Doctors and nutritionists use two different measurements when they help you to find your normal weight or to develop a strong weight loss program for you. These measurements are your Body Mass Index and your Resting Metabolic Rate. The first number is derived using an algorithm that takes into account your height, weight and gender. It indicates whether you are within a normal weight range for these parameters. Your resting metabolic rate is also an algorithm that uses the same information plus your activity level. The result is the number of calories your body burns each day if you do not participate in any activity during the day.
Heavier Body Mass
When you have a heavier body mass, or are overweight, your body burns more calories than a normal weight individual during the same period of time while performing no activity, according to Shape Fit. This is because the respiratory system and cardiovascular system must work harder to maintain your temperature, and deliver oxygen and nutrients at the cellular level.
Body Surface Area
When you reduce your body mass index you also reduce your body surface area. Basal metabolic rate will be dependence upon the surface area on your body which is a reflection of your height and weight. The higher the body surface area, the higher the basal metabolic rate, according to Shape Fit. If you compare the metabolic rate of a tall thin person with a short person of equal weight, and they both follow the same calorie diet, the shorter individual can gain up to 15 pounds in one year. This means that if you lose weight and reduce your body surface area your metabolic rate will also drop. A drop in metabolic rate means that your body requires less calories each day to maintain bodily functions than it did before you lost weight.
Muscle Mass
Without exercise, weight loss is sometimes accomplished through the loss of muscle mass, according to GoAskAlice! from Columbia University. When the body burns energy with less caloric intake it will burn fat and protein, so you lose both fat and muscle. You can reduce that risk by including strength training and exercise during your weight loss process, according to Dr. Wayne Wescott, fitness research director at South Shore YMCA and co-author of 22 books on fitness. When muscle replaces fat you may end up weighing the same on the scale but can expect to ex-spend 50 calories more each day for every pound of muscle you gain.
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