BMR Confusion

moldau
moldau Posts: 5 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok...I'm very confused about this. So if my BMR is 1500 (it varies with different calculators between 1489 and 1590 or so)...I'm reading that this is only for my body to function at a resting state. As in doing nothing all day. Now obviously I don't do nothing, I'm actually on the go a lot as I teach music and movement to very young children. And then I exercise on top of that and raise a 5 year old as well.

So...when I have myfitnesspal figure out my calories for the day, it puts me at 1200...so I don't understand why it would be less than my BMR? Doesn't going at a deficit like that create a recipe for fatigue? I know I'd be eating more as I exercise and everything but I think there's a small little point I'm overlooking and not "getting" lol...Help? I'm really not an idiot...just reading some contradictory things, and then my brain gets involved and misconstrues it all hahaha.

Nat

Replies

  • babs23
    babs23 Posts: 86 Member
    look up a "Total Daily Energy Expenditure" (TDEE) calculator. That's the number they use to create your calorie goal.
  • CommandaPanda
    CommandaPanda Posts: 451 Member
    That deficit promotes weight loss!
  • epj78
    epj78 Posts: 643 Member
    Ok, if you're BMR is 1500 and we add 30% for a lightly active lifestyle we get 1950 calories. This is what you would need to eat to keep your body at the same weight (assuming no exercise). To lose one pound a week, you have to put your body in a 500 calorie per day deficit. So, this would be 1450. To lose 2 pounds per week, 950 (which isn't healthy). So, if you put in your settings to lose 2 pounds per week, MFP will put you at the minimum healthy calories consumption of 1200 (which will be a pound and a half loss per week).

    Does that make sense?
  • registers
    registers Posts: 782 Member
    Ok...I'm very confused about this. So if my BMR is 1500 (it varies with different calculators between 1489 and 1590 or so)...I'm reading that this is only for my body to function at a resting state. As in doing nothing all day. Now obviously I don't do nothing, I'm actually on the go a lot as I teach music and movement to very young children. And then I exercise on top of that and raise a 5 year old as well.

    So...when I have myfitnesspal figure out my calories for the day, it puts me at 1200...so I don't understand why it would be less than my BMR? Doesn't going at a deficit like that create a recipe for fatigue? I know I'd be eating more as I exercise and everything but I think there's a small little point I'm overlooking and not "getting" lol...Help? I'm really not an idiot...just reading some contradictory things, and then my brain gets involved and misconstrues it all hahaha.

    Nat

    Glad you're smart enough o questoin things, a lot people just do things blindly. A lot of those calculators are highly inaccurate.
    You might be a small person, i don't know. What I would do if I was you.. I just log my food for 3 days, what you usually eat, and exercise like you usually exercise, or no exercise if you don't exercise. Once you done this for 3 days, figure out your caloric average from the last 3 days. Eat at that level, and maintain your normal routine... if you don't lose any weight in a few weeks... increase your exercise. You can "also" lower your calories... I don't recommend that method because your body may not be getting enough calories for a healthy metabolic function.
  • gargoyle999
    gargoyle999 Posts: 117 Member
    Keep in mind the number MFP gives you is net calories. Not total calories no matter what you are doing. Make sure you chose the correct activity level to begin with. Then if you exercise you can actually eat those calories back so you would be eating more than 1200 calories. But your net calories would be 1200.
  • moldau
    moldau Posts: 5 Member
    Thank you all for your responses. They all made sense, you're all so wonderful! I changed my loss to 1 pound a week and got a calorie goal that made a helluva lot more sense (I think it's in the 1600 range or so).

    I didn't like it telling me I was only going to lose 5 pounds by next month lol...but I know that's obviously normal and healthy. I tend to be a real weirdo and under-eat like crazy, but I know I've been plateauing because of this. I'm also exhausted all the time. SO....here I am again, adjusting my goals and how I'm going to achieve them.

    I think my next problem will be that as I exercise, I may not replace those calories because I'm just not used to eating that much, but we'll see how I go. :)

    Here's to health everyone!!!
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