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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To only eat my BMR calories each day?

14 replies

dietquestion · 24/07/2023 20:21

I've been following a calorie deficit diet set by a nutritionist / PT. My target they have set for me is to eat 1700 cals a day. Instead I've been eating closer to 1400-1500, and on some days as low as 1300.

My BMR is 1391, and I've ended today on 1328, as an example. I've also been to the gym this morning and done a 45 minute Les Mills class. I'm not sure why I don't feel starving, but I don't at all. I think my TDEE is around 1800 for my activity levels, so I am in quite a deficit.

I've lost half a stone in the past 3 weeks so something is working.

My question is, when I've googled eating at your BMR or slightly lower, it's apparently not a good thing? However I don't feel starving or anything, so is it safe to continue?

For reference I am 5' 8" and currently weigh 10 stone 7 lbs. Target weight is 10 stone.

Thanks for any advice.

OP posts:
Itisyourturntowashthebath · 24/07/2023 20:28

If you are not going to listen to a nutritionist or PT you ain't gonna listen to anyone here.

dietquestion · 24/07/2023 20:29

Well... I personally think the target they've set is too high, so I'm looking for others' opinions.

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 24/07/2023 20:31

I thought 'standard' diet advice was to eat 500 cals under your TDEE which is what you're doing. It's not a huge amount of calories but you don't have much to lose. The issue will likely come if you're seeing a PT to build muscle because it won't work in that case.

Random789 · 24/07/2023 20:32

The numbers seem so amazingly precise. How can either your calorie requirements or your calorie intake truly be measured with such precision?. Wouldn't it be better to accept that they are an approximation and to simply listen to what your body is telling you -- which seems at the moment to be that your intake is adequate (but which might somersault into extreme hunger with these deficits)?

dontcrowdthemushrooms · 24/07/2023 20:32

I’m the same height and weight as you with the same target, I’m doing Noom and also eating anywhere between 1100-1500 per day, very rarely more. It’s been working fine for me, I have lost 9kg since April and it’s been relatively easy. If it’s working for you, keep at it!

Beneficialchampion2 · 24/07/2023 20:34

The target they have set is intended for sustainable weight loss. If you eat in a severe calorie deficit you are likely to cheat or give up as you will be craving food.

If what you are doing is working great, just ensure you're eating plenty of protein and fibre. someone of your mass if be aiming for 120-150g of protein a day.

Your nutritionist has calculated I expect your TDE+BMR to be in the region of 2250 cals. 1750 (500 cal deficit) approx would give you a pound of weight loss a week.

dietquestion · 24/07/2023 20:35

dontcrowdthemushrooms · 24/07/2023 20:32

I’m the same height and weight as you with the same target, I’m doing Noom and also eating anywhere between 1100-1500 per day, very rarely more. It’s been working fine for me, I have lost 9kg since April and it’s been relatively easy. If it’s working for you, keep at it!

This is reassuring, thank you!

OP posts:
dietquestion · 24/07/2023 20:36

mynameiscalypso · 24/07/2023 20:31

I thought 'standard' diet advice was to eat 500 cals under your TDEE which is what you're doing. It's not a huge amount of calories but you don't have much to lose. The issue will likely come if you're seeing a PT to build muscle because it won't work in that case.

Yes I want to build muscle too so I do need to up my protein intake - I struggle with that part!

OP posts:
Itisyourturntowashthebath · 24/07/2023 20:36

Do you want to lose weight?
OR
Do you want to adopt a new way of eating and never diet again?

dietquestion · 24/07/2023 20:37

Random789 · 24/07/2023 20:32

The numbers seem so amazingly precise. How can either your calorie requirements or your calorie intake truly be measured with such precision?. Wouldn't it be better to accept that they are an approximation and to simply listen to what your body is telling you -- which seems at the moment to be that your intake is adequate (but which might somersault into extreme hunger with these deficits)?

There's a machine at the gym that gives digital readings and my PT worked out my BMR from that. My calorie intake is all tracked on an app similar to My Fitness Pal - I weigh / measure etc, hence why it's precise.

OP posts:
Wenfy · 24/07/2023 20:45

Are you losing weight or are you building muscle? If the latter you need to gain weight - hence the higher limit. If the latter 1300 is about right for non-gym days.

therealtalk · 24/07/2023 22:18

It’s all to do with sustaining weight loss. Unfortunately, too low below your TDEE can have many problems. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll see fast results quickly and you’ll think it’s working, but internally it’s not great for you, and it’s not great for maintaining weight loss either. There is a limit on how much fat you can burn per day before it starts breaking down muscle instead, and peak muscle loss occurs for most people when they are consuming 20-25% below their TDEE, which at an expected 1800 and doing 1328 today, you’re just teetering over the edge of that. There is also of course the risk of ‘starvation mode’ if you go too low. It’s not as dramatic as people think, and it takes a while and numerous factors, but your body can slow your metabolic rate if it believes it will continue to be starved, therefore it slows down the weight loss, people drop calories even more as they aren’t seeing improvements and the cycle continues, or, individuals feel the hunger, over indulge and eat back all the calories they’d previously reduced. I understand you think it’s high, but your PT will have looked at what you’ve asked for, what you’re doing daily and adjusted your allowable consumption to include all of those factors. There is a science behind it, and they’d have followed it to give you the best sustainable results. There’s no point losing for example a stone in a week through immense calorie deficit, if you can’t keep it off.

Only thing is, if your BMR is 1391 and your doing 2 workouts a day, I’d question if your TDEE is 1800, as that seems relatively low, especially as a Les Mills class can burn up between 400 and 700kcal’s alone (depending on RPM etc, but an average class is 500kcal). As effectively, today you could have a BMR of 1391 + 500kcal for Les Mills and let’s say 200kcal for the gym, that’s TDEE of 2091, never mind your daily walking etc so even if I just add 200kcal for the rest of the day, that a final TDEE of 2291, so consuming 1328kcal’s that day is only 58% of your TDEE (even with no rest of the day kcal added, it’s still only 64%), which is way below what they advise of 75%, whereas your PT’s calculation of 1700 increases that to 74%, therefore with those calculations, your PT’s target of 1700 makes much more sense.

I’ve done a degree module in this (sports nutrition) so I’m reasonably well qualified, also, your PT knows you best and has your best interests at heart (otherwise you’d not pay them if you weren’t getting results), personally, I’d listen to them. The internet is rife with awful information regarding nutrition and dieting, much of which when you study research papers has been disproved or proven to have health issues associated with it. But, most importantly, I hope you achieve your goal weight!

dietquestion · 25/07/2023 05:36

@therealtalk

Thank you that's incredibly helpful and makes a lot of sense.

OP posts:
KimberleyClark · 25/07/2023 06:06

You are already a healthy weight for your height with a BMI of 22. If you reduce your calorie intake to much you will only find it harder to keep what you’ve lost off.

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