I Had My BMR Tested - It's 1032 Calories

Kim55555 · June 2013

Bump. Will reply later

Ddietzz · June 2013

Bump... Been reading more and more info on this subject. Thanks!

smithed812 · June 2013

Very interesting to read, thanks!

AxelM81 · June 2013

I had my RMR tested a month ago and got this as a result:

Your calculated RMR based on the last 20 minutes of your 40 minute measurement period is 2088 kcal/day. If we compare this to widely used predictive energy expenditure formulas such as Harris Benedict or Schofield, your RMR is a little higher than the values you would get from these population based formulas. For example if we work out your estimated energy expenditure using Harris Benedict we get a value of 1766 kcal/day, however as with all predictive equations there is a margin of error, whilst some studies have found it to be accurate in 45 – 80% of healthy non-obese individuals, others studies have found that HB over-estimates by 6 – 15%. If we use Schofield your estimated BMR/RMR would be 1748.15 kcal/day, however Schofield carries a Standard Error range, for your age group it is 167, this means we can add or subtract 167 to the calculated value. In your case, since you are lean and physically active, if we add 167 this would give an estimated RMR of 1915 kcal/day which is a little lower than your RMR measured by indirect calorimetry. I am only giving you these predictive values to give you an idea of the kind of range you could expect, the most important value is the one we measured yesterday i.e. an estimated RMR of 2088 kcal/day

my stats at the time of testing: 5"9', 76.1kg, 15.2% bodyfat (bodpod after RMR test), intermittent fasting since 4 months (leangains 8/16h)

__Di__ · June 2013

The OP already said she used to eat many more calories and work out a lot and couldn't lose anything, if that hadn't pushed her metabolism up then why would doing so now suddenly be different,

Anyhow, it is now irrelevant as she is at maintenance, having reached her goal by the looks of it.

It seemed her doctor did a fine job as she reached her desired weight partly due to his testing.

__Di__ · June 2013

Isn't the TDEE calculation based on what the BMR would be? If so, if the BMR were too high, then so will be the TDEE....

_Zardoz_ · June 2013

Stop it with this reading what she actually said. Everyone would rather read what they wanted her to say so they can tell her she's wrong ;-)

__Di__ · June 2013

I know Fatdoob, I just can't help it though :laugh: - such a good thread this, even if it is a few months old, glad somebody resurrected it, I would have missed it otherwise!

psuLemon · June 2013

Keep in mind the OP also has medical conditions and if you google some of the medications it has been linked to lowering the metabolism. At the very least, it's very skewed data.

__Di__ · June 2013

Ahh you reminded me.......

Her medication was said to push her metabolism faster? This actually means her reading was faster than it would have been had she not been on it, therefore, if she had not been on the medication her metabolism would have been slower resulting in an even lower BMR......... is this right?

MeDoula · June 2013

I did a "metabolism reset" last year and followed online calculators as well as Bodybugg numbers. As a result I gained 20 lbs and almost 2 clothing sizes. I started cutting and came to the conclusion that my TDEE is between 1700-1800. I stuck with the whole thing for 10 months and started getting depressed before I decided to stop and go against the flow. I'm not sure about my BMR but those calculators should be taken only as a guidance. Instead of having 25 lbs to lose, I now have about 45 lbs to lose and about 15% bodyfat. I'm still kicking myself for going with it for so long.

psuLemon · June 2013

Just ignore my comment. I relooking at links between her medication and aderall can increase her metabolism but her condition has been linked to slightly slower metabolism, so it's probably offset. More than likely, we would have to look back at how she ate. It's hard to compare sometimes because we usually get part of the story. In the end, I do laugh at how fast people jump on these post when their metabolism are slower than expected but there are several that have shown their metabolism at or higher than the online calculators and the get little attention. Heck, if I can find it, there was a girl who was test at like 1000 for her BMR because she under ate for 6 months or a year and after 6 months she ate at maintenance and increase weight training and it went back to 1500-1600. It just goes to show how adaptive the RMR is.

Also, keep in mind, this is an RMR not BMR test. BMR test take much longer than 15-20 minutes.

tigerblue · June 2013

I disagree.

I think the original post is a very helpful post. It just reinforces for me that the calculators are not 100% correct--they are based on averages (and probably bell curves and all that trigonometry that I once learned and now have forgotten). The point is, some of us are in the top or bottom 2%!of the population, and thus the calculators will be substantially off for us. For me, this helps to explain why I started GAINIING at net 1350 cals (exercising 200 -300 cals and eating them back put me eating about 1550-1650 cals). Eating more to weigh less has resulted in a 12 pound re-gain now!

