[luckystreak]

According to the BMR calculator, it says I need ~1500 cals x 1.375 (i'm lightly active) = 2000 cals to maintain my weight.
Yet I've been eating 1500 cals for the past month and haven't lost even half a pound. And I find it hard to believe that I can eat that much and not gain anything...

Do you think this calculator is accurate?

[freelancemomma]

It depends on the person. The BMR calculator also gives me a maintenance figure of 2,000 calories, but for me it's accurate. I've been maintaining on this amount for the past 9 months.

F.

[kelly315]

It's accurate enough for some people (I've found mine to be relatively accurate) but your metabolism usually changes if you've lost a significant amount of weight. Since it seems you've lost about (atleast?) 40 pounds, I wouldn't be surprised if your metabolism has slowed somewhat to compensate.

You also might not be losing weight if you recently upped your exercise, especially weight lifting. Your current weight could be the result of new muscle or lingering water from the exercise.

[LaceyCen]

This is really where your mileage may vary, because most BMR calculators for me were very wrong (even Weight Watchers was wrong, go figure!)

Most caculators told me to eat around 2400 ~ 2500 a day for "extreme" weight loss, but I recently bought a BMF that shows how many calories my body burns a day, and my BMR is ~2900 on most days. Those calculators are obviously off, and since I was adding back in a lot for exercising, it put me at a nice maintenance level.

I say that trial and error is the way to go.

[JohnP]

BMR calculators were created based on studies that were done where people's actual BMR were measured in a lab. If you look at these studies most people fall along the average which is what the calculator uses. Most of the time when the calculators are wrong it is because people are incorrectly using them by not understanding activity level modifier. Having said that some people have faster or slower BMR that average.

[Vex]

I really think those calculators should be used as a starting point and adjusted up or down based on personal experience.

Everyone's body is a little different. For example, I have never really lost on 1500 and had to go 1200 - even at my highest weight.

You are starting to get down there though into the lower end so I have heard people saying here that it's very hard to lose those last 10-20 lbs despite following plan. You could try a lower amount and see how that works out?