BMR or GOALS? Which is right??

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harley0269
harley0269 Posts: 384 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So MFP had me at 1430 calories & ive been doing great. losing a pound as week. Until Today, I gained a pound!
Ok, thats discouraging but im not ready to throw in the towel yet.
So I went on the goals tab, entered my new weight (+1lb) & low & behold it drops my calories from 1430 down to 1370!
Kewl beans, i can handle that.
So then i went to the BMI tab to check how Im doing there. Ok there too, my numbers dropped. A way to go yet before im no longer obese. Thats great! That gives me prospective.
But whats that? Whats this BMR tab? So i check it out. Hey, it will recalculate my calories! Great, I will double check my goals then.
WELL PICK MY JAW OFF THE FLOOR!!!!
With the same info, it says my calorie intake should be 1493!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF????
Whats right? Whats wrong? What should i go with?
I want to go with the 1370, but im not sure.
Anybody have some answers to my dilemma???

Replies

  • nikkijedlo
    nikkijedlo Posts: 30 Member
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    I'm not 100% certain, but I believe that the BMR is what your body needs to maintain your weight (1493). In order to continue losing, you're goal calories of 1370 will creat the deficit you need to lose.

    And congrats on your weight loss so far! :)
  • Xaspar
    Xaspar Posts: 726 Member
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    BMR is how much you should take in to maintain the weight you are currently at with NO exercise or activity (just laying in bed existing)
    The calorie goal number is about what you need to lose the weight.
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
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    Your BMR is the amount of calories you burn if you lay in bed and do absolutely nothing at all (i.e. if you were in a coma, you would burn that amount). You set up a goal loss per week when you entered your info into MFP (1lb/week, 2lb/week, etc). Therefore, MFP calculates the deficit in calories you would need in order to reach that goal. Follow the GOAL calories, not the BMR calories, if you want to lose weight.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    So MFP had me at 1430 calories & ive been doing great. losing a pound as week. Until Today, I gained a pound!
    Ok, thats discouraging but im not ready to throw in the towel yet.
    So I went on the goals tab, entered my new weight (+1lb) & low & behold it drops my calories from 1430 down to 1370!
    Kewl beans, i can handle that.
    So then i went to the BMI tab to check how Im doing there. Ok there too, my numbers dropped. A way to go yet before im no longer obese. Thats great! That gives me prospective.
    But whats that? Whats this BMR tab? So i check it out. Hey, it will recalculate my calories! Great, I will double check my goals then.
    WELL PICK MY JAW OFF THE FLOOR!!!!
    With the same info, it says my calorie intake should be 1493!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF????
    Whats right? Whats wrong? What should i go with?
    I want to go with the 1370, but im not sure.
    Anybody have some answers to my dilemma???

    You don't understand what BMR is all about. Your BMR is the amount of calories your body would need to maintain your weight in a coma. Since you are not in a coma MFP gives you maintenance calories that uses BMR as a base. If you are sedentary your maintenance is around BMR times 1.2 to account for sitting, standing, eating, digestion etc. So if you BMR is 1493 your maintenance calories would be around 1792 (1493*1.2) if you are sedentary. To get a caloric deficit to meet your goal of 1 lb per week, MFP will take 500 cals away from your maintenance so if your maintenance is 1792 and your goal is to lose 1 lb/week MFP will give you 1292 calories (1792-500) That is your goal.

    To see what your maintenance calories are go to your goals tab and look at the top right for calories burned from normal daily activity. Those are your maintenance caloires.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I'm not 100% certain, but I believe that the BMR is what your body needs to maintain your weight (1493). In order to continue losing, you're goal calories of 1370 will creat the deficit you need to lose.

    And congrats on your weight loss so far! :)

    No Maintenance calories are what you need to maintain weight. BMR is used to help calculate your maintenance calories, but are not your maintenance calories.
  • aclark6818
    aclark6818 Posts: 209 Member
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    MFP has me consuming 1730 as my goal calorie intake--as I started losing & found the BMR tool, I noticed that the BMR was about 10 calories less. I have been customizing my calorie intake to match the BMR--1649. Reminder--you still have to net 1200 calries to avoid starvation mode and it's suggested that you contact a doctor to make sure you are still losing in a healthy manner. Good Luck
  • nikkijedlo
    nikkijedlo Posts: 30 Member
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    I'm not 100% certain, but I believe that the BMR is what your body needs to maintain your weight (1493). In order to continue losing, you're goal calories of 1370 will creat the deficit you need to lose.

    And congrats on your weight loss so far! :)

    No Maintenance calories are what you need to maintain weight. BMR is used to help calculate your maintenance calories, but are not your maintenance calories.

    Thank you for correcting my mistake.

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