BMR: which to use and how

leslie9797
leslie9797 Posts: 6 Member
in Getting Started
Hello,
I searched the forum under BMR and I am still pretty confused so I'll just lay out my stats here and see if someone can assist me :)

MFP BMR calculator gives me 1,350 calories when I put in my stats. I checked "lightly active" for my activity status. I just had my BMR done and it is actually 1,400. Do I go in and manually change it, and then still check "lightly active" or because it's my BMR (what I'd burn if I were laying there in a coma) check "sedentary"? Am I over-complicating this? Thanks :)
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Answers

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,908 Member
    edited January 1
    I'm confused by your question, I think there might be a vocabulary mix up. BMR is what you would burn if you were in a coma, as you say.
    So where is MFP giving you a BMR calculation taking into account your activity level? Activity level doesn't have an impact on your BMR. Or are you talking about the calorie goal that MFP gives you when you input your stats and goal (which isn't a calculation of your BMR)?
  • leslie9797
    leslie9797 Posts: 6 Member
    Sorry, I guess my question was pretty confusing. I guess I should just ask how can I manually change the BMR from the one MFP gives me to the one I got through testing.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,908 Member
    You can't, not directly.

    One option:
    The 1350 number that MFP have you, that's using the BMR calculator not the calorie goal calculator?
    If so, you could use the multiplication factor of the relevant activity level to calculate what your TDEE would be with a 50kcal higher BMR:
    "Estimating total energy needs involves multiplying the resting metabolic rate (RMR) by one of the following physical activity factors:
    Sedentary / Not Very Active: 1.4
    Low / Lightly Active: 1.6
    Active: 1.8
    Very Active: 2"
    And then adjust your calorie goal manually to that number (subtracting 250kcal if you want to lose 0.5lbs per week, 500kcal for 1kb per week etc)

    Second option is to just follow MFP's calorie goal using your correct activity level, use that goal for 4 to 8 weeks and then look at what your weight did over that period (did it evolve as expected?) And adjust your calorie goal accordingly.

    Reassessing after 4 to 8 weeks is a good idea either way, because calorie counting has a margin of error, choosing the right activity level has a margin of error, your BMR test has a margin of error etc. It's best to use real life results to adjust your calorie goal.
  • leslie9797
    leslie9797 Posts: 6 Member
    Great, that is very helpful information. Thanks!
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,891 Member
    edited January 2
    As the Rock says, it doesn't matter. It's all just estimates. Your activity level and NEAT has a vastly bigger impact than a few calories difference in your BMR.

    Speaking of, you keep saying you had your BMR checked. That was probably RMR? Slightly different thing, although often used interchangeably. Ultimately, it's your calorie intake vs your TDEE that matters for weight change.

    I like this calculator. Pick a reasonable starting point. Track your input calories and weight change, and adjust calories as needed based on that.

    https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/

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