My BMR is 1428--- SERIOUSLY. Know yours?

MamaWannaRun
MamaWannaRun Posts: 273 Member
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
Finally took advantage of the fitness/planning tools at my local gym, only to find out my BMR is 1428. Yes, I also found out a lot of other discouraging news like the fact that my Body Fat % is very 'Overfat', etc... but it is the BMR that is killing me.

If my Basal Metabolic Rate is 1428, how could I not be fat right now? If I understand BMR, it is the number of calories you need each day to maintain your current weight (sans exercise). My body HATES ME!!! and I THINK I now understand that since I did no exercise for virtually 2 years and surely I ate well above 1428 calories a day, I had no choice but to gain weight, even at 1600 calories a day...

SO, WHY DID I NOT KNOW THIS???
Yes, I saw the weight slowly adding onto my body.. but I was too scared to even get on the scale and now here I am with 40 pounds to lose and soooo disappointed in myself I had to make some life changes.. and here I am.. 11 pounds lost and working really, really hard to get back to where I belong.

Here's the rub...
I know my 1000 calorie a day goal is going to freak out MFP peeps but I have very little wiggle room here... If I want to lose, I need to eat less than my BMR and yes, I do eat back some of my exercise calories...

I'd love to hear your thoughts?
«1345

Replies

  • Crawflowr
    Crawflowr Posts: 106 Member
    With a BMR of 1428 and a sedentary life style you should be able to eat 1713 calories a day to maintain, which would mean netting 1213 a day to lose 1lb a week.
  • ksmorck
    ksmorck Posts: 82 Member
    Your BMR is what you need to maintain life, basic functions. Basically in a coma or before you ever roll over or wake up in the bed. Growing hair, nails, etc etc. It is the minimum you should eat daily and does not take into account daily activity, job, chores, etc. much less daily exercise. You need to use your BMR to calculate your Maintenance based on activity level. But you should not eat below your BMR.
  • mom22yorkies
    mom22yorkies Posts: 29
    Sorry, but it doesn't sound like a good plan to me... your body is going to fight you with the 1000 calories. It isn't enough. Do more research on the right way to lose weight. Eat more, weigh less. Let go of the the theory of starving yourself in order to lose weight.. long term, it just doesn't work and setting yourself up for failure.
  • doornumber03
    doornumber03 Posts: 221 Member
    Your BMR is what you need to maintain life, basic functions. Basically in a coma or before you ever roll over or wake up in the bed. Growing hair, nails, etc etc. It is the minimum you should eat daily and does not take into account daily activity, job, chores, etc. much less daily exercise. You need to use your BMR to calculate your Maintenance based on activity level. But you should not eat below your BMR.

    Exactly.
  • Avalonis
    Avalonis Posts: 1,540 Member
    As others have said, BMR is what it takes to just SURVIVE if you are in a coma.

    You have to take into account all movement you do at a daily level (going to the bathroom, walking into work, checking the door, getting the mail, ect), and then also take into account your exercise calories burned. If your BMR is 1428, than you need to multiply that by 1.2 (Sedentary life), which would give you 1713 daily calories, not counting exercise.

    A diet of 1000 calories a day is too low. You will lose as much muscle as fat, which is a VERY bad thing, because losing muscle mass will cause your BMR to go down, thereby causing you to need even less calories.
  • SteveTries
    SteveTries Posts: 723 Member
    With a BMR of 1428 and a sedentary life style you should be able to eat 1713 calories a day to maintain, which would mean netting 1213 a day to lose 1lb a week.

    ^THIS!!!

    You have confused your BMR with your mainenance caloric needs.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    so if my bmr is 1252 and to maintain ,my weight is 1550, to loose weight i would be at 1050? isn't that too low even though i am 5ft.2"? i hear you shouldn't eat under 1200, so then my max i could ever loose would be .5 a lb a week then???? so should i then stick to a 1200 cals a day or 1252?
  • blessmy5
    blessmy5 Posts: 95
    With a BMR of 1428 and a sedentary life style you should be able to eat 1713 calories a day to maintain, which would mean netting 1213 a day to lose 1lb a week.

    ^^^^ What she said! Make peace with your body - treat it like a temple and it will respond for you. Make peace with yourself also. All you have is this day forward. Stop beating yourself up and look forward to this new healthy life one day at a time. Be proud of each and every day. You can do this!!!
  • treehugginpam
    treehugginpam Posts: 1,129 Member
    Yes, what everyone else said! Your BMR is your rock bottom MINIMUM calories that you must eat. If you were in bed all day and not moving around at all, you'd need that many calories. Since you do move throughout the day (I'm assuming!), you'll need more than that on a daily basis, and WAY more than that if you're exercising. Check out a calculator like this one to get a better idea of what you should be eating:

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
  • Metsfn4life
    Metsfn4life Posts: 125 Member
    Your BMR is the minimum your body needs to function without you doing anything at all (breathing, blinking, etc). You need to multiply the BMR number given to you according to the Harris Benedict Formula (below). So, let's say that you work in an office and sit most of the day, only getting up for the bathroom, commuting, to eat, etc., than you will burn 1713 calories. Therefore, if you want to lose 1 lb a week, you will need to eat around 1213 calories a day.


