bmr higher than the calories im supposed to eat a day..?

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Amineral
Amineral Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i dont want to hit the "starvation central" point where my body just stores fat and i gain weight instead..so which one should i follow? right now my best idea on how i understand it is this...

if i workout like i say im going to (4x a week), than i eat more than the daily calories but the working out brings me back down to that number. and the BMR number is somewhere between the (daily average calories) and (calories actually eaten-workout and calories burned). is that right?

Replies

  • dgoradia
    dgoradia Posts: 109 Member
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    Your overall goal when cutting is to create a caloric deficit.

    So say your BMR was 1400 and your activity level put that up to 1600.

    If you ate 1400 and you burned 350 calories through exercise, then you have a deficit of 550 calories. Now if you do that everyday for 1 week, then you will be at a deficit of 3850 by the end of that week. That means that you'd likely lose just over 1lb of body weight.

    Hope that clarifies a little for you.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    I've heard tales that it isn't good to continuously eat under your BMR. I tend to believe that since that number is meant to represent how many cals we need to exist. I like to give my body at least that amount.

    Like Dgoradia mentioned, you not only have BMR but your activity, too. So even if you eat at BMR you still have the deficit created from moving and walking and standing/sitting during the day. Working out will add a bigger deficit.
  • kmorris246
    kmorris246 Posts: 312 Member
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    You should never eat less than a netted amount of 1200 calories.........
  • dgoradia
    dgoradia Posts: 109 Member
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    I've heard tales that it isn't good to continuously eat under your BMR. I tend to believe that since that number is meant to represent how many cals we need to exist. I like to give my body at least that amount.

    sarah44254, that's correct. Your BMR is an estimation on the calories your body needs to survive and general healthy bodily functions. It's ok to go below once in a while, but generally better to stay above. This will also keep you from entering starvation/survival mode where your body will try to hold on to as many calories as possible, depositing them as fat around your body.
  • ZombieSlayer
    ZombieSlayer Posts: 369 Member
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    I've heard tales that it isn't good to continuously eat under your BMR. I tend to believe that since that number is meant to represent how many cals we need to exist. I like to give my body at least that amount.

    sarah44254, that's correct. Your BMR is an estimation on the calories your body needs to survive and general healthy bodily functions. It's ok to go below once in a while, but generally better to stay above. This will also keep you from entering starvation/survival mode where your body will try to hold on to as many calories as possible, depositing them as fat around your body.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    I've heard tales that it isn't good to continuously eat under your BMR. I tend to believe that since that number is meant to represent how many cals we need to exist. I like to give my body at least that amount.

    sarah44254, that's correct. Your BMR is an estimation on the calories your body needs to survive and general healthy bodily functions. It's ok to go below once in a while, but generally better to stay above. This will also keep you from entering starvation/survival mode where your body will try to hold on to as many calories as possible, depositing them as fat around your body.

    This makes sense, but I'm confused as to why MFP would suggest we eat less than our BMR? My BMR is around 1400 and it suggests I only eat 1200.
  • worldhurdler
    worldhurdler Posts: 153 Member
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    Correct, you should try to generally stay above your BMR. I had mine measured at my triathlon club, and found that it was 1800/day. Meaning, on the weekends where I'm a total lazybones and barely move off of my couch, I should be eating 1800. Even a normal day of sitting at the office, 1800. So, on the days that I exercise, I try to eat back enough that my net doesn't drop below 1400. I definitely do NOT want my metabolism dropping, which is what will happen if you eat below your BMR for an extended period of time.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,119 Member
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    Your overall goal when cutting is to create a caloric deficit.

    So say your BMR was 1400 and your activity level put that up to 1600.

    If you ate 1400 and you burned 350 calories through exercise, then you have a deficit of 550 calories. Now if you do that everyday for 1 week, then you will be at a deficit of 3850 by the end of that week. That means that you'd likely lose just over 1lb of body weight.

    Hope that clarifies a little for you.

    But your calculations puts her BELOW her BMR. That is what she is asking. If you are going to come on this site and give advice, please be careful.

    To the original poster: if you read these threads, you'll better understand how this works.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/226404-bmr-maintenance

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    ...........short answer is: NO. Don't eat below your BMR. It is called your Basic Metabolic Rate because you need that amount of calories to function and stay healthy. (Well, a day or two or three is okay.....and if you are morbidly obese this rule can be more easily broken. Without a lot more info about you, none of us should be giving advice, really.)
  • ZombieSlayer
    ZombieSlayer Posts: 369 Member
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    This makes sense, but I'm confused as to why MFP would suggest we eat less than our BMR? My BMR is around 1400 and it suggests I only eat 1200.

    It is a computer program, and one that has a single binary threshhold (i.e. no one will be assigned less than 1200, everyone will be assigned at least 1200). I imagine the programming to make each individuals BMR the minimum would be a lot of work.
  • worldhurdler
    worldhurdler Posts: 153 Member
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    [/quote]

    This makes sense, but I'm confused as to why MFP would suggest we eat less than our BMR? My BMR is around 1400 and it suggests I only eat 1200.
    [/quote]

    Because it's a website using pre-deterimined formulas that are generic and aren't verified on a person-by-person basis, it allows you to control how much you want to lose a week (up to 2lbs - or 1000cals/day deficient - which would put most people under their BMR), and while this is a great tool for us to use it's not like it's Dr.-approved-and-certified. No one is monitoring your profile and goals to make sure they're nutritionally and physically sound.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
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    ok so...im 246.6 lbs, 27 year old female, 5 foot 6. according to the bmr calculator here my bmr is 1870.. im set to lose 2lbs per week, so my daily calorie allotment is 1520. is that ok? ive actually been kind of stressing over this the past few days - i dont want to eat too little and do some damage..
    i do eat my exercise calories back (as many as possible anyway).. i dont know if that makes a difference.
  • cherriewilliams
    cherriewilliams Posts: 107 Member
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    From what i have been told, your BMR is for your current weight. Your body uses that amount of calories a day while at a resting rate for your current weight. If you eat less calories than your BMR your body will use your fat storage and you end up losing weight. If you eat the amount of calories your body is using you won't lose weight. If you eat more than it is using you gain weight.
  • dgoradia
    dgoradia Posts: 109 Member
    Options
    Your overall goal when cutting is to create a caloric deficit.

