Unhealthy calorie deficit? Help?

[Ashleybrooke00]

I apologize in advance if my problem seems stupid, I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed.

I recently calculated my BMR (how many calories I supposedly burn just sitting around doing nothing) and it came to 1900 something. I have a daily goal to not eat more than 1200 calories. I also have an exercise goal to exercise to burn at least 700 calories. I’ve been doing this for some time without really reflecting on it, but now recently I realized that I think this is unhealthy? Or am I calculating this incorrectly?

1900 (bmr) + 700 (exercise) = 2600 calories burnt per day. 1200 = how many calories eaten per day. 2600 - 1200 = 1400 = the calorie deficit.

Now I know that you should have a deficit of no more than 1000 per day, right? I’m concerned. I’ve been feeling totally fine and losing weight at a normal rate.

Are calories burnt through exercise a different thing and can’t be put in this formula? I’m confused and I can’t find the answers I’m looking for. Are my current food and exercise goals healthy or should they be changed? Am I really at a 1400 calorie deficit every day?

 

[Trusylver]

As scientific as BMR sounds, it is still just an estimate, just as it is an estimate for the calorie burn of various exercises. The only way to get specific numbers for you as an individual is in a sports lab. However it is a starting point, there is often debate in fitness circles about eating back exercise calories, personally, I believe that you shouldn't unless energy levels have been effected. While calories are important, achieving adequate nutrition is more important and the lower your calorie level the harder this is to achieve.

Calorie intake can be adjusted to control the speed of weight loss, loosing too quickly is not sustainable, 1-2 kg per week is a good rate. Rate of loss will also slow down the closer you get to your goal weight. Also remember weight is not always a good guide to your healthy fat levels, bodyfat % measurements are a better guide, it is possible to be skinny but still have a lot of fat and also to be heavy with healthy levels.