BMR vs Goal Setting on MFP- Why the difference??

MiniMichelle
MiniMichelle Posts: 801 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey All,

I because of suggestions from several of my friends on there i lowered my weekly weight loss to 1lb per week... from 2lb per week. Going to try it for a week and see if it works.... anyway to the real question...

When I re-set my goals I noticed the following:
Net Calories/ 1,360 a day
Calories Burned from normal daily activity/ 1,860 a day (sitting at a desk job)

Now- When I just did the BMR it told me that my normal calories burned was 1,491 a day

Why is there such a difference? I thought MFP program went off the BMR rate?

Thanks,
Michelle

Replies

  • jolteon00
    jolteon00 Posts: 89
    Your BMR doesn't count for you getting out of bed in the morning. It's what you'd burn if you were in a coma. Since you wake up, breathe, move around, eat, you burn more calories than that.
  • possessed
    possessed Posts: 12
    Hey honey ! Basal Rate is to die with the caories needed to lay there and breath,. Thats all. You still move around :) xxx
    Good luck ! XD I always try n get 100 calories left to spair to make sure its right :)
  • Driagnor
    Driagnor Posts: 323 Member
    Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is your BMR multiplied by your activity level. It's 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 for lightly active, 1.55 for moderately active etc. The 1 lb a week goal will take your TDEE and subtract 500 calories from that to give you your daily calorie goal.

    Hope this helps.
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    I thought MFP program went off the BMR rate?
    It does start with that - the B in BMR stands for Basal - think "basic".

    On top of the Basal (basic) Rate, which is what you need to keep warm, breathe, maintain your body etc. you must also add on your activity such as getting out of bed in the morning and working, and that gives you your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) - that gives you the figure that you would need to eat every day to stay the same weight.

    To lose 1 lb a week, you need to eat 500 calories a day less than your TDEE.

    But if you don't get it, don't worry about it, this site does the maths for you. :)
  • ruststar
    ruststar Posts: 489 Member
    I don't trust the MFP calculator at all. My BMR for my goal weight, the amount of calories I need to keep my body alive if I'm in a COMA, is 1499, but according to MFP, to lose 1 pound a week I need to eat less than the bare minimum my body needs even when I'm 60 pounds lighter. My caloric needs at my goal weight, even at a completely sedentary level, are 1.2 times my BMR (1798). Since I'm not sedentary and exercise most days of the week, I multiply that by 1.4 (2098). I'm sick of worrying about whether I should eat my exercise calories and just set my rate for 2000, and eat a little lower on the days I don't exercise. It's going to take me longer to lose the weight, but by following the rates for my goal weight I'm setting myself up for the rest of my life - I'm going to eat this amount forever - I am going to meet my goal because I am still in a caloric deficit from my current weight. By almost 800 calories per day. I was in a solid plateau for three weeks and was getting frustrated, but when I upped my calories my metabolism revved back up and I crossed a major goal and I can feel the difference inmy clothes and the way I look.
  • MiniMichelle
    MiniMichelle Posts: 801 Member
    Thanks for all the help !!! :flowerforyou:
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