BMR vs. Calorie Intake

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ConnorsMama05
ConnorsMama05 Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
How close to my BMR level should the number of calories that I am eating daily be??
I lost 4lbs my first week into this, and this (second) week I don't seem to be losing at all.....I don't weigh in officially until Friday, but as bad as it is, I do have a habit of weighing daily, just to see where I am throughout the week...
Right now, I am set at 1200 calories, I ususally stick pretty close to that number...ocassionally I am a bit lower (60-100 cals) and ocassionally a bit higher (again about 60-100 cals), and I always try to eat as many of my excercise cals as I can on workout days...

I'm wondering if maybe I'm not eating enough? But don't want to increase if that's not the problem...
Oh, and I'm drinking around 2L of water each day...

Replies

  • ConnorsMama05
    ConnorsMama05 Posts: 11
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    How close to my BMR level should the number of calories that I am eating daily be??
    I lost 4lbs my first week into this, and this (second) week I don't seem to be losing at all.....I don't weigh in officially until Friday, but as bad as it is, I do have a habit of weighing daily, just to see where I am throughout the week...
    Right now, I am set at 1200 calories, I ususally stick pretty close to that number...ocassionally I am a bit lower (60-100 cals) and ocassionally a bit higher (again about 60-100 cals), and I always try to eat as many of my excercise cals as I can on workout days...

    I'm wondering if maybe I'm not eating enough? But don't want to increase if that's not the problem...
    Oh, and I'm drinking around 2L of water each day...
  • réalta
    réalta Posts: 895 Member
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    1200 is the minimum that you should be eating, try 1300 or 1400 some days

    i have my profile set for 1 pound a week as 1200 is too low for me

    do what suits you the best :flowerforyou:
  • yellow_pepper
    yellow_pepper Posts: 708 Member
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    If you want to lose 1 lb/week, set your NET calorie intake to your BMR - 500. Then, if you exercise, make sure you eat all (or at least most) of those calories, too.

    For example, for me, my BMR is 1700. I want to lose 1 lb per week. So my NET calorie intake is 1200. This is the number that I start with every day on MyFitnessPal.

    But then I burn about 200 cal per day by walking and 350 per day by running. So I add 200 + 350 to the 1200 and aim to eat 1700-1750 per day.

    Hope that helps!
  • losingit09
    losingit09 Posts: 15
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    2l of water could b adding 2 ur weight. Weigh in in the morning after u pee. But 2nd week usually proves a lower weight loss because 1st week u drop water weight. Just wait a week or 2 and if nothing switch up ir cals
  • oatmealie
    oatmealie Posts: 9 Member
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    okay, i've been reading about this on other threads but i still am confused...

    My BMR is 1500. To maintain, I would have to eat 1800 a day. To lose 1lb a week i need to take off 500, which leaves me with 1300, which is what MFP tells me I should be eating a day in order to lose 1lb a week. This is all with no exercise. This all makes sense to me. I regularly exercise 3 times a week. On these days, MFP tells me to eat something like 1560, which I always do, and on non-exercise days I eat the 1300.

    My problem is that when I enter all this info into other BMR calculators, they tell me to eat the 1560 EVERY DAY to lose the 1lb/week, based on the 90 min of exercise a week. Which am I supposed to do? Only the days I exercise or everyday (so long as I keep up the exercise)?

    Thanks for any help, and I'm sorry if i missed the answer to this in another thread. i always miss the obvious!
  • yellow_pepper
    yellow_pepper Posts: 708 Member
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    Only the days you exercise. The great thing about MFP is that it adjusts how much you should eat depending on whether you exercise or not.
  • faridah27
    faridah27 Posts: 1
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    I believe it goes against most health guidelines to eat less than 1200 calories per day, so I wouldn't do that!
  • ConnorsMama05
    ConnorsMama05 Posts: 11
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    If you want to lose 1 lb/week, set your NET calorie intake to your BMR - 500. Then, if you exercise, make sure you eat all (or at least most) of those calories, too.

    For example, for me, my BMR is 1700. I want to lose 1 lb per week. So my NET calorie intake is 1200. This is the number that I start with every day on MyFitnessPal.

    But then I burn about 200 cal per day by walking and 350 per day by running. So I add 200 + 350 to the 1200 and aim to eat 1700-1750 per day.

    Hope that helps!

    I think I'm a bit confused....my BMR is 1617....so if I do my BMR - 500, then I wouldn't even be left with 1200 for net cals...?
  • petunia
    petunia Posts: 336 Member
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    I might be wrong about this, but my understanding is that BMR is the amount of calories that you will burn if you do NOTHING, basically lie in bed all day long. You don't want to calculate your deficit from your BMR, because that would be too low... :noway:

    You want to figure out your 'maintenance' calorie amount and take your deficit from there. There are sticky posts on here from banks and others (under General Discussion) that mention how you should AT LEAST each your BMR calories each day.

    For example, my BMR is right at 1500 (I'm 5' 7" and 173 pounds). But, with my lifestyle (without exercise) my maintenance calories are around 2000. Therefore, I try to stay at about 1500 calories a day (2000 - 500) - which should equate to a pound a week.

    Hope this helps... :flowerforyou:
  • yellow_pepper
    yellow_pepper Posts: 708 Member
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    I meant that my maintenance calories are 1700. Not my BMR.
  • ConnorsMama05
    ConnorsMama05 Posts: 11
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    Okay, so if my maitenance is 2020, then I should be eating 1520 every day to loose 1lb a week??
    That seems like an awful lot
  • petunia
    petunia Posts: 336 Member
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    That's my understanding... and, I've had success at 1500 (plus exercise calories)...

    I think even TamTastic hasn't dropped below 1400 on non-exercise days...
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    Okay, so if my maitenance is 2020, then I should be eating 1520 every day to loose 1lb a week??
    That seems like an awful lot

    It's really not very much. I average about 1700-1800 calories per day to lose, and more if my running mileage is higher. Calories are all relative. Micheal Phelps eats about 8,000-10,000 calories per day. My 6'0 200lb boyfriend needs about 2,500 calories per day. I need 1,800 a day. What's a lot?:wink:
  • petunia
    petunia Posts: 336 Member
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    Okay, so if my maitenance is 2020, then I should be eating 1520 every day to loose 1lb a week??
    That seems like an awful lot

    It's really not very much. I average about 1700-1800 calories per day to lose, and more if my running mileage is higher. Calories are all relative. Micheal Phelps eats about 8,000-10,000 calories per day. My 6'0 200lb boyfriend needs about 2,500 calories per day. I need 1,800 a day. What's a lot?:wink:

    That's right!! I enjoy every single one of my 1500!!!!! :drinker:

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