Question about BMR and Daily Calorie intake..

chrssyeldridge
chrssyeldridge Posts: 47 Member
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello My fitnesspal's

Here's my question.. If my BMR is 1384 and my daily calorie goal is 1200 calories. Is that not enough calories for the day?? This is where I am confused. I go to the gym and burn about 250-300 calories that I normally do not eat all of them back. If my BMR is lower than my daily intake and I am not eating all my workout earned calories back will I still lose weight?

I have read the post about the eating the earned calories back and I get what people are saying. However this question is about my BMR and daily not just the earned from work out calories...

Truly confused! Thanks in advance for your help.

Replies

  • loveflowers4
    loveflowers4 Posts: 21 Member
    I would love to know this too!!! (:embarassed: )
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Why are you at 1200? If you chose a goal of 2lbs a week weight loss, that is far too much for someone looking to lose 10 lbs. 2lbs a week is for those with much more to lose. Your goal should be more like .5 lbs a week.
    You should not be eating below your BMR. Add in the fact that you aren't compensating for exercise calories burned, you are eating far too little.
  • kerilong
    kerilong Posts: 9

    Here's my question.. If my BMR is 1384 and my daily calorie goal is 1200 calories. Is that not enough calories for the day?? This is where I am confused. I go to the gym and burn about 250-300 calories that I normally do not eat all of them back. If my BMR is lower than my daily intake and I am not eating all my workout earned calories back will I still lose weight?

    Read this post, even if you don't workout you should be eating at your BMR at least.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/408674-the-olivia-method-the-cool-new-way-to-set-up-your-mfp-go?error_user_id=13013933&error_username=kerilong&hl=olivia+method
  • chrssyeldridge
    chrssyeldridge Posts: 47 Member
    Why are you at 1200? If you chose a goal of 2lbs a week weight loss, that is far too much for someone looking to lose 10 lbs. 2lbs a week is for those with much more to lose. Your goal should be more like .5 lbs a week.
    You should not be eating below your BMR. Add in the fact that you aren't compensating for exercise calories burned, you are eating far too little.

    I am looking to lose around 20 lbs. I lost a little last summer but it ALL came back..
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    20 lbs still shouldn't be 2 lbs a week. Maybe 1 lb a week goal. And you still should not eat below your BMR.
  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
    I agree with the above poster, you should be set at .5lb a week lose.
    I have similar goals as you. Right now I am allowed 1450 a day plus I eat back my exercise calories.
    I know .5lb a week sounds so slow, but it is much better to lose it slowly, then lose it fast and gain it right back.
  • FollowMeFit
    FollowMeFit Posts: 9 Member
    I work as a personal trainer and never recommend anything lower than 1400 calories to any of my clients. Regardless of your goal and how quickly you'd like to loose weight, it needs to be in a safe manner especially if you are working out. Make sure in your goal's settings that you put your activity level to what you want it to be during your weight loss journey, not what it was before you started or when you signed up. This is what MFPal uses to calculate your calorie needs instead of using your exercise goals to calculate. For most people that will be lightly active (150 minutes a week of cardio) or active (200+ minutes of week of cardio). If you make that adjustment on your goals, maybe that will up your calorie intake closer to the 1400 range. If it doesn't, lower the amount you want to loose in a week or go in and customize your goals to 1400. The fact is that if you eat too few of calories, your body will hold on to fat and use precious hard earned muscle as fuel. You may even end up gaining.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I work as a personal trainer and never recommend anything lower than 1400 calories to any of my clients. Regardless of your goal and how quickly you'd like to loose weight, it needs to be in a safe manner especially if you are working out. Make sure in your goal's settings that you put your activity level to what you want it to be during your weight loss journey, not what it was before you started or when you signed up. This is what MFPal uses to calculate your calorie needs instead of using your exercise goals to calculate. For most people that will be lightly active (150 minutes a week of cardio) or active (200+ minutes of week of cardio). If you make that adjustment on your goals, maybe that will up your calorie intake closer to the 1400 range. If it doesn't, lower the amount you want to loose in a week or go in and customize your goals to 1400. The fact is that if you eat too few of calories, your body will hold on to fat and use precious hard earned muscle as fuel. You may even end up gaining.

    You can set up MFP that way. Or you chose your activity level on a daily basis excluding exercise, then log your exercise and eat the calories earned. I believe that is the way MFP is meant to be used since it does tell you to eat the extra calories earned. In the end both ways usually end up the same, however, it can cause confusion.
  • KLK1986
    KLK1986 Posts: 89
    For me, if I eat below my BMR I don't lose much (if anything). If I eat at my BMR I lose.
  • chrssyeldridge
    chrssyeldridge Posts: 47 Member
    I work as a personal trainer and never recommend anything lower than 1400 calories to any of my clients. Regardless of your goal and how quickly you'd like to loose weight, it needs to be in a safe manner especially if you are working out. Make sure in your goal's settings that you put your activity level to what you want it to be during your weight loss journey, not what it was before you started or when you signed up. This is what MFPal uses to calculate your calorie needs instead of using your exercise goals to calculate. For most people that will be lightly active (150 minutes a week of cardio) or active (200+ minutes of week of cardio). If you make that adjustment on your goals, maybe that will up your calorie intake closer to the 1400 range. If it doesn't, lower the amount you want to loose in a week or go in and customize your goals to 1400. The fact is that if you eat too few of calories, your body will hold on to fat and use precious hard earned muscle as fuel. You may even end up gaining.

    Ok so I changed my daily caloire intake to 1400 calories. I do about 240 mins a week on cardio already some weeks have more than that. This is going to be hard to try to eat all of those calories daily plus the earned ones back too. Thank you for your answer. Sometimes I feel really lost and confused about all of this stuff.

    However this explains why I am stuck at this weight..
  • FollowMeFit
    FollowMeFit Posts: 9 Member
    If you're eating at least the 1400 you should be okay even if you don't eat all the earned back calories. They're there if you need them, but don't feel pressure to make sure you get them all in. Remember, all calories are not created equal and you need 1400 of good solid nutrition. Make high nutrition and low junk choices and the scale should move. Good luck on your journey.
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