RMR tested....the good and the BAD...
juliebeannn
Posts: 428 Member
sooo......
i had my RMR tested b/c i wanted a more concrete number than what fitbit and scooby was telling me. i was totally convinced that my metabolism is just slower than everyone else and eating more was going to backfire.
various internet calculators gave me a BMR ranging from 1390 to 1440.
after the test today, turns out my RMR is actually 1541. woohooo!!! who would've thought that my RMR was actually 100 cals more than the highest estimate i had received before.
the rest of the meeting is where it got ugly. she told me that i probably haven't been losing fat b/c 2000+ cals is A LOT of calories to be eating at 5'3" and that for weight loss i should eat no more than 1600 (w/ her usual recommendation being to eat AT your RMR, at most).
the print out from the machine (metacheck), says:
maintenance zone: 1541 to 2003 (how is a 500 cal deficit considered maintenance?)
weight loss zone: 1233 to 1541 (MAX is RMR....really?!)
medically supervised zone: < 1233 (don't even get me started...)
it also gave me an estimated TDEE of 2163....my estimated TDEE with the lower BMR was 2230 so given this new information, my new TDEE is in the ballpark of 2300-2350 calories.
i tried to pick her brain about more things, but she had another appointment after me so, barely got to talk to her at all. she was really sweet but i just felt like another appt in her calendar. i guess this is fine since i went there just to get my RMR and not to actually become a client....
anyway, after digesting this info some more, another thing started to annoy me. the print out she gave me says "time to reach your goal weight w/o exercise: 10 weeks; w/ exercise: 8 weeks". seriously? 8 weeks to lose 15lbs...cuz you know, that's real healthy. i understand that most people go to her to seek quick weight loss advice, but what about people who want to lose weight slowly and gradually.
august was supposed to be "eat at TDEE" month which was 2150 (my TDEE from fitbit from june-july). while i was away on vacation, i lowered my cals to 2000 thinking that i wouldn't be as active...but turns out that for half of july and most of august my avg. TDEE has been 2230, so i've been eating at approx. 10% cut.
my body's really happy right now and i feel great. i've gone from 145 to 143 in the last few weeks while eating at 1900-2150 and don't plan on changing my mentality just because a piece of paper spit out some numbers that will give me a quick fix.
as i was leaving she says "give me a call if you want me to customize a meal plan for you!"
mmm...no thanks.
i had my RMR tested b/c i wanted a more concrete number than what fitbit and scooby was telling me. i was totally convinced that my metabolism is just slower than everyone else and eating more was going to backfire.
various internet calculators gave me a BMR ranging from 1390 to 1440.
after the test today, turns out my RMR is actually 1541. woohooo!!! who would've thought that my RMR was actually 100 cals more than the highest estimate i had received before.
the rest of the meeting is where it got ugly. she told me that i probably haven't been losing fat b/c 2000+ cals is A LOT of calories to be eating at 5'3" and that for weight loss i should eat no more than 1600 (w/ her usual recommendation being to eat AT your RMR, at most).
the print out from the machine (metacheck), says:
maintenance zone: 1541 to 2003 (how is a 500 cal deficit considered maintenance?)
weight loss zone: 1233 to 1541 (MAX is RMR....really?!)
medically supervised zone: < 1233 (don't even get me started...)
it also gave me an estimated TDEE of 2163....my estimated TDEE with the lower BMR was 2230 so given this new information, my new TDEE is in the ballpark of 2300-2350 calories.
i tried to pick her brain about more things, but she had another appointment after me so, barely got to talk to her at all. she was really sweet but i just felt like another appt in her calendar. i guess this is fine since i went there just to get my RMR and not to actually become a client....
anyway, after digesting this info some more, another thing started to annoy me. the print out she gave me says "time to reach your goal weight w/o exercise: 10 weeks; w/ exercise: 8 weeks". seriously? 8 weeks to lose 15lbs...cuz you know, that's real healthy. i understand that most people go to her to seek quick weight loss advice, but what about people who want to lose weight slowly and gradually.
