Question about my BMR
vickyalison61
Posts: 20 Member
My BMR is 890 which it says this is the number of calories my body needs just to function, and not to eat either more or less calories daily than this. Surely This can't be right? Or I'm only eating enough calories to literally keep me alive 🤔 my TDEE is 1,200 so this means I need to burn 1,200 calories daily which is impossible for me. On MFP My daily calorie intake prediction to maintain my weight is 1,650. No way can I cut down to eating just 890 calories daily to maintain. That amount will just keep my body alive? I really don't understand all this, and am so disheartened and confused. Please can someone explain all this to me
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Replies
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You must be very tiny already...and where did you get those numbers? (The BMR and TDEE) I don't know if they are correct or not, and the only way to find out is by trying some weight management.
BMR would be if you are lying down all day long. Otherwise, you are "burning" calories all day - showering, walking, fixing meals, school/work, laundry, vacuuming, exercise. Your calorie deficit is taken from your TDEE. I'll just post this (official Myfitnesspal) explanation rather than typing it:
https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals-1 -
How did you get this calculated? What are your stats? Height, weight, age? I can figure out your BMR. 890 is REALLY low unless you're like 4' and 55lbs.vickyalison61 wrote: »My BMR is 890 which it says this is the number of calories my body needs just to function, and not to eat either more or less calories daily than this. Surely This can't be right? Or I'm only eating enough calories to literally keep me alive 🤔 my TDEE is 1,200 so this means I need to burn 1,200 calories daily which is impossible for me. On MFP My daily calorie intake prediction to maintain my weight is 1,650. No way can I cut down to eating just 890 calories daily to maintain. That amount will just keep my body alive? I really don't understand all this, and am so disheartened and confused. Please can someone explain all this to me
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Thanks for such a fast reply cmriverside. Yes I'm only 87 pounds. I found the BMR and TDEE calculator online. It's supposed to be the best and it's got a 3 word name which I can't remember. I also tried another one and it came out the same calculation. I tried another app that's like MFP. has around 1,000 reviews saying is its the best and most accurate App, and their calculation is exactly the same 🤔 my dinner is 700 calories alone and I can't just eat only another 190 more calories to reach 890 and nothing else all day.0
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Surely at just 87lbs you are trying to gain weight not lose weight?
Which would mean you need to eat more than your TDEE.2 -
Sorry meant to add my daily coffees add up to 300 calories daily. I can't cut my coffee out, I'm actually addicted to my daily coffee shop cappuccinos0
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Are you 61 and around 5ft? I get the BMR you mentioned, but only for one of the formulas.
I would suggest this calculator for your TDEE: https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/
Unless you are lying in bed all day, you are burning more calories than just your BMR. So choose the appropriate activity level and see what your TDEE would be.
Also: these are calculations based on population averages and you may or not be average. The best thing is to test out a number and then adjust based on real life results.1 -
You seem very confused about BMR and TDEE.
BMR is your absolute base calories at total rest and in a fasted state. That's even lower than someone in a coma and being fed via a tube. Ignore that number as it's of no use to you at all and will only add to your confusion.
Your TDEE calculation/estimation is what you are burning on an average day, that's all your bodily functions from your BMR plus all the bits and pieces of movement throughout your day. It's not "what I need to burn" as you put it, it's what you ARE burning.
The MyFitnessPal suggested maintenance calories are only for a day with your regular activity but no purposeful exercise. But when you need to gain weight you set your goal to reflect that and get a higher calorie allowance.3 -
vickyalison61 wrote: »Thanks for such a fast reply cmriverside. Yes I'm only 87 pounds. I found the BMR and TDEE calculator online. It's supposed to be the best and it's got a 3 word name which I can't remember. I also tried another one and it came out the same calculation. I tried another app that's like MFP. has around 1,000 reviews saying is its the best and most accurate App, and their calculation is exactly the same 🤔 my dinner is 700 calories alone and I can't just eat only another 190 more calories to reach 890 and nothing else all day.
Read that link...
And since you have talked about your eating disorder in another thread, and you are already so light - please don't use online calculations as "gospel." They are just starting points and do not account for all your personal factors.
