need help .. important calories question for me :(

sabrekism
sabrekism Posts: 113 Member
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
hey folks

i know this might be old question but really need to know..

- my maintenance calories daily intake as Sedentary is : 2800 cal
- BMR ( without activity level ) is 2300

so if i wished for a 1 pound per week lose thats 2300 ,,, wich is fine but

wat if i wished for 2 pounds per week? thats 1800 cal

how i can lose weight goin under my BMR?

stats :

gender - male
height - 5'6 or 168 cm
weight - 279 lbs or 127 kg

plz help really important for me :(

thx for reading <3

Replies

  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Generally I wouldn't recommend that you eat under your BMR as that's pushing it in terms of a sustainable method of dieting, but that's just my opinion.

    What I think is throwing you off here is that BMR is just the number of calories you burn while completely inactive. Some people misinterpret this to mean the number of calories you need to live. These are not equivalent statements.

    From a survival standpoint, you will not drop dead by consuming under BMR level, I just don't think it's advisable.
  • jenfactor
    jenfactor Posts: 124
    agree, I wouldn't eat below your BMR! You want to have the energy to workout, etc.
  • val071418
    val071418 Posts: 96 Member
    Now that is a question...My BMR according to MFP is around 1800 something. Then they set me at 1340 daily caloric intake. So you must need to eat below the BMR??? I am set for 2 lb loss a week and have been very successful at it the last 6 weeks. Not sure if this helps you at all but it is input nonetheless.
    Good luck!!:smile:
  • peacestar84
    peacestar84 Posts: 100
    You can lose weight eating under your BMR, BUT you are then in starvation mode. Eventually you will hit a plateau in starvation mode and by that time you have really slowed your metabolism down. It could take quite awhile to get your metabolism back up to normal and when you increase calories from below your BRM to above, and you likely would initially stall weight loss or even gain. That is the information I have learned about and experimented with myself. There is a lot of information out there I suggest looking over some of it. I originally ate in starvation mode but then realized it was completely unsustainable for a longterm healthy weight loss.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    You can lose weight eating under your BMR, BUT you are then in starvation mode.


    Not really... you BMR is the amount of calories you need to eat to MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT if you did nothing but rested and slept all day.

    It does NOT include the calories you burn for your activities of daily living.
    It also does NOT include the deficit you need to lose weight.

    Example:
    My start weight was 175 lbs -- My BMR was 1443 cal
    To maintain 175 lbs -- If I was sedentary 1790 cal would maintain my start weight including what ever I burned during the course of my daily activities (1940 cal for lightly active, 2080 cal for active, 2230 cal for very active)

    the MFP lose 1 lb per week setting takes away 500 cal from the calories I use for my daily activities 1790cal - 500cal = 1290cal

    Obviously, I survived on less that 1443 calories.
    Every time I lost a pound MFP took away 10 calories. But MFP won't go below 1200 so that you get your proper nutrition, So when I my lose 1 lb a week calorie target was 1200 and stop moving I switched to lose 1/2 lb a week.

    STARVATION MODE is more about nutrition than it is about calories... MFP set the 1200 cal minimum as guideline, because it's REALLY difficult to get proper nutrition in less than 1200 calories, but you could be eating 3500 calories a day and still go into STARVATION MODE if you are not getting PROPER NUTRITION. Yes, everyone needs a treat now and then, but focus on getting enough of the good stuff in you and that in turn will reduce your cravings.

    Good Luck
  • WeighAhead
    WeighAhead Posts: 42 Member
    Hi,

    I am about the same height and about 30 lbs heavier than you. MFP calculated a calorie intake of about 2400 calories for me to lose 1 pound a week. My experience is that if I eat at that level I lose closer to 2.5 to 3 lbs per week, which is about the maximum safe amount of weight loss for someone my weight. So I would say eat above your BMR and don't worry about the 1 lb per week, if you find if you aren't losing fast enough then I would up your activity level while still eating above your BMR.
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
    change your input in the diet section of mfp to 2lbs a week and you will get how many cals you need to eat?

    But my advice is to take it slowly, if you lose 1lb a week and some weeks you may lose more, then you are more likely to keep it off and keep up your new lifestyle change.

    You can quite easily lose 14lbs or more over 2 or 3 months taking it at a steady pace
  • sabrekism
    sabrekism Posts: 113 Member
    the thing is,

    all of the medical sites and sources suggest a maximum 1-2 pounds weekly lose with a warning not to pass the 1000 cal mark under ur maintenance..

    dont get me wrong i aint a rushy person i dont care if this takes 1-3 years even as long as its a healthy way.
    but how a large weight like me only maximum lose 1 pound per week? i even heard u can drop alot in 1st few weeks.

    wat im tryin to say is : i never heard of a topic that says "maximum healthy weekly weight loss" or "u cant pass the 1 pound per week" thing.

    there is something wrong in this and i can smell it....just need to figure wat the hell is it lol xD
  • WeighAhead
    WeighAhead Posts: 42 Member
    Do you have a scale that measures body fat percentage?
  • sabrekism
    sabrekism Posts: 113 Member
    sadly no sir but i think my body percentage is around 45 i think last time i checked
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    sadly no sir but i think my body percentage is around 45 i think last time i checked

    How many calories would you get to maintain your goal weight?
  • WeighAhead
    WeighAhead Posts: 42 Member
    Ok, the reason I ask is that I understand your concern about losing weight safely. I have yo-yo dieted myself for years and I want to make sure I lose weight the right way! I have found that measuring body fat is an easy way of ensuring that I am losing weight "safely." I think what is meant by losing weight unsafely, (other than starving yourself and getting no nutrients) is losing weight through muscle not through fat. If I lose 3 pounds, I use a body fat measurement scale to ensure that the majority of those 3 pounds came from fat not from muscle, this way my metabolism will stay in tact.
  • sabrekism
    sabrekism Posts: 113 Member
    sadly no sir but i think my body percentage is around 45 i think last time i checked

    How many calories would you get to maintain your goal weight?

    that would be exactly = 1553.9 calories ( BMR )

    BMR x Sedentary lvl (1.2) = 1864.6
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