BMR Calories

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imustbegood
imustbegood Posts: 232 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

Stayed the same again this week,2 weeks in a row now, I now I am losing the inches as my trousers keep slipping down, lost 17lbs so far (although 3 of those went on after a weekend away so 14lbs really), still on 1200 cals from when I started ( over 6 weeks ago) - used the BMR calculator as advised in other posts and have found my calories to be 1387 - a little confused - if I reset my calories per day to 1387 will I still lose ? or is that the calories to make me stay on a plateau ?

Any help gratefully received...

If anyone can point me in right direction for info that would be great.

Any responses very very gratefully received....

Replies

  • minburke
    minburke Posts: 241 Member
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    BMR would make you plateau. You need a defecit to lose either by exercising off some cals and not eating them back if you're on BMR or by eating the cals MFP gives you with the built in defecit and then you can eat exercise cals back.
  • fastbelly
    fastbelly Posts: 727 Member
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    If you ate only your BMR and you were in a coma strapped to a bed you'd plateu, if you had a active lifestyle you'd loose weight. BMR is the calories your body burns with no activity whatsoever, like if you were in a coma. If you have a sedentary lifestyle you'll be burning close to your BMR with your daily activities. If however you have a active lifestyle, say you're a postman or door to door salesman or something, that means you'd be burning way above your BMR calories and therefore you'd be loosing even if you went over your BMR calories.

    Hope it helps.
  • Evy10
    Evy10 Posts: 9
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    Have you set your fitness goals with MFP? As that already gives you a calorie deficit.

    For example my BMR is 1228 a day but with my activity levels I should be eating around 1550. MFP has taken off 250 calories for me so I'm on 1300 calories a day, per week I have a deficit of 1750.

    Hope that helps :)
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    BMR is NOT let me repeat that word NOT your maintenance calories.

    it's about 65 to 80% of maintenance depending on what your activity level is.

    So yes, you can eat your BMR and still lose weight in most cases. The exception is people that have very little to lose, you'll probably need to go higher (and expect smaller losses). In the same vein, people who are obese can usually go a little below BMR and still be ok. It's all about how much available energy you have extra. The more fat you have, the bigger the deficit can be.

    Anyone who thinks you can't lose weight at your BMR doesn't understand human metabolism (with the exception of it being too few calories for people who have little to lose).
  • takemeaway10
    takemeaway10 Posts: 75
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    BMR is NOT let me repeat that word NOT your maintenance calories.

    it's about 65 to 80% of maintenance depending on what your activity level is.

    So yes, you can eat your BMR and still lose weight in most cases. The exception is people that have very little to lose, you'll probably need to go higher (and expect smaller losses). In the same vein, people who are obese can usually go a little below BMR and still be ok. It's all about how much available energy you have extra. The more fat you have, the bigger the deficit can be.

    Anyone who thinks you can't lose weight at your BMR doesn't understand human metabolism (with the exception of it being too few calories for people who have little to lose).

    You said it better than I could :P
  • imustbegood
    imustbegood Posts: 232 Member
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    Thanks for all your replies... I am very grateful for any help.

    I am a Mum and I work from home in the day whilst littlies are at school - I walk dogs for 20 mins a day - and walk kids to and from school (park the car about 5/10 mins away and walk from there as dont have enough time to walk from home (about 45 mins each way) also pop to shops most days which is another 15/20 mins walking... I try to exercise 3 times a week - 2 times running for 20 - 30 mins and either a third run or a fitness DVD. Have put myself down as sedentary on MFP as dont feel I do an active job as besides trips to kitchen for water and coffee during the day am sat down.

    I aim to lose about another 28 lbs - already lost 14 lbs.

    As I have stayed the same the last two weeks I wondered if I was eating too little calories???

    Whe I exercise I do eat back some of my exercise calories - if I am hungry all of them but as I exercise in the evening can only sometimes manage some. It would be a good idea on the days that I hope to exercise to build the extra calories into my day but unfortunately I am not guaranteed that I will definitely get out as having kids if hubby isnt home I am unable to go :(

    So question is should I stick to my 1200 cal a day as at the moment (althought I have stayed the same the last two weeks)
    or should I up to my BMR allowance of 1387 cal a day??

    Whats anyone's views...

    Any help, as before, very very gratefully received.....
  • imustbegood
    imustbegood Posts: 232 Member
    Options
    Thanks for all your replies... I am very grateful for any help.

    I am a Mum and I work from home in the day whilst littlies are at school - I walk dogs for 20 mins a day - and walk kids to and from school (park the car about 5/10 mins away and walk from there as dont have enough time to walk from home (about 45 mins each way) also pop to shops most days which is another 15/20 mins walking... I try to exercise 3 times a week - 2 times running for 20 - 30 mins and either a third run or a fitness DVD. Have put myself down as sedentary on MFP as dont feel I do an active job as besides trips to kitchen for water and coffee during the day am sat down.

    I aim to lose about another 28 lbs - already lost 14 lbs.

    As I have stayed the same the last two weeks I wondered if I was eating too little calories???

    Whe I exercise I do eat back some of my exercise calories - if I am hungry all of them but as I exercise in the evening can only sometimes manage some. It would be a good idea on the days that I hope to exercise to build the extra calories into my day but unfortunately I am not guaranteed that I will definitely get out as having kids if hubby isnt home I am unable to go :(

    So question is should I stick to my 1200 cal a day as at the moment (althought I have stayed the same the last two weeks)
    or should I up to my BMR allowance of 1387 cal a day??

    Whats anyone's views...

    Any help, as before, very very gratefully received.....

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