BMR / Calorie Question

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Romans624
Romans624 Posts: 822
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey,

Hoping someone can help me straighten out the calculations here...

Mayo Clinic says that at 279 or so lbs (and all the other fields such as activity), my BMR is 2,300 calories daily

MFP sets me to just under 1600 calories... no matter if I change exercise goals to none weekly or 120 mins daily (weird)

It says its like 2lbs a week at 1600 whether I exercise or not.

So I changed the values... to 1200 and exercise an hour a day ( might have put two hours, changing it around and i have the time)

It said 2.7 lbs per week. Now someone as obese as I am its safe to lose more than 2 weekly. Because I was eating so many cals before (also have hypothyroidism), eating "normal" is automatically a good sized deficet.

So I guess my question is...why isn't MFP changing my caloric needs when I change my activity level?

Replies

  • TIFnFIT
    TIFnFIT Posts: 46 Member
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    Your over-thinking it. Just do as it recomends and you will succeed. Slow, steady and healthy is how MFP calculates. You must burn more calories than you consume.... plain and simple. I know that sounds "simple", but it really is just that simple. Good luck!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Your exercise goals on MFP have nothing to do with your activity level. That is just a number goal for how many calories you plan to burn in a week exercising, and how many minutes a week you plan to exercise.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    It gives you your exercise calories as you earn them. The exercise goals have no effect on your calories. Also go with what MFP tells you. 1200 is too little for most people.
  • ajrulo
    ajrulo Posts: 50
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    I noticed that too, and I think they expect you to eat back your exercise calories, so your net calorie intake remains the same each day..
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
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    You ought to put your calorie goal back at what MFP recommends and eat your exercise calories. That means NET 1600.

    Stop complicating it.

    :)
  • smashingroses
    smashingroses Posts: 22
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    This thing is telling me 1200 calories for even just having 2-3 times a week of activity. Shouldn't my calories be higher if I'm moving more?

    I'm with the first poster. Mayo is a top notch institution so why would they have such a range?
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
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    This thing is telling me 1200 calories for even just having 2-3 times a week of activity. Shouldn't my calories be higher if I'm moving more?

    I'm with the first poster. Mayo is a top notch institution so why would they have such a range?

    When you enter your exercise goals, it doesn't actually calculate anything. Which is why I leave mine blank. It's only when you log your exercise for that DAY that it factors in.
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    Hey,

    Hoping someone can help me straighten out the calculations here...

    Mayo Clinic says that at 279 or so lbs (and all the other fields such as activity), my BMR is 2,300 calories daily

    MFP sets me to just under 1600 calories... no matter if I change exercise goals to none weekly or 120 mins daily (weird)

    It says its like 2lbs a week at 1600 whether I exercise or not.

    So I changed the values... to 1200 and exercise an hour a day ( might have put two hours, changing it around and i have the time)

    It said 2.7 lbs per week. Now someone as obese as I am its safe to lose more than 2 weekly. Because I was eating so many cals before (also have hypothyroidism), eating "normal" is automatically a good sized deficet.

    So I guess my question is...why isn't MFP changing my caloric needs when I change my activity level?

    it changes when you change your activity level, to sedentary, lightly active, active, very active. your exercise goal is just to keep you motivated. 1200 calories is a 1100calories defecit of your BMR. whatever mfp gives ytou for maintenance, take 1000cals off that for 2lb week weight loss. or just put how active you are in the activity level. and also eat at least half your exercise calories
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
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    Didn't realize I got the responses on this, thanks a ton! I guess for the 1,000 cal deficit I would need to net 1300 cals daily...eating back the exercise ones too. I might exercise a lot to make up for eating more though because I don't really want to eat much less than 1600 cals/day


    Thanks!!!

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