Daily calories vs. metabolic rate - I'm confused!

5kforme
5kforme Posts: 23
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Just started MFP a couple of days ago, and so far I love it! I've read the intro posts, so I get the metabolic rate thing, as well as eating all of your exercise points. Where I'm confused is the fact that, according to the BMR Calculator, I need 1348 calories just to exist, but MFP has my daily goal at 1200. If I eat that much below my metabolic rate, won't my body eventually kick into starvation mode? Can someone explain this difference, and if I should be eating 1200 or 1348 daily calories? I do exercise at least 3x week, and I eat all of those.
Thanks in advance!
Carolyn
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Replies

  • jasonweinberg
    jasonweinberg Posts: 270
    no that's just the deficit you need to lose weight. what did you put for your activity level? i am going to assume it was sedentary and that is why it set your calories below your bmr. you probably also selected losing 2 lbs per week...
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    It depends on your individual stats (height, weight, age, activity level, exercise, etc). But if your goal is significantly below BMR, you may have your loss per week goal set too high. For what you have to lose, it should be no more than 1/2 lb per week. If you are quite petite, you may have to tweak the numbers a bit to get the right deficit for you.

    Check your loss per week goal, and make sure it isn't too high. :wink:
  • pinktoenels
    pinktoenels Posts: 23
    Hello,

    If you chose to lose weight, MFP has lowered your calories to trigger a loss. If you would like to eat more, you can exercise. Exercise adds calories.
  • foxxybrown
    foxxybrown Posts: 838 Member
    BMR is not the same as maintenance calories. Look at you goals screen and on the right you will see the amount required to maintain your weight. Then mfp subtracts from this to give you your deficit. It will not set you for anything under 1200.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    BMR is not the same as maintenance calories. Look at you goals screen and on the right you will see the amount required to maintain your weight. Then mfp subtracts from this to give you your deficit. It will not set you for anything under 1200.

    Quite true, but most people should not be at a cal goal that is significantly below BMR. Eating below BMR (especially if relatively lean already) usually backfires.
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