How accurate are BMR calculators for you?

Just wondering how many people follow the BMR number they turn out and reduce their calories by 250 and still lose weight? I'll admit that when I first started to diet, I was able to lose a few pounds by doing that. However, now that I'm further into my dieting, I can't eat anywhere near the number of my resting rate without gaining weight. In fact, I have to eat about 500 calories less each day AND exercise to continue weight loss. It could be that I screwed up my metabolism by overdoing it. I don't see how someone could avoid having a slower metabolism during dieting with reduced food intake and exercise. I've begun to ask myself if I would've lost more weight by eating more food, which I find hard to make sense of.

Your BMR is the amount of calories you need just to exist in a coma-like state.  Breathing, heart functioning, brain pinging.... it doesn't include any kind of movement.  So if you deduct 250 cals from your BMR it's definitely not a healthy thing to do.  Never consume below your BMR and never go below 1200.  Most reasonably active, adult women in the 130-200lb bracket can lose weight at 1400-1600 cals a day.

You need to work out your total calorie needs.  If you enter your stats and an approximation of your activity level into the CC calculator and set your goal weight as the same as your current weight then you'll get your total calorie needs.  Deduct 500 from that number instead

You can avoid a slower metabolism during weight-loss by reducing your intake just a little (500 - 700 cals less), varying your intake slightly each day and by having a day where you eat more than normal every 2 or 3 weeks.  If you have slowed your metabolism (which sounds reasonable given what you describe) you have to 'reset the bar' by eating more for a few weeks.... your total calorie needs.  If you've been crash dieting you'll regain some weight initially but that's part of the process.  Once your weight stabilises, resume weight-loss by deducting no more than 500 cals.

Ironically yes, you'd have probably lost more weight by eating more.  Slow and steady wins the race...

If you want to give your metabolism a rev, try eating at your maintenance number of calories and then do some weight training. If you eat over your maintenance, you can build muscle. Muscle is metabolically active tissue that helps burn more fat. If you're only doing cardio workouts, then you're likely losing some of your weight in the form of lean muscle, which will definitely slow your metabolism.

If you haven't already, check out The New Rules of Lifting For Women.

Another way to calculate how many calories you should eat - use the CC burn tool to find out your burn.  Deduct 500 calories from that to lose 1 pound a week.  On days when you exercise more, either eat more or plan for a higher deficit - up to 1000 calories, which will lose you 2 pounds a week.