Should I Eat My BMR In Calories To Lose Weight?

No, You Shouldn't Eat Just Your BMR

Eating exactly your BMR calories would likely cause weight loss, but it's not the recommended approach. Here's why:

Your BMR is the bare minimum your body needs to function if you were lying in bed all day doing nothing. But you don't do nothing—you walk, work, exercise, digest food, and perform daily activities.

All these activities burn calories on top of your BMR. Your total daily calorie burn is called TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), and it's significantly higher than your BMR.

For most people, TDEE is 1.2-1.5× their BMR. For example, if your BMR is 1,500, your TDEE might be 1,800-2,250 depending on activity level.

What Happens If You Eat Only Your BMR

If you eat only your BMR calories while living a normal life, you'd be in a significant calorie deficit (potentially 300-700+ calories depending on activity).

In the short term: You'd lose weight, possibly faster than recommended (more than 2 pounds per week).

In the long term: This aggressive deficit can cause problems:

Extreme fatigue and low energy

Increased hunger and cravings

Loss of muscle mass (not just fat)

Hormonal disruptions (especially for women)

Metabolic slowdown (adaptive thermogenesis)

Difficulty maintaining the diet long-term

A more moderate deficit from your TDEE (not BMR) is more sustainable and healthier.

The Right Approach

Instead of eating at BMR, do this:

Step 1: Calculate your TDEE (BMR × activity factor). Use our calculator for this.

Step 2: Create a moderate deficit of 300-500 calories from your TDEE, not BMR.

Step 3: This results in healthy, sustainable weight loss of 0.5-1 pound per week.

Example: If your BMR is 1,400 and your TDEE is 1,820 (lightly active), eat 1,320-1,520 calories per day. Notice you're eating at or slightly below your BMR, but the deficit is calculated from TDEE, making it moderate and manageable.

This approach protects your muscle, maintains energy, and supports long-term success.