august was supposed to be "eat at TDEE" month which was 2150 (my TDEE from fitbit from june-july). while i was away on vacation, i lowered my cals to 2000 thinking that i wouldn't be as active...but turns out that for half of july and most of august my avg. TDEE has been 2230, so i've been eating at approx. 10% cut.
my body's really happy right now and i feel great. i've gone from 145 to 143 in the last few weeks while eating at 1900-2150 and don't plan on changing my mentality just because a piece of paper spit out some numbers that will give me a quick fix.
as i was leaving she says "give me a call if you want me to customize a meal plan for you!"
mmm...no thanks.
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Replies
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sooo......
i had my RMR tested b/c i wanted a more concrete number than what fitbit and scooby was telling me. i was totally convinced that my metabolism is just slower than everyone else and eating more was going to backfire.
various internet calculators gave me a BMR ranging from 1390 to 1440.
after the test today, turns out my RMR is actually 1541. woohooo!!! who would've thought that my RMR was actually 100 cals more than the highest estimate i had received before.
the rest of the meeting is where it got ugly. she told me that i probably haven't been losing fat b/c 2000+ cals is A LOT of calories to be eating at 5'3" and that for weight loss i should eat no more than 1600 (w/ her usual recommendation being to eat AT your RMR, at most).
the print out from the machine (metacheck), says:
maintenance zone: 1541 to 2003 (how is a 500 cal deficit considered maintenance?)
weight loss zone: 1233 to 1541 (MAX is RMR....really?!)
medically supervised zone: < 1233 (don't even get me started...)
it also gave me an estimated TDEE of 2163....my estimated TDEE with the lower BMR was 2230 so given this new information, my new TDEE is in the ballpark of 2300-2350 calories.
i tried to pick her brain about more things, but she had another appointment after me so, barely got to talk to her at all. she was really sweet but i just felt like another appt in her calendar. i guess this is fine since i went there just to get my RMR and not to actually become a client....
anyway, after digesting this info some more, another thing started to annoy me. the print out she gave me says "time to reach your goal weight w/o exercise: 10 weeks; w/ exercise: 8 weeks". seriously? 8 weeks to lose 15lbs...cuz you know, that's real healthy. i understand that most people go to her to seek quick weight loss advice, but what about people who want to lose weight slowly and gradually.
august was supposed to be "eat at TDEE" month which was 2150 (my TDEE from fitbit from june-july). while i was away on vacation, i lowered my cals to 2000 thinking that i wouldn't be as active...but turns out that for half of july and most of august my avg. TDEE has been 2230, so i've been eating at approx. 10% cut.
my body's really happy right now and i feel great. i've gone from 145 to 143 in the last few weeks while eating at 1900-2150 and don't plan on changing my mentality just because a piece of paper spit out some numbers that will give me a quick fix.
as i was leaving she says "give me a call if you want me to customize a meal plan for you!"
mmm...no thanks.
Sounds EXACTLY like my experience!! Sorry she was so unhelpful on the eating plan, but at least you know your true RMR and can tailor your own meal plan accordingly!0 -
take the data ..and use it ..in the way that you feel is right for you. I don't know what this woman's background is ..but the majority of "medical" professionals advise what is mainstream thinking. Must eat very little - big deficit - to lose. they seem to be programmed , along with a vast majority of Americans, that the goal is QUICK weight loss. WEIGHT loss. not FAT loss. weight loss and make it quick!!! as I've said before ..SURE I'd love to go to sleep and wake up with a sleek, lean body of a fitness model , but that's not realistic. it truly frosts my cupcake that these "professionals" are perpetuating the quick WEIGHT loss "advice"0
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Where did you get your RMR tested? Was it a personal trainer at a gym? Did you go to an actual sports lab? RMR should be higher than BMR by the way.....BMR is what you need for base organ function. RMR is sitting, breathing, talking, etc....so you use more calories. BMR is much stricter. You actually can't even test for BMR unless you sleep overnight at the lab. I really disagree with her caloric suggestions as well...definitely don't eat under your RMR but if you work out intensly, you obviously need to eat more than she is suggesting. I would eat at RMR on days when you are home laying around and not doing anything but watching tv. Lots of gyms offer this testing and not all technicians are created equal....anyone can be a personal trainer basically.0
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i don't think there was a bad. If your RMR is ~1540 calories then your TDEE could be much more than the 2003 calories referenced for your "maintenance zone."
