What is BMR?

When following any fat burning diet it is really essential that you be familiar with your BMR. BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. The basal metabolic rate is the measure of energy or calories which you use up at rest. An additional more commonplace name for Basal Metabolic Rate is metabolism. Your metabolism incorporates functions of your body such as breathing, digesting food and circulation. Each human being's metabolism is singular to their own physical makeup and their own physical practice.

Studies conducted in 1992 and 1997 indicated that your degree of aerobic fitness doesn't have any interconnection to your BMR level. Anerobic exercise, such as weight lifting, leads to your body developing more muscle mass which is fat free and uses more energy. You can build up your metabolism through weight training and building additional lean body mass.

Why Is It Important To Be familiar with Your BMR?

By being familiar with your BMR you know how many calories your body burns through even though at rest. While following any fat burning diet you must never decrease your daily calorie input too far below what your body needs to remain alive, otherwise the starvation response will kick in and you will no longer be burning fat, but muscle. Being familiar with your BMR allows you to modify your daily calorie consumption so you have a defecit to lose fat and you will burn fat, but allowing you to avoid going too low that you end up beginning the starvation reaction in your body. If you have satisfied your weight loss goals, knowing your BMR allows you to design a nutritional game plan in line with the number of calories your body requires to carry on and so you can control your current weight.

The amount of calories your body burns each day is named your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Your TDEE is your BMR then multiplied by an activity factor which adds in an quota for the amount of physical activity you do. TDEE is also known as your "maintenance level". Knowing your maintenance level will give you a starting reference point from which to instigate your fat burning diet. Caloric expenditure can vary extensively and is much higher for athletes or immensely active folks

How Do You Calculate Your BMR?

There are a few formulas which can be used to calculate BMR.

I will detail 2 formulas here:

The Harris-Benedict Formula (based on total body weight)

This formula uses height, weight, age, and sex to determine basal metabolic rate (BMR). The only thing this formula does not take into account is lean body mass and so it can be inacurrate in the very muscular or the very fat.

Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 X wt in kg) + (5 X ht in cm) - (6.8 X age in years)

Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X wt in kg) + (1.8 X ht in cm) - (4.7 X age in years)

Example

I am a 33 year old woman who weighs 57kg and I am 168cm tall.

BMR = 655 + (9.6 x 57) + (1.8 x 168) - (4.7 x 33) = 655 + 547.2 + 302.4 - 155.1 = 1349 calories per day

To find your TDEE, multiply your BMR by an activity factor which suits you from the table below:

Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)

Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)

Moderately active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)

Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)

Extra Active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)

So if from the above I am lightly active then my TDEE would be 1349 x 1.375 = 1854 calories per day

Katch-McArdle formula (BMR based on lean body weight)

If you know your body fat percentage and therefore your lean body mass, you can use the most definite BMR formula. This formula takes into consideration lean mass and therefore is more errorless. The Harris Benedict equation has separate formulas for men and women because men generally have a higher LBM and this is factored into the men's formula. Since the Katch-McArdle formula accounts for LBM, this single formula applies to both men and women.

BMR = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)

Example:

You weigh 57kg

Your body fat percentage is 27%

Your lean mass is 41.61kg

Your BMR = 370 + (21.6 X 41.61) = 1268 calories

To determine TDEE from BMR, you simply multiply BMR by the activity multiplier:

Example:

Your BMR is 1268 calories

Your activity level is moderately active (work out 3-4 times per week)

Your activity factor is 1.55

Your TDEE = 1.55 X 1268 = 1965 calories

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