it would be about 1940 calories a day. so it is all making sense to me! lol. I thought orginally that I would have to eat less than the BMR suggested so that's why I was confused. I stay around the 1200 mark anyway and really don't go too much over or under.
    Thanks again for all your help!

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