Basal Metabolic Rate: What Is It And How It Affects Your Weight Loss

In the simplest of terms, your BMR is how many calories your body uses by just being alive. Your body uses calories from the foods you consume to keep you breathing, maintain your body temperature at an appropriate level, and move blood through your body. Your body must also have enough energy to keep your brain, nerves, and cells working, while at the same time making sure your muscles are able to move.

The easiest way to calculate your BMR is to use a calculator that you can find on the Internet, but you can also perform the calculations yourself using the standard Harris-Benedict equation. If you are a man, the formula is: (13.75 x your weight in kg) + (5 x your height in cm) – (6.76 x your age) + 66. If you are a woman, the formula is: (9.56 x your weight in kg) + (1.85 x your height in cm) – (4.68 x your age) + 655.

Several factors influence your BMR. The older you are the lower your BMR becuase BMR naturally decreases with age. A shorter person will have a lower BMR than a taller person and someone who weighs less has a lower BMR than someone heavier. In general men have a higher BMR than women.

Your activity level affects your BMR because you are moving throughout the day. The more active you are, the

higher BMR and the more calories you burn. If you are a sedentary person, multiply your BMR by 1.2 to get your daily BMR. A lightly active or moderately active person needs to multiply his BMR by 1.375 or 1.55, respectively. If you are very active or extremely active, multiply your BMR by 1.725 or 1.9, respectively. For example, if your BMR is 1,500 and you are moderately active, your BMR with daily activity is 2,325, meaning you are burning about 2,325 calories with daily activity and normal body functions.

Basal metabolic rates change as you age whether you want it to or not. Your BMR decreases as you lose weight, meaning your body requires fewer calories to survive. If you begin a strength training program and build lean muscle mass, your BMR increases because your body needs to work harder to sustain more muscle mass. The more active you are, the higher your BMR.

If your BMR is 1,500 calories a day based on your age, height, and gender, you know that to maintain your current weight with no exercise or additional activity you have to eat about 1,500 calories. Adding moderate activity enables you to eat about 2,325 calories and still maintain your weight. This is where calorie reduction comes into play. When you eat fewer calories than you body requires and burn more calories through exercise, you will begin to see your weight decrease.