Does your treatment team know you're logging food and being this "precise?" I would think you'd want to be eating even more than 1600.6 -
Let me congratulate you on wanting to learn about these concepts! They get confusing, but if you read up on them, you'll be throwing them around like an expert in no time. That's what we all do! I hope it ends up being helpful to you and does not add any additional pressure. It's supposed to be a tool for understanding your body, not some external task master.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the average number of calories you burn daily. This number is unique to you, because it depends on your physiology and activity (incidental and purposeful, meaning from workouts). Various calculators can provide a TDEE estimate, including MFP through it's setup. When you go through the MFP setup, you'll notice that there is an "activity level" setting, which is basically a self-reported fudge factor to make it work for anyone. The "sailrabbit" web page is a good place to play around with the calculator and pick an activity level. But, if you want to track eating, you should also do it in MFP.
Note: All these calculators are calibrated for "average" people and no one is actually average! The bottom-line will be revealed by your weight trend averaged over many days. Day-to-day weight normally and often varies by more than the actual body mass you can gain or lose in a week, so watching the trend is essential.
As it happens, TDEE is usually estimated by taking an estimate of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and multiplying by a number greater that 1 (it's actually 1.25 to 2, depending on activity level). BMR is usually estimated from a population average based on your sex, age, weight, and height.
MFP offers the option of tracking exercise calories separately from your incidental calories. In other words, you can log your exercises and MFP will offer estimates on the additional calories your burned from them. You don't have to do this, but it's helpful for those of us who's activity levels vary substantially week to week.
Keep asking questions! The goal is to become an expert in what works for you!3 -
TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure. BMR is your body’s minimum caloric needs to work properly. So, BMR + any daily activity (work, normal movement) = TDEE.
Your NET calories (food - exercise calories) should not go below your BMR or you will suffer health consequences.
TDEE is not a calorie goal. You’d never want to burn all the calories you took in. Or even attempt that. It’s a recipe for disaster.1 -
vickyalison61 wrote: »My BMR is 890 which it says this is the number of calories my body needs just to function, and not to eat either more or less calories daily than this. Surely This can't be right? Or I'm only eating enough calories to literally keep me alive 🤔 my TDEE is 1,200 so this means I need to burn 1,200 calories daily which is impossible for me. On MFP My daily calorie intake prediction to maintain my weight is 1,650. No way can I cut down to eating just 890 calories daily to maintain. That amount will just keep my body alive? I really don't understand all this, and am so disheartened and confused. Please can someone explain all this to me
Your BMR is the calories you burn merely existing...of course you would need to eat more than that to maintain as certainly you do more than merely exist. You burn calories 24/7 and I'm hard pressed to believe your TDEE is only 1200 calories...that's only 310 calories more than your BMR. You would have to be incredibly sedentary.
For reference, my BMR is around 1800 calories per day...those are the calories I would burn in a coma. My TDEE (which includes BMR) is around 2,800-3,000 calories per day to maintain my weight, and that's with a desk job. That is my BMR + Day to Day Stuff + Exercise = 2800-3000 calories per day. Exercise is a very small piece of that overall equation I might add.1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »vickyalison61 wrote: »My BMR is 890 which it says this is the number of calories my body needs just to function, and not to eat either more or less calories daily than this. Surely This can't be right? Or I'm only eating enough calories to literally keep me alive 🤔 my TDEE is 1,200 so this means I need to burn 1,200 calories daily which is impossible for me. On MFP My daily calorie intake prediction to maintain my weight is 1,650. No way can I cut down to eating just 890 calories daily to maintain. That amount will just keep my body alive? I really don't understand all this, and am so disheartened and confused. Please can someone explain all this to me
Your BMR is the calories you burn merely existing...of course you would need to eat more than that to maintain as certainly you do more than merely exist. You burn calories 24/7 and I'm hard pressed to believe your TDEE is only 1200 calories...that's only 310 calories more than your BMR. You would have to be incredibly sedentary.
