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BMR wrong?

ecreigh2
ecreigh2 Posts: 14
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Is there a way for my BMR to be much higher than MFP calculates?

Since I started my diet on 1/1/2011, I've lost 17lbs with an average calorie intake of 1700.

This doesn't seem to make sense to me since MFP says that 1700 is about at 0.1lb loss/week for me, while I've averaged > 1lb/week. I listed my activity as sedentary since I have a desk job and I log all walking and workouts. I log all my food and I have a scale so I believe it's pretty accurate.

The reason I ask is that I want to start moving to maintenance soon, but MFP only puts that at 1740, so I am afraid this is too low for my body.

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    If you have more lean mass than the "average" for a person your height and weight, yes, your BMR will be higher than a calculator that calculates for the "average" person.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    Coincidentally, a topic like this has just arisen...see here

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/209721-maybe-all-this-time-i-ve-had-the-wrong-damn-settings
  • mollymoo89
    mollymoo89 Posts: 202
    You may be eating 1700 calories but you might have a NET of around 1200-1400 if you're working out.
  • ramseyrose
    ramseyrose Posts: 421 Member
    Google the Harris Benedict formula for BMR, then when you have worked that out you multiply by a number which corresponds to your activity level. You need to burn 3500 weekly to lose 1lb, so 5oo per day deficit.

    Mine was a couple of 100 cals different
  • cckeimig
    cckeimig Posts: 194 Member
    Well, mine says I should be losing .9 lbs per week at 1200 calories (plus exercise calories), but I was losing a lot more than that at first--I lost 5 pounds per week for the first few weeks!

    In other words, you're definitely not the only one asking him/herself that question! :smile:

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  • ecreigh2
    ecreigh2 Posts: 14
    Thanks all for the thoughts.

    I guess I should have specified that the 1700 is NET. I just did a BMR calculation at moderate activity (2300) and that seems to match my results, except that I believe the BMR calculators are for total calories/day not NET. From my past, it seems that NET 2300 would maintain my weight?

    All this stuff is very interesting.

    Thanks again.
  • marji4x
    marji4x Posts: 144 Member
    I find MFP i totally wrong if I follow the guided settings.

    I got all my BMR stuff from www.fat2fitradio.com they use the Harris-Benedict formula. I just calculate my BMR for that then use that amount of calories to custom set my stuff on here (cause I like how this site is set up).

    I'm steadily losing so it seems to be working out for me.

    I eat about 1900 a day.
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