RMR or Resting Metabolic Rate

pogiguy05
pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
edited January 2020 in Motivation and Support
So I finally pulled the trigger and had my RMR tested. Results say I should be burning 1858, but I am burning 1658 which means my metabolism is SLOW :'(

So I for now I have not been hitting the gym or anything else for that matter. I have however been faithfully tracking my intake and yes I have a food scale and use it. I have been eating around 1600 calories a day. I have seen results in weight as well as I am not feeling bloated as when I just eat like a crazed lunatic.

The RMR cost is $50 and I think well worth the cost to find out what is really going on. FYI I also had a Dexascan and 3D body scan as well. Seeing yourself in 3D is also eye opening.

OH and one more thing for the past 2 weeks I have not eaten meat or dairy. No I do not consider myself vegetarian, but trying something to get me to goal weight.

Replies

  • jeagogo
    jeagogo Posts: 179 Member
    I'm doing an RMR scan later this week since I'm close to goal and want to figure out the best way to transition to maintenance. I'm slightly worried about the test because it's based on breathing and whenever I'm aware of my breathing I tend to slip into slow, measured breathes, like in yoga (which is exactly what you are not supposed to do during the test).

    I'm curious, what is the correlation between exercise and your metabolism that has you avoiding the gym right now?

    I also did a DEXA scan this week and it was an incredibly helpful tool for planning fitness goals for the year. I found that if I want to get to the bodyweight and body fat % that I'm targeting I'll need to loose 7 lbs of fat and gain a few lbs of lean mass.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,978 Member
    pogiguy05 wrote: »
    So I finally pulled the trigger and had my RMR tested. Results say I should be burning 1858, but I am burning 1658 which means my metabolism is SLOW :'(

    So I for now I have not been hitting the gym or anything else for that matter. I have however been faithfully tracking my intake and yes I have a food scale and use it. I have been eating around 1600 calories a day. I have seen results in weight as well as I am not feeling bloated as when I just eat like a crazed lunatic.

    The RMR cost is $50 and I think well worth the cost to find out what is really going on. FYI I also had a Dexascan and 3D body scan as well. Seeing yourself in 3D is also eye opening.

    OH and one more thing for the past 2 weeks I have not eaten meat or dairy. No I do not consider myself vegetarian, but trying something to get me to goal weight.
    Did they use an indirect calorimeter to measure RMR?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Unless you have a health reason not to, hitting the gym might help you out a lot. Because I have a decent amount of muscle mass I measured about 400 calories higher on my RMR than expected.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
    edited January 2020
    jeagogo wrote: »
    I'm doing an RMR scan later this week since I'm close to goal and want to figure out the best way to transition to maintenance. I'm slightly worried about the test because it's based on breathing and whenever I'm aware of my breathing I tend to slip into slow, measured breathes, like in yoga (which is exactly what you are not supposed to do during the test).

    I'm curious, what is the correlation between exercise and your metabolism that has you avoiding the gym right now?

    I also did a DEXA scan this week and it was an incredibly helpful tool for planning fitness goals for the year. I found that if I want to get to the bodyweight and body fat % that I'm targeting I'll need to loose 7 lbs of fat and gain a few lbs of lean mass.

    I dont think I am avoiding the gym, I just well suck going regularly. I am kinda just letting my body do its thing on its own. I know I have the gym as a backup when things slow down I guess. I know trying to build a little muscle will always help with losing the weight. I started at 224lbs about 1 month ago and just weighed in at around 211lbs today. This is with really doing nothing more then watching my calorie intake and documenting all calories I eat. yes I have a food scale and I use grams to be more accurate.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
    Unless you have a health reason not to, hitting the gym might help you out a lot. Because I have a decent amount of muscle mass I measured about 400 calories higher on my RMR than expected.

    Yeh I dont have any reason to not go to the gym. I am 53 years old and was somewhat surprised to hear my metabolism was slower.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,532 Member
    @pogiguy05 What do you make of the numbers? Am I reading this right? You were eating 1600 calories with a RMR of 1658 but lost 13lbs in 1 month?

    What’s your take on this?

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,176 Member
    edited January 2020
    If you lost 13 pounds in a month, that's a average calorie deficit of around 1500 calories a day.

    It's a drag that your RMR is lower than expected, but what matters is your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure, i.e., average total calorie burn daily), right?

    If you're eating 1600 and lost 13 pounds in around 30 days, your TDEE is apparently something in the realm of 3100, and you're losing an average of over 3 pounds a week, which is faster loss than most people around here would recommend on an ongoing basis for someone of your current 211 pounds. It increases potential health risks.

    Make sure, if you're not eating meat or dairy, that you get enough protein, like 0.6-0.8g per pound of your goal weight. Lowballing protein would hurt the situation. (You don't need to eat meat or dairy to get enough protein, I know: I've been vegetarian for 45+ years.)

    I really do wish you the best; I just want to see you stay strong and healthy while you achieve your weight loss goals!