Resting Metabolic Rate

fastfoodietofitcutie

I am very sedentary. I work from home and sit all day and then will watch tv most nights so the only activity I'm really getting most days is walking around my house. I was using my BMR number and calculating a calorie deficit from that but had my RMR (resting metabolic rate) tested and it came in almost 800 below my BMR. I have a hard time losing weight and I think it's because my BMR is way off.

Is my thinking accurate that if I start exercising and moving more, my RMR will increase so eventually at rest I will be burning more calories and getting closer to what my BMR should be?

Kimsied

I thought BMR was meant to be calories burned resting in a dark room, and RMR the room doesn't have to be dark. Of course, formulas are based on averages of the people tested and will estimate high or low for everyone. But the point is both BMR and RMR are meant to be the calories you burn without any activity at all. So about exercising increasing your resting metabolism....

Strength training can help over the long term. If you lose weight without any strength work, the weight that comes off is a mix of fat, muscle and retained fluids (and maybe other things). Strength training while losing weight helps you keep more of the muscle and that can help preserve your metabolism. Building muscle over time can increase metabolism a bit. Cardio can temporarily boost your metabolism, I think the effect is just a few hours depending on how vigorous the exercise is. Activity (moving more) can certainly boost your total daily calorie burn, I am not sure how much it effects resting metablism though.

Beyond exercise, there may be things you can do with your nutrition and other health practices that can help your metabolism over time. Hormones have a lot to do with it and anything that may help promote a healthy hormone balance may help. Things like getting enough sleep, eating enough protein and essential fats, getting your vitamins and minerals, dealing with stresss, seeking medical care if there is an imbalance, etc can possibly help. This is my layperson understanding from reading a bit and talking to doctors, but I am not a professional and likely over simplifying things. Those are just some things to look at. There are unhealthy ways to boost metabolism like smoking or taking stimulants, so just saying, it is not always healthy to boost metabolism at any cost, I tend to be conservative on this subject and feel that the activities that we all know promote good health are the best places to start.

fastfoodietofitcutie

Thank you, that is helpful. Any exercise will be beneficial!

presbyreformed

To add to what Kim said, while cardio can boost your metabolism for a while, real strength training will keep you burning calories for up to 24 hours after a workout (many studies have shown this including some scholarly work). What happens when you strain your body (however slightly) when lifting weights is all those microscopic tears in your muscles begin repairing and that process can take time which burns energy during the whole repairing process.

So for real fat burning, the formula is:
Eat less than you burn (and there are some simple formulas that can help you calculate)
Don't stress over 'what' you eat
Strength training at least 3 times a week
Cardio as often as you like

omma_to_3

RMR and BMR are typically used interchangeably and should be very close in number. How was your RMR tested? What are your stats and what were the results?

My RMR test was done at a hospital research lab. Done first thing in the morning, fasted. I had to lie in a dark quiet room for 30 minutes (while staying awake). Then they start the test for another 30 minutes. You have a hood over your head and it measures your breathing output. Some places don't use a hood.

eforzani

Hi: There is new way to test metabolic rate (RMR), also well known as metabolism or resting energy expenditure (REE). The new way is to use a mobile metabolism tracker. It comes with an App in iOS (named Breezing), and uses training, and tests that last only two minutes. The good side is that you can test RMR (REE) from your home, so there is no need to go to the hospital or fitness center. The other good thing is that you can learn how metabolism changes with exercises, and diets, as you become smarter with intervention of your body to make it healthier. I had use this tracker for over 2 years. My first REEding (that's how the reading from the tracker is named) was 1100 kCal/day, after changing my diet and exercise, I reached a second REEding of 1350 kCal/day. This was sweet because allowed me to increase my intake on 250 kCal more per day to maintain weight. Before I knew my metabolism, I was 128 lbs. I'm currently 112 lbs.

heybales

Wow, $375 for that device and 5 cartridges. Unless you've suppressed your metabolism, and since recovered it by eating better (as you did), or you've spent a year strength training, your base metabolism really isn't going to change that much. Usually find someplace that will use a metabolic cart for $30-50.
But that still doesn't answer the question of - is your metabolism correct for your level of LBM and BF%?
It could appear low compared to average BMR/RMR based on gender, age, weight, height, but it could be very correct based on BF%. Which just means you have less muscle mass than average.

Oh yeah, this thread had been dead since Jan 23.

dbmata

they're advertising a derp device.

Foamroller

eforzani wrote: »

Hi: There is new way to test metabolic rate (RMR), also well known as metabolism or resting energy expenditure (REE). The new way is to use a mobile metabolism tracker. It comes with an App in iOS (named Breezing), and uses training, and tests that last only two minutes. The good side is that you can test RMR (REE) from your home, so there is no need to go to the hospital or fitness center. The other good thing is that you can learn how metabolism changes with exercises, and diets, as you become smarter with intervention of your body to make it healthier. I had use this tracker for over 2 years. My first REEding (that's how the reading from the tracker is named) was 1100 kCal/day, after changing my diet and exercise, I reached a second REEding of 1350 kCal/day. This was sweet because allowed me to increase my intake on 250 kCal more per day to maintain weight. Before I knew my metabolism, I was 128 lbs. I'm currently 112 lbs.

Take your infomercials somewhere else. Wasting OP and our time. You conveniently forgot to mention the "starterkit" to the "new" method you're talking about costs 349 USD alone...

If you had been upfront about your advertising a commercial product, that would be ok. But pretending it's some new measuring method that anyone can use FREE OF COST, is an outright scam.

Edit: Your product might be a good one. But now I'm already negative to it, because of your insincere advertising skills.