Basal metabolic rate / maintenance calories

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bel_jay
bel_jay Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
About a year ago I did 12wbt. At the end of the program I was a very similar weight to what I am now, and my basal metabolic rate was calculated by 12wbt as 1250 calories. MFP calculates my maintenance calories as 1420 (for a sedentary activity level). Are BMR and maintenance calories the same thing? Does anyone know which is more accurate?

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  • mich19025
    mich19025 Posts: 55 Member
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    BMR is basically the calories your body needs just by functioning (think breathing and stuff). Your maintenance calories is the extra added on top of bmr for day to day activities. To lose weight you basically want to be eating at number in between those. Are you at goal weight? just wondering as i see there isn't much in between your bmr and maintenance numbers. If you go n a site such as scooby's home workshop it will give you the information you need. MFP sets a lot of people at 1200 cals which is likely below most people's bmr to be honest.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,947 Member
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    Basal Metabolic Rate is you lying in bed, quietly, sufficiently fed to keep all your organs going!
    Sedentary involves basic daily activities to about 35 minutes of movement / 3500 or so steps.
    It is usually 1.2x BMR
    As such MFP is currently guessing an implied BMR that is lower than your previously calculated one.
  • bel_jay
    bel_jay Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks guys. That makes a lot of sense!

    I am very close to goal weight which must explain the relatively little difference between my BMR and maintenance.
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    bel_jay wrote: »
    Thanks guys. That makes a lot of sense!

    I am very close to goal weight which must explain the relatively little difference between my BMR and maintenance.

    Being close to your goal weight has no effect on how different your BMR and TDEE (maintenance) is. How active you are is what determines how different your BMR is to your maintenance. Even if you were super obese but sat around and did nothing, your BMR would be very close to your maintenance.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    bel_jay wrote: »
    About a year ago I did 12wbt. At the end of the program I was a very similar weight to what I am now, and my basal metabolic rate was calculated by 12wbt as 1250 calories. MFP calculates my maintenance calories as 1420 (for a sedentary activity level). Are BMR and maintenance calories the same thing? Does anyone know which is more accurate?

    BMR + Activity Level + Purposeful Exercise = Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

    You have told MFP you are sedentary, so it has taken your BMR and put a multiple of 1.2 on it to account for your general activity eg getting up, walking around, shopping, working etc


    When you exercise you get to eat those calories back too (well 50-75% of the MFP database / machine estimates)
  • bel_jay
    bel_jay Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks for clarifying that :)
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
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    I would also add that just because your TDEE is calculated to be 1420 cal/day, that is not what it is. You should figure out what your maintenance calorie level is by trial and error. Everyone's metabolism is different, so don't rely on a calculator.

    What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to make good progress towards your goal. If you are trying to maintain weight, eat so you maintain weight. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~1400 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for 2 weeks. If you maintain weight, you're good to go. If you lose weight, increase your intake and repeat. If you gain weight, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few cycles, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.

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