Should I just eat my BMR to lose weight?
Eating strictly at your basal metabolic rate (BMR)—the minimum number of calories your body requires to maintain vital physiological functions at complete rest—is generally discouraged by clinical nutritionists and medical experts for sustainable weight loss. BMR does not account for the additional energy expended through daily movement, digestion, and physical exercise, meaning that matching your intake precisely to your BMR often creates an excessively aggressive net caloric deficit. Dropping your energy intake too drastically can trigger metabolic adaptation, severe muscle mass loss, nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and chronic fatigue. Instead, experts recommend calculating your total daily energy expenditure and implementing a moderate deficit of 300 to 500 calories to foster healthy, gradual fat loss.
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