    To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

    •If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
    •If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
    •If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
    •If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
    •If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9
  • SarahR1984
    SarahR1984 Posts: 212
    Your BMR is what you need to maintain life, basic functions. Basically in a coma or before you ever roll over or wake up in the bed. Growing hair, nails, etc etc. It is the minimum you should eat daily and does not take into account daily activity, job, chores, etc. much less daily exercise. You need to use your BMR to calculate your Maintenance based on activity level. But you should not eat below your BMR.

    agree. I can't see how it's healthy to eat below your bmr. I'm stumped why so many eat below this, unless the focus is weight loss and not health. And your bmr is not high, mine is over 1600 :)
  • ravihira1892
    ravihira1892 Posts: 149 Member
    My estimated BMR is: 1,745 calories/day*

    my calorie intake is 1,734 (its suppose to be 1900)

    Just remember to not starve your body. you can still live your life eating the foods you like just by adjusting & making better HEALTHIER choices!
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    Not 1427 or 1429?
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
    To Sum it up, EAT MORE
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    so why is it then if your bmr is always over 1200, why does mfp set so many at 1200 then?
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    This math seems backwards. Where are you going to get fuel to workout?
  • laurarpa
    laurarpa Posts: 244 Member
    You should read up more on this. Mine is 1350 so stop whining ;-). That puts my TEE at 1625-1825 depending on whether I exercise. I have my net in MFP set to 1400. I will not go lower and in fact I'd like to set it higher. You can do what you want but it would be stupid and unproductive to put your net at 1000.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    so why is it then if your bmr is always over 1200, why does mfp set so many at 1200 then?

    Many people get 1200 because they select the maximum weightloss available. If you select "lose 2 lbs/week", MFP will calculate your maintenance calories and subtract 1000, unless you are under 2200, in which case it will truncate at 1200 so you don't go below that.
  • Geeky_Girl
    Geeky_Girl Posts: 239 Member
    This was something I'd been wondering about, too. Everyone's explanations really helped. :smile:
  • foremant86
    foremant86 Posts: 1,115 Member
    Finally took advantage of the fitness/planning tools at my local gym, only to find out my BMR is 1428. Yes, I also found out a lot of other discouraging news like the fact that my Body Fat % is very 'Overfat', etc... but it is the BMR that is killing me.

    If my Basal Metabolic Rate is 1428, how could I not be fat right now? If I understand BMR, it is the number of calories you need each day to maintain your current weight (sans exercise). My body HATES ME!!! and I THINK I now understand that since I did no exercise for virtually 2 years and surely I ate well above 1428 calories a day, I had no choice but to gain weight, even at 1600 calories a day...

    SO, WHY DID I NOT KNOW THIS???
    Yes, I saw the weight slowly adding onto my body.. but I was too scared to even get on the scale and now here I am with 40 pounds to lose and soooo disappointed in myself I had to make some life changes.. and here I am.. 11 pounds lost and working really, really hard to get back to where I belong.

    Here's the rub...
    I know my 1000 calorie a day goal is going to freak out MFP peeps but I have very little wiggle room here... If I want to lose, I need to eat less than my BMR and yes, I do eat back some of my exercise calories...

    I'd love to hear your thoughts?


    wrong, so very wrong.

    your BMR is the calories you would need if you were in a coma. Once you get out of bed and start moving and living your life your body uses up more calories.

    your TDEE is the calories you need to maintain current weight.

    My BMR is 1650 or something like that, my maintenance calories right now are 2300. i eat about 1700-2000 a day and lose weight.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    so why is it then if your bmr is always over 1200, why does mfp set so many at 1200 then?

    Many people get 1200 because they select the maximum weightloss available. If you select "lose 2 lbs/week", MFP will calculate your maintenance calories and subtract 1000, unless you are under 2200, in which case it will truncate at 1200 so you don't go below that.

    even at a 1 lbs loss a week for me it brings me to 1200. only if i choose .5 loss will it give me 1310. i have been on 1310 for a few weeks and i did loose 1 lbs within the 1st 2 weeks but since then i have put that back on and more in the last week. ( 1.5 this week alone)... and it's only been a month on 1310 calories... so i was going to put mine back down to 1200 but if my bmr is 1252, i didn't know what to do?
  • shalinimunjal
    shalinimunjal Posts: 192 Member
    Your BMR is what you need to maintain life, basic functions. Basically in a coma or before you ever roll over or wake up in the bed. Growing hair, nails, etc etc. It is the minimum you should eat daily and does not take into account daily activity, job, chores, etc. much less daily exercise. You need to use your BMR to calculate your Maintenance based on activity level. But you should not eat below your BMR.

