Weight Loss Tips – What is BMR and how is it calculated?
Website design By BotEap.comWhat is BMR?
Website design By BotEap.comWhen following any fat burning diet, it is really critical that you are familiar with your BMR. BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. Basal metabolic rate is the amount of energy or calories you consume at rest. Another more common title for basal metabolic rate is metabolism. Your metabolism incorporates functions of your body such as breathing, digestion of food, and circulation. Each person’s metabolism is unique to their own physical makeup and their own physical practice.
Website design By BotEap.comResearch conducted in 1992 and 1997 indicated that your degree of aerobic fitness has no interconnection with your BMR level. Anaerobic exercise, such as weight lifting, causes your body to build more lean muscle mass and uses more energy. You can build your metabolism through weight training and building additional lean body mass.
Website design By BotEap.comWhy is it essential to know your BMR?
Website design By BotEap.comBy knowing your BMR, you know how many calories your body burns while at rest. While on any fat burning diet, you should never reduce your daily calorie intake too far below what your body needs to continue, otherwise the starvation reaction will kick in and you will no longer burn fat, but muscle instead. Knowing your BMR allows you to modify your daily calorie intake so that you have a fat loss default and you will burn fat, but it allows you to avoid going too low and you will end up starting the starvation reaction in your body. If you have achieved your weight loss goals, knowing your BMR allows you to design a nutritional plan according to the number of calories your body needs to stay alive and thus be able to take care of your current weight.
Website design By BotEap.comThe volume of calories your body burns each day is called TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Your TDEE is your BMR then multiplied by an activity factor that adds an allowance for the amount of physical activity you get. TDEE is also known as your “maintenance level.” Being familiar with your maintenance level will give you an opening reference point from which to launch your fat burning diet. Caloric intake can vary widely and is much higher for athletes or markedly active people.
Website design By BotEap.comHow is your BMR calculated?
Website design By BotEap.comThere are a few formulas that can be used to calculate BMR.
Website design By BotEap.comI will detail 2 formulas here:
Website design By BotEap.comThe Harris-Benedict formula (based on total body weight)
Website design By BotEap.comThis formula uses height, weight, age, and gender to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The only thing this formula does not take into account is lean body mass so it may be inaccurate in the very muscular or very fat.
Website design By BotEap.comMen: BMR = 66 + (13.7 X weight in kg) + (5 X height in cm) – (6.8 X age in years)
Website design By BotEap.comWomen: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in kg) + (1.8 X height in cm) – (4.7 X age in years)
Website design By BotEap.comExample
Website design By BotEap.comI am a 33 year old woman who weighs 57 kg and is 168 cm tall.
Website design By BotEap.comBMR = 655 + (9.6 x 57) + (1.8 x 168) – (4.7 x 33) = 655 + 547.2 + 302.4 – 155.1 = 1349 calories per day
Website design By BotEap.comTo find your TDEE, multiply your BMR by an activity factor that suits you from the table below:
Website design By BotEap.comSedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
Website design By BotEap.comLightly active = BMR X 1,375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
Website design By BotEap.comModerately active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
Website design By BotEap.comVery active = BMR X 1,725 (intense exercise/sports 6-7 days/week)
Website design By BotEap.comExtra active = BMR X 1.9 (intense daily exercise/sports and physical work or training 2X days, i.e. marathon, contest, etc.)
Website design By BotEap.comSo if from the above I am slightly active, my TDEE would be 1,349 x 1,375 = 1,854 calories per day.
Website design By BotEap.comKatch-McArdle Formula (BMR based on Lean Body Weight)
Website design By BotEap.comIf you know your body fat percentage and therefore your lean body mass, you can use the more defined BMR formula. This formula takes lean mass into account and is therefore more conclusive. The Harris Benedict equation has separate formulas for men and women because men generally have a higher LBM and this is accounted for in the men’s formula. Since the Katch-McArdle formula represents LBM, this unique formula applies to both men and women.
Website design By BotEap.comBMR = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)
Website design By BotEap.comExample:
Website design By BotEap.comweights 57 kg
Website design By BotEap.comYour body fat percentage is 27%
Website design By BotEap.comYour lean mass is 41.61 kg.
Website design By BotEap.comYour BMR = 370 + (21.6 X 41.61) = 1268 calories
Website design By BotEap.comTo determine TDEE from BMR, simply multiply BMR by the activity multiplier:
Website design By BotEap.comExample:
Website design By BotEap.comYour BMR is 1268 calories
Website design By BotEap.comYour activity level is moderately active (exercise 3-4 times per week)
Website design By BotEap.comIts activity factor is 1.55
Website design By BotEap.comYour TDEE = 1.55 X 1268 = 1965 calories