BMR vs. MFP settings

I have the same question -
I have lost 20lbs since Jan 1
(MFP set up to loose 2lbs per week)

MFP says to eat 1320 which i do and my exercise as well

according to this site my BMR is 3183
MFP says my BMR 1,910

but based on this post i am concerned that I am harming my self inadvertently...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/471769-an-easier-way-to-setup-goal-calories-eating-for-who-you-wi

please advise

There is some confusion between BMR and TDEE. BMR is your metabolic rate. The amount of calories your body burns if you were in a coma. Total Daily Energy Expended (TDEE) is the amount of calories you burn on top of your BMR. So when you walk to your car, go to the bathroom or movement in general, you burn calories. So based on your lifestyle, you have a multiplier to estimate your TDEE (multipliers below). After you know your TDEE, you can create a calorie deficit to induce weight loss.

Now this is where there are a few trains of thought and really require long term evaluation. There are those who just want to be a certain weight and aim for large weight loss per week (2 lbs) and generally say don't eat exercise calories. Then there are those who want to be fit (have muscle definition, abs, etc... ) where they tend to have smaller deficit and really push stuff like weight training. Both are approaches you can take and will provide different results.



* Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
* Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
* Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
* Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
* Extr. active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)




When creating a large deficit, you increase the chances of losing muscle. This is one reason as you get smaller you burn less calories. So this is also why you are asked to reevaluate your weight loss goals as you make progress. Also, the bigger you are, the larger your deficit can be (see guidelines below). Either way, ideally, you want to minimize lean body mass (LBM) loss as it's the major driver of your metabolic rate; ideally, 10% of your weight loss or less should be from LBM. When creating a smaller deficit, there is a chance to maintain LBM and maintain your metabolic rate. This is actually what I was able to accomplished. My BMR has been consistent at 2080 throughout my weight loss (started at 205, went to 189, and now bulked up to 200) and focused on BF% and inches instead. Now, I do understand when you have a lot of weight, it may not be as possible.

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.


To answer your question, eating below your BMR will increase the chance of slowing your metabolism since it will adapt to the food. It may be beneficial to set your goal at 1.5 lb per week and eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories to minimize these affects.

I have the same question -
I have lost 20lbs since Jan 1
(MFP set up to loose 2lbs per week)

MFP says to eat 1320 which i do and my exercise as well

according to this site my BMR is 3183
MFP says my BMR 1,910

but based on this post i am concerned that I am harming my self inadvertently...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/471769-an-easier-way-to-setup-goal-calories-eating-for-who-you-wi

please advise

I noticed a huge discrepancy between MFP's BMR results and other sites' BMR results. The other sites were much closer together and all drastically different from the MFP result... Does anyone know why?