Basal Metabolic rate

basal metabolic rate

WHAT IS (BMR)?

Your body goes through a basic set of autonomous functions each day. While talking to friends, surfing the internet, or making a family meal, you are naturally sustaining your life without even thinking about it. This is what’s known as your Basal Metabolic Rate.

To put it simply, your BMR is your body’s minimal use of calories while at rest or during mild activity.

In 1919, James Arthur Harris and Francis Gano Benedict published a study about basal metabolism in man. They were able to formulate an equation from this study that helps you calculate your basal metabolic rate.

Female

METRIC: BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x current age)
IMPERIAL: BMR = 655 + (4.3 × weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 × height in inches ) – (4.7 x current age)

Male

METRIC: BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x current age)
IMPERIAL:
BMR = 66 + ( 6.2 × weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 × height in inches ) – (6.8 x current age)

The reason why knowing your BMR is important is because if you know what you burn you know the amount of calories your body needs on a daily basis. This can help if you’re looking to lose weight and also to gain weight if that is a goal.

EMPTY CALORIES VS. NUTRITIONAL CALORIES

EMPTY CALORIES
These are calories consumed that have little to no nutritional value. Refined foods that are broken down and foods filled with copious amounts of sugar to reach the coveted bliss point manufacturers crave for their consumers. These foods have had their nutrients stripped or they were never present to begin with. Their only quality is taste. (I.E. Sodapop, juices, cereals, candy, etc.).

NUTRITIONAL CALORIES
Nutrient-dense foods are rich in vitamins. They serve a purpose in your bodily functions and grow your gut flora into what’s considered “good bacteria”. They facilitate elasticity in your blood vessels, fight off disease, and keep you satiated to keep you from overeating. (I.E. Fruits, vegetables, no added sugar whole dairy products, grass-fed meats, and pasture-raised poultry).

If you plan on taking your fitness and health to the next level, consider the types of calories you consume and how it will affect your basal metabolic rate. As we get older, you’d think our metabolism slows down naturally due to age. This isn’t the case, our metabolism stays roughly the same from age 20-60. The slowdown of our metabolism comes from the choice to consume empty calories thus careening our basal metabolic rate into the ground. The good news is that this can be corrected by changing bad habits into good habits. It won’t happen overnight. If you’ve read the article up until this point then it’s obvious you are serious about taking the right steps.

Check out our recipe guides that show you how to turn great recipes into great AND healthy recipes.


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