How do I calculate my BMR (basal metabolic rate)?
Many people ask “How many calories should I be burning through exercise each day to lose weight?” To help get you started, you’ll have to determine how many calories you burn on a daily basis just to maintain your metabolism and current body weight.
Click the image to view the chart in full size.
Known as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BRM), it is the minimum caloric requirement needed to sustain life in a resting individual. Believe it or not, your BMR can be responsible for up to 70% of the total calories you burn every day! Metabolic processes such as the simple acts of breathing, digestion, and even regulation of body temperature are a big part of this.
Because everybody’s metabolism is different and/or affected by a variety of outside physical and mental determinants, you may find that your body will burn calories at varying rates.
Known as the Harris Benedict equation, you can use it to quickly determine your current BMR.
For Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 X weight in kg) + (5 X height in cm) – (6.8 X age in years)
For Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in kg) + (1.8 X height in cm) – (4.7 X age in years) 1 in = 2.54 cm. 1 kg = 2.2 lbs.
Example: You are male You weigh 186 lbs. (84.5 kgs) You are 6′ 3″ (75 inches) tall (190.5 cm) You are 38 years old.
Your BMR = 66 + 1157.65 + 952.5 – 258.4 = 1,917.75 calories/day. So, assuming you are being a couch-potato all day, this is a good indicator of how many calories your body will burn just to run your metabolism.
