If you want to lose weight, your basal metabolic rate can help you figure out how many calories you should consume. This number varies throughout your lifetime based on a number of different factors and is not the same for everyone. It is difficult to figure out exactly, but there are equations that give you an estimate you can use as a starting point.
Definition
Basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the amount of energy your body needs when you are at rest. It takes a certain amount of energy to keep you breathing and keep your organs and bodily functions going. About 75 percent of the calories you use go toward your BMR. Many people think of their BMR as their metabolism.
Variability
Factors that influence your BMR include age, gender, genetics, weight, surface area, body fat, the type of diet you consume, medications you take and the type and amount of exercise you do. Strength training can build muscle mass, increasing your BMR. Cardiovascular exercise does not appear to influence BMR, according to a study published in 1998 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Calculation
To use one method of calculating your caloric needs based on your BMR, start by taking your weight in pounds. Multipy this number by 10 if you are female -- by 11 if you are male -- to get an estimate of your BMR. Then multiply that number by 20 percent if you are sedentary, 30 percent if you participate in light activity, 40 percent if you are moderately active, and 50 percent if you are very active to estimate calories burned by activity. Add these two numbers together and multiply by 10 percent to estimate the calories you need for digesting your food; then add your BMR calories, activity calories and digestion calories together to get an estimate of your total caloric needs. To lose weight, you need to consume fewer than this number of calories each day.
Considerations
You can affect your weight more by limiting your caloric intake and increasing your physical activity than by trying to change your BMR. Although having a high BMR may help you avoid weight gain, it may have drawbacks as well. A study published in 2011 in "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism" found that people with higher BMRs may age faster and die sooner from natural causes than those with lower BMRs.
References
- BJC HealthCare: Calorie Needs: Calculate Your Basal Metabolic Rate
- Food and Agriculture Organization; Basal Metabolic Rate in Man; J.V.G.A. Durnin; October 1981
- MayoClinic.com; Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories; October 2009
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Alterations in Resting Metabolic Rate as a Consequence of 20 Weeks of Endurance Training: The HERITAGE Family Study; J.H. Wilmore et al.; July 1998
- Science Daily; Increased Metabolic Rate May Lead to Accelerated Aging; April 2011
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