For reference, my BMR is around 1800 calories per day...those are the calories I would burn in a coma. My TDEE (which includes BMR) is around 2,800-3,000 calories per day to maintain my weight, and that's with a desk job. That is my BMR + Day to Day Stuff + Exercise = 2800-3000 calories per day. Exercise is a very small piece of that overall equation I might add.
I don't necessarily find it that hard to believe. She's very small (she only weighs 87 pounds). It doesn't take a large amount of calories to maintain that. I'm a 5 foot tall, 108 pound 37 year old, and my calculated maintenence calories (TDEE), without exercise, are about 1200. If I ate 2800 calories every day, I would weigh 300 lbs if not more.1 -
sollyn23l2 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »vickyalison61 wrote: »My BMR is 890 which it says this is the number of calories my body needs just to function, and not to eat either more or less calories daily than this. Surely This can't be right? Or I'm only eating enough calories to literally keep me alive 🤔 my TDEE is 1,200 so this means I need to burn 1,200 calories daily which is impossible for me. On MFP My daily calorie intake prediction to maintain my weight is 1,650. No way can I cut down to eating just 890 calories daily to maintain. That amount will just keep my body alive? I really don't understand all this, and am so disheartened and confused. Please can someone explain all this to me
Your BMR is the calories you burn merely existing...of course you would need to eat more than that to maintain as certainly you do more than merely exist. You burn calories 24/7 and I'm hard pressed to believe your TDEE is only 1200 calories...that's only 310 calories more than your BMR. You would have to be incredibly sedentary.
For reference, my BMR is around 1800 calories per day...those are the calories I would burn in a coma. My TDEE (which includes BMR) is around 2,800-3,000 calories per day to maintain my weight, and that's with a desk job. That is my BMR + Day to Day Stuff + Exercise = 2800-3000 calories per day. Exercise is a very small piece of that overall equation I might add.
I don't necessarily find it that hard to believe. She's very small (she only weighs 87 pounds). It doesn't take a large amount of calories to maintain that. I'm a 5 foot tall, 108 pound 37 year old, and my calculated maintenence calories (TDEE), without exercise, are about 1200. If I ate 2800 calories every day, I would weigh 300 lbs if not more.
I wasn't saying she should eat 2800...I was illustrating that my total calorie needs far exceed my BMR. If her BMR is 890 and TDEE is only 1200 I would assume she is very sedentary and engages in zero deliberate exercise and very little in the way of day to day movement.
I'm using SailRabbit which I've found to be one of the better TDEE calculators out there and I'm having a pretty hard time coming out to her numbers. At 4'8" age 30 @ 87 Lbs sedentary I still get a Harris Benedict BMR of just over 1,000 calories and a TDEE of around 1400. To get anywhere close to the numbers she's giving I have to put her at age 70.
Also, when you calculate TDEE you calculate it with exercise as it would be part of the T in TDEE.3 -
It's actually okay if you're trying to lose weight, but NOT in this case.TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure. BMR is your body’s minimum caloric needs to work properly. So, BMR + any daily activity (work, normal movement) = TDEE.
Your NET calories (food - exercise calories) should not go below your BMR or you will suffer health consequences.
TDEE is not a calorie goal. You’d never want to burn all the calories you took in. Or even attempt that. It’s a recipe for disaster.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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@vickyalison61 based on your current weight I’m assuming you aren’t intending to loose any. There are some great remarks on this thread already. Everybody’s purpose is different. To best assist you we need to understand. What is you goal? What are you hoping to achieve through MFP?0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »vickyalison61 wrote: »My BMR is 890 which it says this is the number of calories my body needs just to function, and not to eat either more or less calories daily than this. Surely This can't be right? Or I'm only eating enough calories to literally keep me alive 🤔 my TDEE is 1,200 so this means I need to burn 1,200 calories daily which is impossible for me. On MFP My daily calorie intake prediction to maintain my weight is 1,650. No way can I cut down to eating just 890 calories daily to maintain. That amount will just keep my body alive? I really don't understand all this, and am so disheartened and confused. Please can someone explain all this to me
Your BMR is the calories you burn merely existing...of course you would need to eat more than that to maintain as certainly you do more than merely exist. You burn calories 24/7 and I'm hard pressed to believe your TDEE is only 1200 calories...that's only 310 calories more than your BMR. You would have to be incredibly sedentary.