I think eating somewhere around 1700-2000 calories would yield a consistent yet slow, maintainable and rather painless weight loss. The machine gave you an estimate that indicates that the calculators you've found online are not too far off so your metabolism is clearly not impaired. I think that's great news!0 -
To me it sounds like the OP has everything under control. I just pity her other clients getting those horrid printouts :noway:0
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yeah. if i had gone to see her like a month or two ago, i think i would've been shaken, confused and tempted to drop my calories back to 1400. but i feel really solid and know what i'm doing is what's right for me...the slow and steady approach.To me it sounds like the OP has everything under control. I just pity her other clients getting those horrid printouts :noway:
yeah. i'm super excited that my rmr is actually higher than expected and i can move forward knowing that my metabolism is nearly as slow as i thought it was. yay! the bad was the recommendation to eat below RMR to lose weight. and even worse, a plan to have me lose 15lbs in 2 weeks. :huh:i don't think there was a bad. If your RMR is ~1540 calories then your TDEE could be much more than the 2003 calories referenced for your "maintenance zone."
I think eating somewhere around 1700-2000 calories would yield a consistent yet slow, maintainable and rather painless weight loss. The machine gave you an estimate that indicates that the calculators you've found online are not too far off so your metabolism is clearly not impaired. I think that's great news!
i visited a dietician to have it done. it was one of those korr metacheck breathing machines. i feel like a lot of the online calculators i've used estimated RMR to be lower than BMR.Where did you get your RMR tested? Was it a personal trainer at a gym? Did you go to an actual sports lab? RMR should be higher than BMR by the way.....BMR is what you need for base organ function. RMR is sitting, breathing, talking, etc....so you use more calories. BMR is much stricter. You actually can't even test for BMR unless you sleep overnight at the lab. I really disagree with her caloric suggestions as well...definitely don't eat under your RMR but if you work out intensly, you obviously need to eat more than she is suggesting. I would eat at RMR on days when you are home laying around and not doing anything but watching tv. Lots of gyms offer this testing and not all technicians are created equal....anyone can be a personal trainer basically.
(ie. BMR & RMR Results: The results of your calculations are: BMR 1,440 RMR 1,348 (calories))
either way. i'm happy i have my numbers now and i can move forward. maybe i'll have my RMR tested again next summer and i can show her that fat loss is possible w/o an enormous deficit while on a 1900-2100 cal diet.0 -
Excellent results!
Probably about right, huh?
So, if you want to base your numbers on that RMR (and you should), you can backtrack to what the BMR is, and both based on what the likely bodyfat% is, or more correctly, what the likely LBM is that would require that kind of metabolism to support it.
Now, LBM is not the whole reason for high or low BMR/RMR - your aerobic efficiency if exercising a lot determines it too.
And the amount of fat you are carrying is not considered in the more accurate BMR/RMR calc's, but it does increase metabolism somewhat.
So your Katch BMR and Cunningham RMR calc's are slightly deflated at overweight if carrying extra fat
But since you know your number, you can compare now, and use the measured value.
So I just updated this spreadsheet to include a section on the BMR/TDEE tab, regarding RMR. And what stats to use to now use the normal formula's.
Link is in this topic.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/677905-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-calc-macro-calc-hrm0 -
Juliebeann~
You didn't even need to do this~ you SO got this already!!!!:flowerforyou:
I know you must have curious but now that you know, tuck the information away, and continue doing what you're doing!!!:drinker:
Keep up the good work and GREAT attitude!!:bigsmile:
And, wait, you need a couple of these too:
:flowerforyou: 
:drinker: :flowerforyou: :drinker: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :drinker: :flowerforyou: :drinker: 0 -
either way. i'm happy i have my numbers now and i can move forward. maybe i'll have my RMR tested again next summer and i can show her that fat loss is possible w/o an enormous deficit while on a 1900-2100 cal diet.
