Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Introduction

Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, also known as Resting Metabolic Rate) is the number of Calories your body uses when in a resting state for a complete day. Our system uses the Harris-Benedict equations to estimate your BMR from gender, weight, height and age.

These are the most widely used equations and the only factor they omit is lean body mass. Thus, the ratio of muscle-to-fat a body has. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, these equation tend to underestimate the calorie needs of very muscular people (bodybuilders, some athletes) and overestimate the calorie needs of obese people.

BMR of obese people

To compensate for the fact that the calorie needs of obese people are overestimated by the Harris-Benedict equations, we use an adjusted body weight instead of the actual weight. The formula we use to calculate the adjusted weight is the most commonly used one, by nutrition professionals, and it is based on ideal body weight and the fact that adipose (fat) tissue is about 25% metabolically active. To calculate your ideal body weight we use your body fat percentage measurements.

The factor that determines whether we use your actual or your adjusted weight is the answer to the question about whether you are 20% over your desirable weight in the personal details page (control panel > personal details). If you answer yes to this question your adjusted weight is used. If you prefer your BMR to be calculated using your actual weight answer no to this question. This will not affect anything else on the system. In case you do that, and you are more than 20% over your desirable weight, please note that your BMR will be most likely overestimated and since the amount of calories spent on general activity is calculated as a multiple of your BMR, it will be overestimated as well.