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Why Is BMR Important for Weight Loss?

Want to know how much BMR is good for weight loss? We’ve got you covered! This article will cover what BMR is, the factors that affect BMR and how to use BMR to lose weight.

Jump there now:

• BMR Meaning
• BMR vs RMR
• Should I Use My BMR to Lose Weight?
• How to Increase BMR for Weight Loss?
• End Note

BMR Meaning

So, what is a BMR?

BMR stands for basal metabolic rate and it’s essentially the amount of energy you need at rest in a neutrally temperate environment and when your digestive system is inactive. Basically, it’s the number of calories you need to consume for your body to function at rest and still maintain your vital organs.

The reason it’s when your digestive system is inactive is because of the thermic effect of food. Your body uses energy and calories to digest, absorb and metabolise the food you eat, which is actually about 10 per cent of our calorie expenditure.

What about a basal metabolic rate calculator? You can find a BMR weight loss calculator online but you can also use a basal metabolic rate formula to figure yours out (there are a few). Keep in mind that there are also various factors affecting basal metabolic rate, such as muscle mass, age, genetics, the climate where you live, your diet, whether you’re pregnant or supplements you take.

BMR Formula

W = body weight in kg

H = body height in cm

A = age

F = body fat in percentage

Mifflin-St Jeor Equation:

• For men: BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A + 5
• For women: BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A - 161

Revised Harris-Benedict Equation:

• For men: BMR = 13.397W + 4.799H - 5.677A + 88.362
• For women: BMR = 9.247W + 3.098H - 4.330A + 447.593

Katch-McArdle Formula:

• BMR = 370 + 21.6(1 - F)W

Keep in mind that online BMR formulas are not incredibly accurate, so it’s best to measure your BMR through a calorimetry device or by speaking to a specialist. Even then, BMR calculations will not be fully accurate.

BMR vs RMR

RMR, or resting metabolic rate, is actually different from your BMR, despite them sometimes being used interchangeably. RMR is the rate at which your body burns energy when relaxed, but not fully inactive. This is different from your BMR as BMR is when your body is totally rested and is measured under restrictive circumstances while awake.

Further Reading: Supplements for Weight Loss

Should I Use My BMR to Lose Weight?

BMR can be the first step in helping you lose weight, but it’s not the final result.

For example, you might be thinking, ‘My BMR is 1500, how do I lose weight?’

First of all, you should never eat less than 1500 calories if your BMR is 1500 as that’s the amount you need to function.

Can I Just Eat My BMR to Lose Weight?

Technically, yes, but your BMR is much lower than the recommended calories you need to consume to be healthy, so it’s not sustainable.

BMR is the number of calories you burn at rest but all of us, even when we’re not trying to lose weight, do some activity, whether it be walking, talking, running for the train or chasing after our kids.

So, while we do need to consume fewer calories than our energy expenditure to lose weight, BMR is the wrong formula to use. Instead, you might want to look at your total daily energy expenditure figure, also known as your active metabolic rate (AMR) when figuring out your meal plans to lose weight.

To do this, you can multiply your BMR by the amount of activity you do, like so:

• Sedentary (where you do little or no exercise or work a desk job): BMR x 1.2
• Lightly active (where you do light exercise or sports 1 to 3 days a week): BMR x 1.375
• Moderately active (where you do moderate exercise or do sports 3 to 5 days a week): BMR x 1.55
• Very active (where you do heavy exercise or sports 6 to 7 days a week): BMR x 1.725
• Extremely active (where you do very heavy exercise, a physical job or training twice a day): BMR x 1.9

While not totally accurate, this figure can help you determine how many calories you need to maintain your weight, which you can then use to help you figure out how much to cut off to lose weight, starting with about 200 to 300 a day. More on that below:

Further Reading: The Role of Diet in Weight Loss

How to Increase BMR for Weight Loss?

While there are factors affecting your BMR that are outside your control, such as your age, sex, hormones and genetics, there are still ways you can increase your BMR.

A study found that doing anaerobic exercises, such as HIIT and resistance training, can increase your BMR and lean muscle mass, but it’s more than this. It’s also about boosting your metabolism.

To help boost your metabolism, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast
• Get enough sleep
• Exercise more, adding high-intensity workouts into your routine
• Weight train to boost your muscle mass and burn more calories at rest
• Don’t sit for long periods
• Drink more water
• Drink green tea
• Try intermittent fasting
• Try supplements, such as spermidine, NMN or a multivitamin

Further Reading: How To Increase Your Metabolism

End Note

So, why is BMR important for weight loss? Knowing your BMR can help you figure out how many calories you need to function properly, which you can then use to determine how many calories you need to lose weight.

Need help losing a bit of weight? Why not try Xandro’s Lean XP, our latest supplement to help you in your weight loss journey that can also help boost your metabolism?