    So say your BMR was 1400 and your activity level put that up to 1600.

    If you ate 1400 and you burned 350 calories through exercise, then you have a deficit of 550 calories. Now if you do that everyday for 1 week, then you will be at a deficit of 3850 by the end of that week. That means that you'd likely lose just over 1lb of body weight.

    Hope that clarifies a little for you.

    But your calculations puts her BELOW her BMR. That is what she is asking. If you are going to come on this site and give advice, please be careful.

    To the original poster: if you read these threads, you'll better understand how this works.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/226404-bmr-maintenance

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    ...........short answer is: NO. Don't eat below your BMR. It is called your Basic Metabolic Rate because you need that amount of calories to function and stay healthy. (Well, a day or two or three is okay.....and if you are morbidly obese this rule can be more easily broken. Without a lot more info about you, none of us should be giving advice, really.)

    If you had read my response, you'd see that I was illustrating an example.

    We're all here to help each other, I don't see how your response was any different from mine, albeit with some useful links.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,119 Member
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    From what i have been told, your BMR is for your current weight. Your body uses that amount of calories a day while at a resting rate for your current weight. If you eat less calories than your BMR your body will use your fat storage and you end up losing weight. If you eat the amount of calories your body is using you won't lose weight. If you eat more than it is using you gain weight.

    This is not how it works. Please read the links posted above.
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
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    From what i have been told, your BMR is for your current weight. Your body uses that amount of calories a day while at a resting rate for your current weight. If you eat less calories than your BMR your body will use your fat storage and you end up losing weight. If you eat the amount of calories your body is using you won't lose weight. If you eat more than it is using you gain weight.

    This is also my take on BMR.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    This makes sense, but I'm confused as to why MFP would suggest we eat less than our BMR? My BMR is around 1400 and it suggests I only eat 1200.

    It is a computer program, and one that has a single binary threshhold (i.e. no one will be assigned less than 1200, everyone will be assigned at least 1200). I imagine the programming to make each individuals BMR the minimum would be a lot of work.

    Makes sense. Thanks for the info everyone, I actually just went and upped my calorie goal because of this.
  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
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    From what i have been told, your BMR is for your current weight. Your body uses that amount of calories a day while at a resting rate for your current weight. If you eat less calories than your BMR your body will use your fat storage and you end up losing weight. If you eat the amount of calories your body is using you won't lose weight. If you eat more than it is using you gain weight.

    This is what I thought, too. If you eat at or above your BMR, how are you creating the calorie deficit necessary to lose weight? Unless you eat your BMR calories but then exercise and don't eat those calories back, making your deficit the amount of calories you burned working out...

    I think MFP takes your BMR and then shaves enough calories from it to create the deficit needed to lose the amount of weight per week that you specified in your goal-setting. That is why your MFP daily calorie goal is less than your BMR.
  • HBBrown78
    HBBrown78 Posts: 55 Member
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    ok so...im 246.6 lbs, 27 year old female, 5 foot 6. according to the bmr calculator here my bmr is 1870.. im set to lose 2lbs per week, so my daily calorie allotment is 1520. is that ok? ive actually been kind of stressing over this the past few days - i dont want to eat too little and do some damage..
    i do eat my exercise calories back (as many as possible anyway).. i dont know if that makes a difference.

    1520 is fine- you will not starve and put on weight- but try not to go much under this. I am assuming this was put with no exercise calculated in. So if you sat on your rear and ate only 1520 calories a day you would loose 2lbs a week. If you add exercise you would loose more faster but that is not healthy but the calculater adds for that if you track it properly. I feel confadent saying this because I have spoken with a dr. and have been placed on a similar diet by her and found this site that actualy agreed with what she said. Good luck and remember- you dont have to starveto loose- you just have to make good decisions. God Bless
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    From what i have been told, your BMR is for your current weight. Your body uses that amount of calories a day while at a resting rate for your current weight. If you eat less calories than your BMR your body will use your fat storage and you end up losing weight. If you eat the amount of calories your body is using you won't lose weight. If you eat more than it is using you gain weight.

    This is what I thought, too. If you eat at or above your BMR, how are you creating the calorie deficit necessary to lose weight? Unless you eat your BMR calories but then exercise and don't eat those calories back, making your deficit the amount of calories you burned working out...

    I think MFP takes your BMR and then shaves enough calories from it to create the deficit needed to lose the amount of weight per week that you specified in your goal-setting. That is why your MFP daily calorie goal is less than your BMR.

    not quite. MFP takes from your TDEE (your BMR plus activity equals TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)) and that is your deficit. but sometimes you (or the site and it's few mistakes) set your goal loss per week too high, and you will get a calorie goal that is less than your BMR.
  • Amineral
    Amineral Posts: 24 Member
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    Thank you guys so much! all this was really helpful and those links really help simplify it all for me. I learned so much today clicking on all the links I have come across and reading the articles. I always thought that I knew enough about being healthy but i realized that I don't know anything but what they wanted me to know aka the lies. now im learning the right way to lose weight and factoring in my bmr and i have to make sure i eat all my workout calories too...thanks again!

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