For reference, my BMR is around 1800 calories per day...those are the calories I would burn in a coma. My TDEE (which includes BMR) is around 2,800-3,000 calories per day to maintain my weight, and that's with a desk job. That is my BMR + Day to Day Stuff + Exercise = 2800-3000 calories per day. Exercise is a very small piece of that overall equation I might add.
I don’t find that hard to believe. She is tiny. I am short, weigh 155lbs currently and my TDEE is around 1500 cal per day with 5000-7000 steps. I know this from years of data.0 -
vickyalison61 wrote: »my TDEE is 1,200 so this means I need to burn 1,200 calories daily which is impossible for me. On MFP My daily calorie intake prediction to maintain my weight is 1,650.
This doesn't make sense - if MFP says you need 1650 calories to maintain your current weight, your TDEE can't be 400 calories lower than that. Your TDEE is all the energy you use in a day so if you eat at your TDEE, that is the same as maintenance.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »vickyalison61 wrote: »My BMR is 890 which it says this is the number of calories my body needs just to function, and not to eat either more or less calories daily than this. Surely This can't be right? Or I'm only eating enough calories to literally keep me alive 🤔 my TDEE is 1,200 so this means I need to burn 1,200 calories daily which is impossible for me. On MFP My daily calorie intake prediction to maintain my weight is 1,650. No way can I cut down to eating just 890 calories daily to maintain. That amount will just keep my body alive? I really don't understand all this, and am so disheartened and confused. Please can someone explain all this to me
Your BMR is the calories you burn merely existing...of course you would need to eat more than that to maintain as certainly you do more than merely exist. You burn calories 24/7 and I'm hard pressed to believe your TDEE is only 1200 calories...that's only 310 calories more than your BMR. You would have to be incredibly sedentary.
For reference, my BMR is around 1800 calories per day...those are the calories I would burn in a coma. My TDEE (which includes BMR) is around 2,800-3,000 calories per day to maintain my weight, and that's with a desk job. That is my BMR + Day to Day Stuff + Exercise = 2800-3000 calories per day. Exercise is a very small piece of that overall equation I might add.
I don’t find that hard to believe. She is tiny. I am short, weigh 155lbs currently and my TDEE is around 1500 cal per day with 5000-7000 steps. I know this from years of data.
I'm having a hard time finding any calculator that gives me her numbers even with completely sedentary. If her BMR is almost 900 calories it would just seem odd to me that her TDEE would only be 300 calories more than mere existence. 1200 would seem to be more in line with RMR if her BMR is almost 900 calories. She even mentions MFP giving her 1650 to maintain...and then mentions her BMR of 890 to maintain...so really there's just a whole lot of confusion going on here.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »vickyalison61 wrote: »My BMR is 890 which it says this is the number of calories my body needs just to function, and not to eat either more or less calories daily than this. Surely This can't be right? Or I'm only eating enough calories to literally keep me alive 🤔 my TDEE is 1,200 so this means I need to burn 1,200 calories daily which is impossible for me. On MFP My daily calorie intake prediction to maintain my weight is 1,650. No way can I cut down to eating just 890 calories daily to maintain. That amount will just keep my body alive? I really don't understand all this, and am so disheartened and confused. Please can someone explain all this to me
Your BMR is the calories you burn merely existing...of course you would need to eat more than that to maintain as certainly you do more than merely exist. You burn calories 24/7 and I'm hard pressed to believe your TDEE is only 1200 calories...that's only 310 calories more than your BMR. You would have to be incredibly sedentary.
For reference, my BMR is around 1800 calories per day...those are the calories I would burn in a coma. My TDEE (which includes BMR) is around 2,800-3,000 calories per day to maintain my weight, and that's with a desk job. That is my BMR + Day to Day Stuff + Exercise = 2800-3000 calories per day. Exercise is a very small piece of that overall equation I might add.
I don’t find that hard to believe. She is tiny. I am short, weigh 155lbs currently and my TDEE is around 1500 cal per day with 5000-7000 steps. I know this from years of data.