I wouldn't waste the time.
By following the decent guidelines being mentioned and what you sound like you already recognize, you'll keep your LBM and RMR really won't change much.
What will be just as uesful though is a Bodpod test for bodyfat%.
Then you can see, for this amount of LBM, am I expending the energy a healthy person would?
But that is useful for again down the road when it matters more.
Just take your weight divided by your RMR right now - that's your personal multiplier.
As you lose weight, you'll have your best estimate of new RMR.
Unless - you feel like you've maintained LBM - then RMR is going to stay about the same actually, because the biggest by far majority of calorie burning in BMR/RMR is your LBM.0 -
either way. i'm happy i have my numbers now and i can move forward. maybe i'll have my RMR tested again next summer and i can show her that fat loss is possible w/o an enormous deficit while on a 1900-2100 cal diet.
I wouldn't waste the time.
By following the decent guidelines being mentioned and what you sound like you already recognize, you'll keep your LBM and RMR really won't change much.
What will be just as uesful though is a Bodpod test for bodyfat%.
Then you can see, for this amount of LBM, am I expending the energy a healthy person would?
But that is useful for again down the road when it matters more.
Just take your weight divided by your RMR right now - that's your personal multiplier.
As you lose weight, you'll have your best estimate of new RMR.
Unless - you feel like you've maintained LBM - then RMR is going to stay about the same actually, because the biggest by far majority of calorie burning in BMR/RMR is your LBM.
I totaly agree....I am also getting a DEXA scan soon to find out my body fat %....when I did my RMR testing, they also did my body fat %. If your LBM stays the same (and I know you lift), then your RMR should stay about the same. I think it's a great test if given properly to see if you have metabolic issues but it can also vary quite a bit day to day. Hopefully they told you not to exercise the day before and to get a good nights sleep as well.0 -
Hopefully they told you not to exercise the day before and to get a good nights sleep as well.
Oh, excellent point, and not supposed to eat for like 4 hrs before so no increased metabolism from that.
I wonder what the lady does if people come back 6 months later having followed here advice, indeed lost some weight, but now their RMR is well below what it would normally be estimated to be.
Does she acknowledge huge drop in metabolism beyond what the weight loss would bring? Suggest some muscle was lost? Congratulate on weight loss and explain they must eat even less to keep losing?
Wow, what a corner to be back in to.0 -
thanks for all the great advice guys.Hopefully they told you not to exercise the day before and to get a good nights sleep as well.
Oh, excellent point, and not supposed to eat for like 4 hrs before so no increased metabolism from that.
I wonder what the lady does if people come back 6 months later having followed here advice, indeed lost some weight, but now their RMR is well below what it would normally be estimated to be.
Does she acknowledge huge drop in metabolism beyond what the weight loss would bring? Suggest some muscle was lost? Congratulate on weight loss and explain they must eat even less to keep losing?
Wow, what a corner to be back in to.
yeah. i was told no exercise the day of...and preferably for 24 hours. no caffeine the day of and no food for 4 hours prior to test. i was starving all morning. haha.
as many have mentioned, i'm gonna tuck this info in the back of my mind and move forward as i have been.
next...i'm gonna look into getting the body pod or DEXA scan done. now gotta just find a place in nyc that won't charge me a ridiculous amount.
thanks again guys!!! you guys are the best!!!0 -
next...i'm gonna look into getting the body pod or DEXA scan done. now gotta just find a place in nyc that won't charge me a ridiculous amount.
Check the Bodpod site for locations, and the ones at colleges/universities.
They have them primarily for studies and such, but while they got them, willing to make some money doing it for the public.
I've found here and from others, much cheaper too.
Where-as if a gym sprung for one, they will charge more unless you buy some package deal of some many tests.
Mine was $35 at university. $30 each if you pre-paid for 3.0
