Losing weight can be much simpler when you understand your BMR, or basal metabolic rate. Knowing your BMR can help you calculate the right amount of calories for losing weight or maintaining your current weight.
What is the Basal Metabolic Rate?
Your basal metabolic rate is basically the number of calories you would burn in a 24 hour period if you were to do nothing during that period except rest.
Your BMR is calculated only after you’ve awakened from eight hours of sleep and fasted for 12 hours. It’s a very scientific measurement. This measures the minimum number of calories you need for your body to perform its functions.
What is the RMR – Resting Metabolic Rate?
BMR and RMR Are Very Similar
Your RMR is calculated under less stringent conditions, but is also essentially the same measurement.
For all but the most important medical reasons, a general idea of your own BMR is all you need to help you lose weight or maintain your current weight. There are online calculators that can give you a good general idea of your own BMR and RMR.
Knowing your BMR is important because it can help you determine your calorie and exercise goals to help you lose weight or keep weight off.
For example, if your RMR is 1700 calories per day, you know that you must consume at least this many calories for your basic bodily functions. You’ll need to add even more calories for the activities, including exercises you perform.
How to Increase Your BMR
One of the things you can do to help speed up your weight loss is to find ways to increase both your BMR and your overall metabolic rate.
For example, cardiovascular exercise burns fat and calories, but it also increases your metabolic rate for several hours after the exercise, which ensures that you burn more calories for that time period.
However, cardiovascular exercise does not increase your BMR over the long term. The best way to increase your BMR is to increase your muscle mass. Muscle, even when it’s resting, requires more calories than fat. So, the more muscle you have, the higher your BMR.
To lose weight and keep it off, you should combine cardiovascular exercise with strength training. The cardio is great for helping burn fat, while the strength training will increase your muscle mass, thereby increasing your BMR.
This means that, over the long haul, you’ll be able to consume more calories in a day without gaining weight.
Your BMR is also affected by your weight, your age, your gender and genetics. It can also be affected by medicines you’re taking. Some speed up your BMR, while others slow it down.
Understanding your BMR can help you determine exactly how much you should be eating while attempting to lose or maintain your weight. It’s a great tool that helps take the mystery out of weight loss.
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