So the question now is, why is my metabolism suppressed? Do I just naturally have a slow metabolism, is it because I am very aerobically fit, or have I suppressed it by eating well under my TDEE for too long? That is what I am investigating now, by tracking, eating, and watching for changes. No more easy answers! Good news is it seems to be stabilizing at a little higher than before, so maybe I can soon start eating at the correct deficit.

THANK YOU OP FOR POSTING!! This helps me know I am not crazy.

tigerblue · June 2013

My greatest fear!

I see all the "I'm resetting" posts, but I rarely see the posts where these people celebrate their resets by losing. I'm skeptical.
Thanks for speaking up.

sc10985 · June 2013

This makes a lot of sense. When I started reading all the stuff about TDEE -20% and needing to eat more (or else!!) I freaked out and upped my calories. Well I've since then hit a plateau. . Lol

Eta: I upped my calories according to an online tdee calculator.

deadstarsunburn · June 2013

Not bashing the technician but I highly doubt he had any business giving BMR advice. I'd consult a dietician about it.

CATindeeHAT · June 2013

Hey all! I just wanted to share a response I gave to a personal message I recieved from someone about this topic. Having a 'slow' metabolism isn't necessarily a bad thing!!!!

No problem. Yes, it's a shame that people think that can eat so much and get away with it. As the saying goes, 'you can't have your cake and eat it to.'

From a longevity standpoint, the less you eat the longer you live. So those few 'lucky' individuals who can eat significant amounts of food and still lose weight due to a fast metabolism, they don't realize that the faster your metabolism, the faster you age.

Being able to eat a lot and not gain a pound is a sign that you're on the fast track to the grave. An extreme example of this would be people with wasting syndromes like advanced stage AIDS or those going through chemotherapy; they can eat 3000+ calories a day and still lose a good percentage of their weight each day because they are on their death bed.

Another good example is celebrities. I was fortunate enough to actually go see the golden globe awards my senior year of high school and I was pretty shocked. Actors and actresses may look pretty average on tv or the big screen, but in person they look unbelievably thin and hungry. The camera truly adds 10+ pounds, so it should come as no surprise that celebrities nearly starve themselves for their career, and yet, they look phenomenal late into their 80's. Most people assume its because they can afford expense anti aging treatments or that its simply a Hollywood stage effect, but in fact, it's because they eat very little.

When you eat less food your body experiences a degree of hibernation, much like a bear hibernating through the winter. Thanks to a survival mechanism, when the body senses that food is scarce it slows down nearly every process to keep you alive (including reproduction, which is why some women lose their periods when extremely isocaloric) until there is more food available again. That also explains why when people go on a starvation diet and then resume normal eating they gain back all the weight, and then some; their body is fighting for their survival.

Losing weight is one thing, but looking haggard, drawn out, and 20+ years older than you actually are is another. People with slower metabolisms who keep their weight in check age better and live significantly longer; and that's a FACT.

The only down side I find to having a sluggish metabolism is the fact that I have to keep my eating in check, but at the same time it's a good thing as well. Knowing that I'm predisposed to gaining weight if left unchecked, I'm extremely vigilant about keeping a food diary, and therefore, more on top of any changes occurring in my body. I will never be one of those people who wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and say, 'what happened?' I'm always one step ahead of the game and am less likely to be one of those people who simply 'let themselves go' thanks to that nagging little voice in my head that keeps reminding me I have a slow metabolism.

So if I had to choose between having a fast metabolism and a sluggish one, I would choose the sluggish one, hands down. That way, when I'm 80, I can still run the Boston marathon in a sports bra looking sexy, while those 'lucky' few with the fast metabolisms can roll along beside me in their wheelchairs looking like their waiting at deaths door

Lazygal53 · June 2013

Mine was 1105 when tested a couple of years ago. Which makes sedentary for me 1326.

cbuggy75 · June 2013

Very Interesting....

MeDoula · June 2013

I guess people are afraid to speak up. Some do. Some just quietly leave. People in general tend to point with fingers claiming that we "did it wrong". It's a great group and I'm friends with many members. It also works for many many people but we are all individuals with some type of history. I've been on LCD on and off since I was probably 11 years old. I read (and heard in a video) that it can take just as long for your metabolism to reset. Sorry but I don't have 19 years to "fix" my metabolism and try to get to a healthier body weight and bf%. I need to lose the fat like yesterday. I wish I could say that my gain came from some muscle gain in the last months but it didn't unfortunately. i really wanted the program to work for me.

I Had My BMR Tested - It's 1032 Calories

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