Mfp setting cal goal at below bmr?

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forgtmenot
forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
edited May 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
Someone mentioned on another thread that bmr is the amount you should eat to lose weight. However, mfp has set my calorie goal to below my bmr. So I'm a little confused now. If my bmr is 1585 and I should lose at 1585, why is mfp telling me to set it at 1200? I have my activity level at "desk job" which is accurate. I do workout but I add those workouts on mfp and I eat most of them back, which puts me at net 1200 most days.

I'm losing, but maybe too quickly. I lost 4.8lbs in the last week, but I think it might be partly water weight.

Anyway, I'm just wondering if I should raise my net calorie goal to my bmr or just leave it where mfp has put it?
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Replies

  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
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    Did you tell MFP you want to lose 2 pounds a week? Regardless, you can manually set your goals to whatever.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    BMR is just one of three ways that you burn calories throughout the day. You will lose weight if you eat below the sum of the three methods. If you are sedentary and set your goal at two pounds per day, you could end up with a goal that is below your BMR.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    forgtmenot wrote: »
    Someone mentioned on another thread that bmr is the amount you should eat to lose weight. However, mfp has set my calorie goal to below my bmr. So I'm a little confused now. If my bmr is 1585 and I should lose at 1585, why is mfp telling me to set it at 1200? I have my activity level at "desk job" which is accurate. I do workout but I add those workouts on mfp and I eat most of them back, which puts me at net 1200 most days.

    I'm losing, but maybe too quickly. I lost 4.8lbs in the last week, but I think it might be partly water weight.

    Anyway, I'm just wondering if I should raise my net calorie goal to my bmr or just leave it where mfp has put it?

    That is not what basal metabolic rate is. What it is the calories to maintain in a comatose state for the amount weight weight you have. That poster who gave you the definition of BMR was wrong.

    How much weight do you want to lose to get to your goals. BTW eating at BMR you should technically be able to lost weight so that part is correct.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    BMR is relatively irrelevant
  • forgtmenot
    forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
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    I have it set at 2lbs/week. I have 40lbs total to lose.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I'd slow that down to 1lb a week tbh
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    forgtmenot wrote: »
    I have it set at 2lbs/week. I have 40lbs total to lose.

    Here is a great guideline for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.


  • forgtmenot
    forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
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    So should I just put my stats in and let mfp calculate it and not worry about other calculators then?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    forgtmenot wrote: »
    I have it set at 2lbs/week. I have 40lbs total to lose.
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    Adjust your expectations...
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    BMR is relatively irrelevant
    and this
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    As mentioned BMR is if you are still.
    NEAT = Non-exercise activity thermogenesis so all those calories you burn by going to work, sitting at your desk, doing dishes etc....activity level should be appropriate
    TDEE=maintenance which includes exercise.

  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    BMR is an irrelevant number when it comes to calculating calorie goals.

    Yes, for most people, TDEE less a reasonable deficit will be greater than BMR. But for smaller, older or less active people, TDEE less a reasonable deficit could well be lower than BMR.

    Ignore BMR. Focus on finding a sustainable rate of loss at a calorie goal you can manage.
  • forgtmenot
    forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Ok thank you. I raised it to 1.5lbs/week and I'm at 1380 calories now. I was just worried that I might have it set too low and was worried I might end up losing too fast. I'm not having issues sticking to 1200 net because I workout most days and I eat my calories back most of the time, so I really am eating anywhere between 1450-1600 most days and I feel fine. However, on rest days I'm hungry pretty much all day since I don't get those exercise calories. So hopefully raising it will help with that.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    forgtmenot wrote: »
    I have it set at 2lbs/week. I have 40lbs total to lose.

    Here is a great guideline for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.


    Didn't we have a lengthy discussion about this thing last week? Arbitrarily telling someone whose weight we don't know at what rate they should be losing doesn't make sense.
  • forgtmenot
    forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
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    I weigh 175lbs and I'm 5'5 if that matters. I have my goal set at 135.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    edited May 2015
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    forgtmenot wrote: »
    I have it set at 2lbs/week. I have 40lbs total to lose.

    Here is a great guideline for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.


    Didn't we have a lengthy discussion about this thing last week? Arbitrarily telling someone whose weight we don't know at what rate they should be losing doesn't make sense.

    Ideal is key word. lengthy discussion? We have never had any lengthy discussion on anything other than you don't weigh your food out.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    forgtmenot wrote: »
    I weigh 175lbs and I'm 5'5 if that matters. I have my goal set at 135.

    You can try using this calculator to see what your TDEE is at the "sedentary" setting:
    scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    Subtract 15-20% from that, and see how many calories that deficit is. If it's around 500, set MFP to 1lb/week. If it's closer to 750, set it to 1.5lbs/week, etc.
  • lydjn
    lydjn Posts: 2 Member
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    1200 cal is way to low for me and from what I have read it doesn't seem like your supposed to eat 1200 cal for very long or your body starts to hold the calories. I suppose some people who weight less could do that. I set it to 1.5lbs a week and that calorie count seems to be better. I eat at that amount or slightly over and am still loosing the 2.lbs a week.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    forgtmenot wrote: »
    I have it set at 2lbs/week. I have 40lbs total to lose.

    Here is a great guideline for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.


    Didn't we have a lengthy discussion about this thing last week? Arbitrarily telling someone whose weight we don't know at what rate they should be losing doesn't make sense.

    When they say they have 40lbs to lose...that's a pretty good indication at what speed to do it at.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    forgtmenot wrote: »
    I have it set at 2lbs/week. I have 40lbs total to lose.

    Here is a great guideline for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.


    Didn't we have a lengthy discussion about this thing last week? Arbitrarily telling someone whose weight we don't know at what rate they should be losing doesn't make sense.

    When they say they have 40lbs to lose...that's a pretty good indication at what speed to do it at.

    Straight to the point

    *like*
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    forgtmenot wrote: »
    I have it set at 2lbs/week. I have 40lbs total to lose.

    Here is a great guideline for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.


    Didn't we have a lengthy discussion about this thing last week? Arbitrarily telling someone whose weight we don't know at what rate they should be losing doesn't make sense.

    When they say they have 40lbs to lose...that's a pretty good indication at what speed to do it at.

    BAM!
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    forgtmenot wrote: »
    I have it set at 2lbs/week. I have 40lbs total to lose.

    Here is a great guideline for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.


    Didn't we have a lengthy discussion about this thing last week? Arbitrarily telling someone whose weight we don't know at what rate they should be losing doesn't make sense.

    Ideal is key word. lengthy discussion? We have never had any lengthy discussion on anything other than you don't weigh your food out.

    By "we", I don't mean you, I mean the MFP community. The earliest reference to this thing I can find is an answer to a question on Yahoo Answers in February 2012. Pretty much everything else is people reposting it to MFP and people quoting the posts on MFP, so there is no evidence to back it up. I'm pretty sure that no one who is 215 pounds and is trying to reach 200 pounds thinks it is ideal to take more than half a year to get there.

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