You probably lost a decent amount of muscle mass through diets.
That will lower your metabolism.

And beyond that, eating too low probably suppressed your daily burn below what it could be.

Then again, that RMR may be right on correct for your amount of muscle mass, if you had a really good bodyfat test done.

Oh, you did not have BMR test done, you had RMR test. RMR is actually higher than BMR by 150-250 calories, so your BMR is actually even lower.

Are you actually sedentary with daily activity though? 45 hr desk job/commute with no kids or pets making you move when you get home, no long shopping on weekends or yard care?
That would be the activity level they gave you for TDEE estimate.

So without knowing a good estimate of your BF%, you don't know if you should base a diet on those numbers or not.

If it is correct RMR for BF%, then eating more than needed will only add fat, unless doing a great weight lifting routine to add muscle along with the added fat.

If it is lower RMR for BF%, you do NOT want to be eating even lower to a suppressed system, and especially dieting and forcing it potentially even slower.

Do you have the means of getting a Bodpod test to answer that question?
The handheld unit given to you is not accurate enough, neither is the scale or skinfolds. Though a bunch of those tests done right may give an average that indicates if close enough.

But you can have recovery in both cases.
Gaining muscle will be a very long hard road though, so recommend don't lose anymore by doing this wrong, err on the side of being over.
Increasing daily burn and metabolism can be improved too.

Here's one case study with stat's similar to you. In this case her weight gain was probably disappointed splurges through the time of not losing weight.

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A similar case study was published by Jampolis (2004).
A 51 year old patient complained of a 15 lb weight gain over the last year, despite beginning a strenuous triathlon and marathon training program (2 hours per day, 5-6 days per week).
A 3 day diet analysis estimated a daily intake of only 1000-1200 Calories.
An indirect calorimetry revealed a resting metabolic rate of 950 Calories (28% below predicted for age, height, weight, and gender).
After medications and medical conditions such as hypothyroidism and diabetes were ruled out, the final diagnosis was over-training and undereating. The following treatment was recommended:

Increase daily dietary intake by approximately 100 Calories per week to a goal of 1500 calories
32% protein; 35% carbohydrates; 33% fat
Consume 5-6 small meals per day
Small amounts of protein with each meal or snack
Choose high fiber starches
Select mono- and poly- unsaturated fats
Restrict consumption of starch with evening meals unless focused around training
Take daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement
Perform whole body isometric resistance training 2 times per week

After 6 weeks, the patient's resting metabolism increased 35% to 1282 Calories per day (only 2% below predicted).
The patient also decreases percent fat from 37% to 34%, a loss of 5 lbs of body fat.

Jampolis MB (2004) Weight Gain - Marathon Runner / Triathlete. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(5) S148.

Have you tested your thyroid? Hypothyroidism slows metabolism down.

ladybug77707 wrote: »

Replying quickly as I have an appointment to get to. First of all - THANK YOU!!!!! This information is GREAT and extremely helpful to me! I appreciate each and every response. A few follow-up questions:
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1. Where can I get tested with a BODPOD? I am familiar with the other methods but not this one. If I can't find one, which method is second best? I DO need to know my BF % to find out if it is lack of LBM I am dealing with OR suppression of metabolism due to low calories. That will make a HUGE difference in how I need to approach this.
2. If I find out that I do need to eat MORE, do I eat those calories even if my body isn't hungry??? Or I I eat when I am not hungry just to reach those levels, doesn't that mean by body doesn't NEED the food since it isn't telling me I am hungry?

Cannot thank everyone enough! This has been such a trial for me to NOT know what to do after a lifetime of never really having to give it a second thought!

1 - search your location for Bodpod on Google. University's that run tests have them many times, some health centers, some hospitals, ect.
Second best are all potential 5-10% accurate, or at least enough to get an idea, is 7-site skin-fold in the hand of experienced person, along with measurement method with 2 formula's, and then a good scale usage. All those method results averaged together.

As I said above, expected BF for average is 32%, you'd have to be at 65% for that RMR to be correct. So you already know it's not, because you aren't that high %. So you are suppressed metabolism.

2 - You feeling full and your body being fully fed are 2 entirely different things. You can train it to subsist on less than it wants, with no hunger pains. My comments above about people purposely doing this don't feel hungry all the time, just as their metabolism lowers, so does hunger desire.

How soon does your body tell you that you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency? Ever?
Or does it happen more that some negative effect shows up, you get blood test, and discover you are.
Same with calorie deficiency.

So yes - you do need to eat more even at times you may not feel like it. Only talking about 300 more daily though, so 100 more at 2 meals, and a 100 cal snack. Perhaps not eating stuff with so much volume but barely calories. A tad more calorie dense.
Like, do you do low or non-fat items?