I'm having a hard time finding any calculator that gives me her numbers even with completely sedentary. If her BMR is almost 900 calories it would just seem odd to me that her TDEE would only be 300 calories more than mere existence. 1200 would seem to be more in line with RMR if her BMR is almost 900 calories. She even mentions MFP giving her 1650 to maintain...and then mentions her BMR of 890 to maintain...so really there's just a whole lot of confusion going on here.
I have used multiple calculators and get about 1250 for my BMR and I’m 70 lbs heavier than her. Her numbers are believable. She is the size of a child, not an adult.2 -
Are you 61 and around 5ft? I get the BMR you mentioned, but only for one of the formulas.
I would suggest this calculator for your TDEE: https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/
Unless you are lying in bed all day, you are burning more calories than just your BMR. So choose the appropriate activity level and see what your TDEE would be.
Also: these are calculations based on population averages and you may or not be average. The best thing is to test out a number and then adjust based on real life results.
Yes I'm 61 aAre you 61 and around 5ft? I get the BMR you mentioned, but only for one of the formulas.
I would suggest this calculator for your TDEE: https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/
Unless you are lying in bed all day, you are burning more calories than just your BMR. So choose the appropriate activity level and see what your TDEE would be.
Also: these are calculations based on population averages and you may or not be average. The best thing is to test out a number and then adjust based on real life results.
Yes I'm 61 and 5ft 1inch and its the Miffin Saint joure (spelling?) Calculator I've used. I'll read all the links all the posters have advised and try others. One site wouldn't allow me to change setting from sedentary which I'm not. I'll post a screenshot of the one I've used and the calculations, Thankyou for your reply 😊0 -
I've had a little look at one of your other threads and I think from what I've seen there and here that you may be getting a little bit confused.
MFP is saying 1650 calories just to maintain. They have already done all the calculations regarding TDEE and BMR. All you need to do is focus on eating those 1650 calories for now. I understand that you are severly underweight from your other post, so please do not try and eat only 890 calories a day! Enjoy those costa cappuccinos (heck, have more!) and maybe add some oil when cooking to increase your calories if needs be.
Are you working with anyone besides your GP to increase your weight? You would benefit from guidance from a nutritionist who specialises in eating disorders. I understand that you're terrified of gaining weight and that's a huge mental load to bear, but you need to speak with a professional about this. Most people on MFP are here to lose weight and you will find responses skewed that way on the forums. Please PLEASE do not pay them attention.
I wish you the best of luck
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Folks, please be aware that on another thread, OP clearly discusses an eating disorder.
I’ve been large, too, and lost 40% of my body weight through calorie counting and exercise. I probably over exercise, and when questioned why I do so much , always tell people I’m running from fat. Seriously though, I enjoy moving so much I can’t decide where to cut back. It’s still a thrill.
I’ve had to increase my calories to keep up with the exercise. I get it. Adding weight and eating more calories is mind blowing when you’ve worked so stinking hard to come from the other direction.
There is a terrific book by a British woman, Laura Hoggins, called Lift Yourself, who went from similar circumstances to lifting weights to being a personal trainer.
There’s also a fabulous podcast by two British trainers and a formerly-obese British GP, called Fitness Unfiltered. (Don’t be confused by the poor quality of the first few episodes and the hair-fluffing cover photo. These guys are legit and cover things really well.)
There’s an American podcast, ironically called Unfiltered Fitness, by a woman who went from ED to personal trainer.
Both podcasts are super thoughtful and very very informative.
Reading and listening have made me rethink how I view weight loss. I’d already decided to put four or five pounds back on, because I had lost muscle- even with weight training and extensive exercise. I’ve decided to follow their advice and focus less on the scale determining my “value”, and more on appearance. I’m eating a lot more, have put on muscle, but remain slim and haven’t increased size- probably the opposite, only more (here’s the hated MFP word:) toned. I look fit. Not scrawny, not cadaverous, not spidery.
Please rethink what you’re doing before you cause permanent harm. It’s very very possible to add weight- a lot of weight- and still have a great body, but lost importantly, a healthy body……Words I never thought I’d have uttered four years ago.5
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