Basal Metabolic Rate?

The metabolic rate has little to do with weight loss and there's no reason to think that eating below BMR will slow it down anyway. There is a point, however, where your body starts consuming lean muscle mass rather than fat, so your BMR is reduced. At your weight, you should aim to have a calorie deficit of no more than 900 calories. So, 1,200 plus eating your exercise calories would probably be okay, but you can expect to be hungry doing that.

pinksparklefairy wrote: »

Hi Timothy, thanks for your reply.

If metabolism has little to do with losing weight, why does this happen?

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/05/03/contestants-on-biggest-loser-regain-weight-due-to-damaged-metabolism-study-finds.html

I would encourage you to lose weight in a healthy manner, as suggested by TimothyFish, and not get overly concerned about people who lost their weight in an extreme way.

kshama2001 wrote: »

pinksparklefairy wrote: »

Hello, I have been on my diet for almost a month and am very gradually losing weight. I am 170 cm tall and currently weigh 84.5 kg. I currently have 1200 calories a day and eat back all exercise calories.

I have read online that you should not go below your basal metabolic weight as otherwise it will slow down your metabolism. Mine is apparently 1583.

So my question is: should I be eating 1200 or 1583 calories?

And should I eat back exercise calories?

Thank you!

You're 186 pounds and 5'7"? You should definitely be eating more than 1200 calories - that's for women who are very short or old. You're only 38. You got 1200 calories because your weekly weight loss goal is too aggressive. Change it to a half pound per week or a pound a week and enjoy those extra calories.

OP stated she is eating back all exercise calories--so she is eating more than 1200 calories/day. I suspect she is ending up in the 1500-1600 range, which is appropriate.

pinksparklefairy wrote: »

Hi Timothy, thanks for your reply.

If metabolism has little to do with losing weight, why does this happen?

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/05/03/contestants-on-biggest-loser-regain-weight-due-to-damaged-metabolism-study-finds.html

A low BMR is the result of having less muscle than what is considered normal for a person of that weight. This happens when weight loss is too aggressive, but even with a low BMR a person who is eating at calorie deficit will lose weight the same as a person with a high BMR eating at a deficit. Either way, a person's metabolic rate is increased with exercise and a person's BMR can be increased with muscle building activities.