Counting calories is nothing more than a bunch of math equations. Trying to figure out your resting metabolic rate, or RMR, may have you feeling like you are back in high school math class. If the formula seems a little tricky to do in your head, grab a calculator or a pencil and paper and start crunching numbers. The resting metabolic rate is an approximate estimation of the amount of calories you burn daily while at rest, as if you stayed in bed all day.
Step 1
Start with 655 as your base for women and 66 for men.
Step 2
Multiply your weight in pounds by 4.3 for women and 6.3 for men. Use a 160-lb. woman as example: 160 * 4.3 = 688.
Step 3
Multiply your height in inches by 4.7 for women and 12.7 for men. Our female example is 70 cm.: 70 * 4.7 = 329.
Step 4
Add together the totals of Steps 1, 2 and 3. Our example formula is 655 + 688 + 329 = 1,672.
Step 5
Multiply your age by 4.7 for women and 6.8 for men. Our female example is 28 years old: 28 * 4.7 = 131.6.
Step 6
Subtract the answer in Step 5 from the total in Step 4 to find your RMR. Our example formula: 1,672 - 131.6 = 1,540.4. Our example burns 1,540.4 calories in a 24-hour period while in a resting state.
Tips and Warnings
- After you have figured out your RMR, calculate the number of calories burned on activities throughout the day, such as cleaning, brushing your teeth and exercising to find out how many calories you burn daily in addition to your RMR.
- RMR is only an estimation and should not be considered exact.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
Member Comments