eating below BMR

nyxt
nyxt Posts: 60
in Health and Weight Loss
Is that okay or will it significantly make losing weight harder? There are just times when I find it hard to eat or I get full before I reach my BMR. And sometimes, I just don't happen to have any food with me. Also, if I don't get enough protein and I do a lot of cardio, will that burn the muscle and give me the skinny fat look? My body fat percentage isn't low. It's about 23.8% and I'm just wondering if I might lose the muscle from too little protein.

I'm confused O_o

Replies

  • creature275
    creature275 Posts: 348 Member
    yes you most certainly would start to lose muscle, your BMR is refering to the amount of calories it takes your body just to stay alive and function, to eat below that is in and of itself considered unhealthy. your muscle is made up of what are called amino acids, if you lack protein in your diet but still demand work output from your body, the body will begin to break down muscle tissue for amino acids, opposed to getting them from protein in your diet, on top of that, when you eat too little too often your body will go into a survival state and store body fat more easily. add me as a friend I can talk a lot more about this if you wish
  • nyxt
    nyxt Posts: 60
    Thank you so much!
  • creature275
    creature275 Posts: 348 Member
    no problem, so you need to eat not only enough for BMR but enough to sustain your workouts and daily activity as well, if you time your nutrients well you will be able to give your body a steady supply of amino acids to prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue, eat healthy carbs that will sustain a stable blood glucose level and you will enjoy the benefits of better workouts, better sleep, and significantly improved body composition. use resistance training to build lean muscle for tone, so generally high rep low weight, fast acting proteins post workout, i suggest going the extra mile at night eating a food like cottage cheese or use a casein powder to give your body amino acids in your sleep to prevent a catabolic state, perform your cardio in the morning while your in a fasted state...so before breakfast and keep the cardio either steady paced or look into HIIT routines which are even more beneficial, studies also show that drinking caffeine in the mornings before your run will also provide a fat burning boost, seeing as caffeine is a natural fat burner.
  • wordpainter09
    wordpainter09 Posts: 472 Member
    Eating below your BMR is not a good idea...and that is NET, not gross. So if your BMR is 1100 calories and you workout and burn 400 calories, you should be eating, at a minimum, 1500 calories.
    If you don't have food on you, carry granola bars or protein bars in your purse or backpack. I do that a lot to make sure I don't have to turn to unhealthy fast food choices.
  • drapes73
    drapes73 Posts: 8
    If your BMR is 1100 and you burn an additional 400 working out how are you planning on losing weight if you eat more than 1500 calories?
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    If your BMR is 1100 and you burn an additional 400 working out how are you planning on losing weight if you eat more than 1500 calories?


    you are confusing BMR with TDEE. Optimal fat loss occurs between BMR and TDEE.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr?
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
    If your BMR is 1100 and you burn an additional 400 working out how are you planning on losing weight if you eat more than 1500 calories?

    Normal daily activities. Using MFPs activity factors, that's going to be somewhere between 275 and 605 calories.
  • wordpainter09
    wordpainter09 Posts: 472 Member
    If your BMR is 1100 and you burn an additional 400 working out how are you planning on losing weight if you eat more than 1500 calories?

    Normal daily activities. Using MFPs activity factors, that's going to be somewhere between 275 and 605 calories.

    ^^This. Don't forget, you don't burn calories JUST from working out. I burn 2200-2400 calories on an active rest day -cleaning, shopping, walking around.

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