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    Anyone get RMR tested? How did it differ vs estimates?

    Posts: 3,265 Member
    edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
    I'm getting mine tested next week at the university hospital. I suspect mine will be lower than the estimates. I know I saw someone on here recently with a ridiculously low RMB based on her height.

    So for others that have gotten tested, how did it compare to the estimates? I'm also getting BOD POD tested too.

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    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      bump
    • Posts: 139 Member
      I got mine tested with the breathing test. I was 10cals below my average so yeah the estimate was accurate
    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      Thanks!

      Anyone else?
    • Posts: 670 Member
      Bump I'd like to know this too
    • Posts: 141 Member
      Scooby, Fat2Fit, etc estimated mine at 1353. The breathing RMR test through my health insurance gave me 1280.
    • Posts: 102 Member
      How did you arrange for the RMR test? Ask you DR? Call the insurance co? Just wondering since I'd love to know mine from something other than a calculation based in the "average" person. After all, I'm way above average!! :-)
    • Posts: 141 Member
      How did you arrange for the RMR test? Ask you DR? Call the insurance co? Just wondering since I'd love to know mine from something other than a calculation based in the "average" person. After all, I'm way above average!! :-)

      I have Kaiser as my insurance provider. When I went in for a check up I asked my doctor for a referral to the nutrition services Kaiser has.

      I have heard that some universities with sports medicine departments may offer various metabolic tests such as RMR, body fat, etc...
    • Posts: 167 Member
      Someone enlighten me to the acronyms and what these test are?
    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      How did you arrange for the RMR test? Ask you DR? Call the insurance co? Just wondering since I'd love to know mine from something other than a calculation based in the "average" person. After all, I'm way above average!! :-)

      I looked on a website and found out that the local university did BOD POD testing. I asked them about the RMR and they do that too.

      RMR = resting metabolic rate. Very close to your basal metabolic rate which is the amount of calories you would burn each day just by existing.

      BF = body fat percentage. The BOD POD tests this. I wanted to get this done since the online estimators vary from 27% to 43% for me. A HUGE variance which makes them pretty useless.
    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      Oh, and I am paying for this myself. I think $50 for the Bod Pod testing and $150 for the RMR testing.
    • Posts: 473 Member
      Oh, and I am paying for this myself. I think $50 for the Bod Pod testing and $150 for the RMR testing.

      The clinic in my city advertisers that bod pod will also give RMR?
    • Posts: 228 Member
      Mine was higher than I expected (it was either 1800 or 1850, it was a couple of years ago and I don't remember the exact number) but I was also breastfeeding my daughter at the time, who was around 10 months old. At around that age of the infant, women expend about 250-300 calories a day from breastfeeding, which would put my RMR around 1500-1600 at that point. The BMR calculators say my BMR is about 1587, so I would say it's pretty close.
    • Posts: 473 Member
      I'm also wondering if it's worth to pay the money for an assessment if online estimate is very close.
    • Posts: 180 Member
      I'm trying to find somewhere to get tested (both RMR and Bodyfat) - I live in MA but the Bod Pod website doesn't seem to have any around me!
    • Posts: 1,666 Member
      You can pretty much 'back it out' of the equation if you're willing to meticulously track your intake for a month or so. Or if you already know what calorie level you need to eat to maintain, lose 1 lb/week, etc., from experience.

      Maybe get a Fitbit for the RMR test money instead to help you watch your totals using the estimates, to better 'back it out'?
    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      You can pretty much 'back it out' of the equation if you're willing to meticulously track your intake for a month or so. Or if you already know what calorie level you need to eat to maintain, lose 1 lb/week, etc., from experience.

      Maybe get a Fitbit for the RMR test money instead to help you watch your totals using the estimates, to better 'back it out'?

      The reason I'm having it done is because my maintenance appears to be FAR less than the estimates. I have always suspected I have a slower metabolism so I'd like to know for sure.
    • Posts: 1,666 Member
      Oh I don't blame you. I had a physical where they did a cardio stress test on a treadmill and he said he could test my RMR by just adding the hose in, but it wasn't part of the exam normally. I really wanted to say, "Just do it!" But I cheaped out.
    • Posts: 474 Member
      Just did mine on Friday. Predicted was 1688, actual was 1498. Enough of a difference to make a difference, as I try to keep a small deficit so I have energy to run. I have not been losing weight for the last year and a half, and I am happy to know this could be the reason.

