Eating at BMR or 1200?

andri010
andri010 Posts: 8
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

Do you guys eat at your BMR? Or the MFP calorie number? My MFP calorie number is set at 1200. While I've had moderate success, I've been thinking of stepping up my calorie intake to my BMR, which is at around 1500. Is anyone out there eating at their BMR and experiencing steady weightloss? Or has anyone tried eating at their BMR, with negative results? Any feedback/advice/tips would be appreciated!


Thanks

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Replies

  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    MFP will be set at 1200 because you have chosen "lose 2 pounds a week"
    If you recalculate your goals to lose 1/2 or 1 pound a week (as MFP recommends!) you are likely to get a more reasonable intake.
    I've never eaten at 1200 (apart from the rare and unusual day) and I've lost weight just fine. Always eating above my BMR.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
    Eating at BMR is stupid. I am going to share my personal experience with you.

    "Fitnesssocialist So, I got Bod Podded today. I really suggest everyone do it. While these are estimates they are pretty much on point. My RMR is 2020, with a "low activity" multiplier of 1.51, my TEE or Total Energy Expenditure is 3050. Now their description of low active is walking 50 minutes everyday at 3 miles or golfing for 40 minutes a day. I would say weight training 3x a week plus walking 3-4 days for an hour or so would match that. Now, here is the kicker. Since my last Bodpod in August of 2011, I have dropped 5.762 pounds of actual fat and 6.854 pounds of muscle, while I have dropped 12.615 pounds of bodyweight. Half of my bodyweight loss is muscle!!! That is close to 50%. These are the hardcore numbers in weight loss. I was severely under eating (average 2100 calories) a day and the numbers show it. So, if anyone wants to question about eating their damn calories back. I hope you like loosing muscle, because that is what will happen. Numbers don't lie, but MFP opinion posts and comments do."

    I am not going to get into the reasons why I was under eating. However numbers DON'T lie.
  • hailzp
    hailzp Posts: 903 Member
    I eat at BMR and I have been having consistent success, I recommend it.
  • kazzamcamille
    kazzamcamille Posts: 117 Member
    Bump.
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
    I eat at BMR and I have been having consistent success, I recommend it.

    I AGREE
  • MelanieAG05
    MelanieAG05 Posts: 359 Member
    I started eating 1200 and had no success. I started digging around on these forums and the various websites recommended to find some answers and ideas. I used a lot of the different calculations and finally settled on eating about 1400-1500 calories per day and eating back about half of exercise calories. My BMR is about 1400 and my TDEE is about 2150. I have now been far more consistently losing and I don't feel like I am "dieting". Just eating healthily and monitoring it using this website.
  • annemckee
    annemckee Posts: 170 Member
    My BMR is 1260!
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Ha Annemckee--mine is 1206, completely unfair :)
  • salxtai
    salxtai Posts: 341 Member
    Hi All,

    Do you guys eat at your BMR? Or the MFP calorie number? My MFP calorie number is set at 1200. While I've had moderate success, I've been thinking of stepping up my calorie intake to my BMR, which is at around 1500. Is anyone out there eating at their BMR and experiencing steady weightloss? Or has anyone tried eating at their BMR, with negative results? Any feedback/advice/tips would be appreciated!


    Thanks


    Can I link you to this method?
    It explains things well, and its what I'm using now to tone up (because I've reached "ideal weight" already, so its fat stripping now for me) - but its more than relevant for losing weight, without sacrificing muscle :smile:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method
  • jennalink807
    jennalink807 Posts: 226 Member
    My BMR is 1430. I net 1600, eating back exercise calories. I haven't lost the lbs super quick, but i've gone from 29% bodyfat to ~23% since october, and i've gone down 4 pant sizes. I also lift heavy, and still do my cardio 3-4x a week. :) Don't be afraid to eat more!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I don't recommend anyone eat AT their BMR. Most reasonably healthy, reasonably active people burn FAR more cals than their BMR number, so eating at BMR can often mean too few cals. Clearly their are people on this site who aren't "reasonably" healthy or "reaonsably" active (that's why they are here), in which case they need to look at their habits and their lifestyle very honestly and make an informed decision for themselves.

    And just to be clear, so everyone is talkign about the same thing...
    originally posted by joejccva71 in this thread:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/510406-tdee-is-everything

    1. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).

    2. NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working). ie: INCIDENTAL EXERCISE! It is something that everyone has a good amount of control over & it is the MOST important factor in your energy expenditure. It is what helps keep 'constitutionally lean' people LEAN (they fidget)!

    3. EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise. Unless someone is doing a whole heap of exercise (eg: two or more hrs training a day) it usually doesn't add a stack of calories to your requirements (30 minutes of 'elliptical training isn't going to do it')

    4. TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. REGARDLESS of what myths you have been told - this is NOT dependent on MEAL FREQUENCY. It is a % of TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED (and 15% of 3 x 600 cal meals is the same as 15% of 6 x 300 cal meals). It varies according to MACRONUTRIENT content and FIBER content. For most mixed diets, it is something around 15%. Protein is higher (up to 25%), carbs are variable (between 5-25%), and fats are low (usually less than 5%). So -> More protein and more carbs and more fiber = HIGHER TEF. More FAT = LOWER TEF.

    5. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture): Total calories burned. BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF = TDEE
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    I was not going anywhere and then I raised mine to 1300 then eating most of my exercise calories back. I started losing. I am thinking of upping it to 1400(it has been suggested to me) but it is the mental aspect that is holding me back. I am working on getting over that. :)
  • salxtai
    salxtai Posts: 341 Member
    I was not going anywhere and then I raised mine to 1300 then eating most of my exercise calories back. I started losing. I am thinking of upping it to 1400(it has been suggested to me) but it is the mental aspect that is holding me back. I am working on getting over that. :)

    Go for it!
    I upped from 1400 to 1700 and the change is amazing. Slightly different for me because I'm already at "ideal weight range", but the extra fuel allowed me to start stripping fat down, so the cms have gone down in every place. :flowerforyou:

    I dare you... actually, I double-dare you :tongue:
  • billtonkin
    billtonkin Posts: 109
    If I ate at my BMR, I'd be starving. My TDEE is 2600, I eat 2400. Also, I don't log exercise so I don't have to worry about eating back calories and all that BS. For exercise I burn about 2000 a week. So, that plus my 200 a day deficit, comes out to about a pound a week.
  • missfancy1980
    missfancy1980 Posts: 326
    All this is a frigging nightmare, and just not helpful! Let's all just admit that no one has any damn idea about how many cals we should be eating wether it be 1,000 or 5,000!!! What's the point in a diet/ food plan when no one is sure of the actual numbers!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    No one knows the exact number right down to the calorie, true. But it's not hard to find a pretty good approximation of where you should be. The problem comes when people start mixing recommendations from multiple sources, or when they think they know too much.

    Those of us making progress and seeing good results... it's not just dumb luck. We have a pretty good idea of what we are doing and, in most cases, why we are doing it.
  • andri010
    andri010 Posts: 8
    all this info is awesome!! thank you all for the links, as well as your personal input. i will raise my calorie intake. appreciate it! <3 this community.
  • mel128
    mel128 Posts: 81 Member
    Bump
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