    Read this again. Do NOT eat below your BMR or you're doing more damage to your body.
  • MamaWannaRun
    MamaWannaRun Posts: 273 Member
    Your BMR is the minimum your body needs to function without you doing anything at all (breathing, blinking, etc). You need to multiply the BMR number given to you according to the Harris Benedict Formula (below). So, let's say that you work in an office and sit most of the day, only getting up for the bathroom, commuting, to eat, etc., than you will burn 1713 calories. Therefore, if you want to lose 1 lb a week, you will need to eat around 1213 calories a day.


    To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

    •If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
    •If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
    •If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
    •If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
    •If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

    So, I'm going to be all set should I ever be in a coma! lol.. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
    This makes so much more sense!

    and
    You should read up more on this. Mine is 1350 so stop whining ;-).

    the whining shall now end... lol...

    thanks to everyone who responded... I think I would die if i tried to stay at 1000 calories but that was my backwards take on that.. I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!
  • Geeky_Girl
    Geeky_Girl Posts: 239 Member
    Wait, I want to be sure I'm getting this correctly (see how ingrained it is in people that a drastic calorie reduction is what's needed to lose weight?): If my BMR is 1741 and the Harris Benedict Formula says my daily calorie need (I have a desk job) is 2089, then I need to keep my calories between 1741 and 2089 to lose weight?

    Sorry if I'm being dense :ohwell:
  • ravihira1892
    ravihira1892 Posts: 149 Member
    Wait, I want to be sure I'm getting this correctly (see how ingrained it is in people that a drastic calorie reduction is what's needed to lose weight?): If my BMR is 1741 and the Harris Benedict Formula says my daily calorie need (I have a desk job) is 2089, then I need to keep my calories between 1741 and 2089 to lose weight?

    Sorry if I'm being dense :ohwell:

    1741 - 500 = your calorie intake for the day!
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    ok so if i am getting this straight... i should not eat under my 1252 bmr and with a maintenance of 1550,and it takes 3500 to loose 1 lb, correct? so my max will be a 2 lb loss a month, which is what i got when i was on a 1200 day diet when i fist started on mfp.... so basically it is impossible to have more then 2-2.5 lbs loss for me in a month ever!
  • Geeky_Girl
    Geeky_Girl Posts: 239 Member
    Wait, I want to be sure I'm getting this correctly (see how ingrained it is in people that a drastic calorie reduction is what's needed to lose weight?): If my BMR is 1741 and the Harris Benedict Formula says my daily calorie need (I have a desk job) is 2089, then I need to keep my calories between 1741 and 2089 to lose weight?

    Sorry if I'm being dense :ohwell:

    1741 - 500 = your calorie intake for the day!

    Thank you!!! :happy:
  • MamaWannaRun
    MamaWannaRun Posts: 273 Member
    ok so if i am getting this straight... i should not eat under my 1252 bmr and with a maintenance of 1550,and it takes 3500 to loose 1 lb, correct? so my max will be a 2 lb loss a month, which is what i got when i was on a 1200 day diet when i fist started on mfp.... so basically it is impossible to have more then 2-2.5 lbs loss for me in a month ever!

    I THINK that is why exercise is so important. BUT if you eat back your exercise calories??? Is this right???

    Not sure about the numbers... 1252brm x 1.2 for sedentary = 1502. If you keep your calories to 1252 a day, you still have a deficit of 250 calories a day. 250 x 30 days = 7,512 calories = a little more than 2 pounds in 30 days. (assuming 3500 = 1 lb)...

    EXPERTS???
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    Wait, I want to be sure I'm getting this correctly (see how ingrained it is in people that a drastic calorie reduction is what's needed to lose weight?): If my BMR is 1741 and the Harris Benedict Formula says my daily calorie need (I have a desk job) is 2089, then I need to keep my calories between 1741 and 2089 to lose weight?

    Sorry if I'm being dense :ohwell:

    1741 - 500 = your calorie intake for the day!

    That is wrong. 2089 - 500 would be closer to the right number, assuming you don't factor in exercise calories. There's also a fair bit of advice going around that you shouldn't eat less than your BMR, but I can't say whether that is necessary or not (if so, it would mean GG was spot on in her first comment; between 1741 and 2089 should cause some slow but constant weight loss)
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    mamawannarun: yes that is what i figured out too, so it looks like i just can't loose more then 2-2.5 lbs a month! max..... to be doing it the healthy way... so when i had my calories set to 1200 that is what i was loosing before x-mas, it was under my bmi but then i did go over a few days a week, so it equaled out. since i upped my calories at the beginning of the month, i am gaining... up 3.6 lbs.... so i will drop them back down and do what i was doing before...
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