      Also to consider - my HRM has likely been overpredicting calories burned, if they are based on averages.
    • Posts: 1,077 Member
      I've had it tested twice at the weight loss clinic that my doctor referred me to. Both times, it was pretty much spot-on with the estimates MFP was giving me (within 50 calories or so). I'll be up for another RMR test in another month or two.
    • Posts: 162 Member
      Bumping to keep an eye on this topic
    • Posts: 1,077 Member
      Mine was higher than I expected (it was either 1800 or 1850, it was a couple of years ago and I don't remember the exact number) but I was also breastfeeding my daughter at the time, who was around 10 months old. At around that age of the infant, women expend about 250-300 calories a day from breastfeeding, which would put my RMR around 1500-1600 at that point. The BMR calculators say my BMR is about 1587, so I would say it's pretty close.

      If your BMR is 1587, then your RMR should be quite a bit higher, depending on how active you are throughout the day. Even if you're fairly sedentary, I'd still expect to see an RMR of at least 1800 calories (assuming the 1587 BMR is accurate).
    • Posts: 567 Member
      I had my BF% tested via hydrostatic weight and it was way lower than all of the estimated calculators, which I pretty much already knew.

      I am going to get my RMR tested as well but it's quite a bit more expensive. All this testing is through our university, and compares to the costs you mentioned.

      Isn't the FitBit an RMR calculator/estimator as well? Anyone have one of those AND get their RMR tested? Can anyone chime in on that variation?
    • Posts: 1,077 Member
      Actually, I do have a FitBit, but bought it after my most recent RMR test. I'll try to remember to compare the FitBit's readings for the day before and day of the next test.
    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      show previous quotes

      If your BMR is 1587, then your RMR should be quite a bit higher, depending on how active you are throughout the day. Even if you're fairly sedentary, I'd still expect to see an RMR of at least 1800 calories (assuming the 1587 BMR is accurate).

      I think you mean TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). The resting metabolic rate should be very nearly the same as BMR. It is the calorie burn while resting, including NO movement.
    • Posts: 1,077 Member
      show previous quotes

      I think you mean TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). The resting metabolic rate should be very nearly the same as BMR. It is the calorie burn while resting, including NO movement.

      That's not correct. RMR is the same thing as TDEE on a day when you haven't performed any exercise. Unless you spent the entire day basically in bed asleep, the RMR is going to be somewhat higher than BMR.
    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      Just did mine on Friday. Predicted was 1688, actual was 1498. Enough of a difference to make a difference, as I try to keep a small deficit so I have energy to run. I have not been losing weight for the last year and a half, and I am happy to know this could be the reason.

      Also to consider - my HRM has likely been overpredicting calories burned, if they are based on averages.

      I suspect I may get similar results. Given my PCOS and thyroid issues, it would make sense.
    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      show previous quotes

      That's not correct. RMR is the same thing as TDEE on a day when you haven't performed any exercise. Unless you spent the entire day basically in bed asleep, the RMR is going to be somewhat higher than BMR.

      I disagree: http://www.acefitness.org/blog/616/bmr-versus-rmr

      This also meshes with the literature the university hospital system gave me. While I'm not staying the night at the testing facility, I do have to be fasting for 12 hours before the test (so that I'm not burning calories due to digestion) and it will take an hour and a half to perform. I'll be in a dark room completely still, and not allowed to sleep, read, or anything.
    • Posts: 1,077 Member
      I disagree: http://www.acefitness.org/blog/616/bmr-versus-rmr

      This also meshes with the literature the university hospital system gave me. While I'm not staying the night at the testing facility, I do have to be fasting for 12 hours before the test (so that I'm not burning calories due to digestion) and it will take an hour and a half to perform. I'll be in a dark room completely still, and not allowed to sleep, read, or anything.

      All those measures are doing is lowering your RMR to be measured as closer to your BMR, but it will never get all the way down. In any case, it doesn't really matter. There's so much misuse of those terms on the internet that you can't really rely on a web search to clear it up. I got the definitions straight from the physicians at the weight loss clinic I attend. If they're wrong, then so am I.
    • Posts: 1,666 Member
      I've read that what the tests are actually measuring is your RMR. BMR is a tougher test. I think they use the terms virtually interchangeably.

      The Fitbit just uses the same formulas the web sites do, to estimate your BMR/RMR. It adds some 'intelligence' in getting to a TDEE from there, in that it can semi-accurately tell how sedentary/active you are. But it has no advantage over any other simple RMR estimater.
    • Posts: 106 Member
      I had mine tested and it was much lower than online estimates. Online calculators were around 1330-1430. Actual was 1007.

      I'm hoping that over time I can increase this some by adding muscle mass, but apparently this is something that you have little control over.
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