if you want to lose body fat, muscle gain Or just to maintain your weight, you should know your basal metabolic rate or BMR. Your BMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs to function at rest.Even if you don’t exercise, your body needs Specific energy required to perform basic functions Things like breathing and regulating your hormone levels.
Unlike many diets that apply the same meal plan to all users, your BMR is calculated based on several different factors that are focused on the individual, such as your age, gender, current weight, and activity level. Although BMR itself is not a weight loss tool, it can show you information that is specific to you.
Read on to learn more about BMR, how to calculate it, and how it can be a guide to your nutrition and exercise goals.
read more: How many calories should you burn each day to lose weight?
The BMR calculator uses a number of different factors, such as age and gender, to determine your BMR.
Screenshot by Mercey Livingston/CNET
What is BMR and how do I find it?
Many people use BMR as a starting point to figure out their daily calorie needs and how best to adjust them to reach their goals. In fact, many macro calculators, like the popular IIFYM, incorporate BMR into their calculations to tell you your calorie intake and macro needs based on your goals.
A common misconception about BMR is that it’s the amount of calories your body burns while resting, but it’s a different metric — your resting metabolic rate, or (RMR). BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to perform basic functions, while RMR is the amount of calories your body burns burn while resting. Some people use these measurements interchangeably, but they are not necessarily the same thing.
BMR calculator
There are many different calculators online that can calculate your estimated BMR. Note that some of them will ask you to enter your body fat percentage, but many don’t know that. If you don’t, you can make an estimate or use the provided images (as IIFYM does) to guess.
Some of the best BMR calculators:
BMR and TDEE
Once you start to know your BMR, you may also find information on Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE, since BMR is usually calculated first to find TDEE.
Your BMR tells you calories need, When you add that number to the amount you burn each day during normal activity and exercise, you get TDEE. In fact, according to IIFYM, TDEE is the number you use to figure out how to adjust your macros or calories to achieve your body composition goals.
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How to Use Your BMR to Help You Lose Weight
losing weight is trickybut using a calculator that takes BMR into account can help to take a more personalized approach to your situation calories and macronutrient needs. The way most macros and BMR based calculators work is by combining your TDEE with your goals.
If you want to lose weight, you have to be in a calorie deficit, which means the calculator sets your daily food intake equal to the calories you burn. Sometimes when you take an online quiz to find this number, you’ll be asked how quickly you want to lose weight. The calorie deficit will then be adjusted accordingly. The faster you want the results, the more you need to cut calories. But many experts say a slow and steady approach is the best option compared to trying to lose a lot of weight quickly.
If you want to maintain your weight rather than gain it, knowing your BMR and TDEE can help you understand how many calories you should be consuming each day to maintain your weight. The flip side of losing weight is gaining muscle mass. It also requires you to be strategic with your nutrition and add calories (possibly in the form of protein and carbohydrates) throughout your day to ensure you can gain muscle.
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The information contained herein is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider if you have any questions about a medical condition or health goals.