I Had My BMR Tested - It's 1032 Calories

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  • Slavic_Spice
    Slavic_Spice Posts: 78 Member
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    Very interesting. Thanks for the info.
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
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    BMR is the amount of calories I would need to survive while in a coma.
    But the BMR that MFP uses is got some activity figured into it doesn't it? Even the sedentary setting isn't assuming coma is it?
  • CATindeeHAT
    CATindeeHAT Posts: 332 Member
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    BUMP for the inevitable debate! :tongue:

    Yup. I'm expecting this.

    Here are my predictions:

    1. The tests where in accurate (even though they were take multiple times in a university hospital).
    2. I am a freak of nature (yes I have narcolepsy, but I was told, MORE THAN ONCE, that my BMR is what was expected).
    3. "Me, my mom, dad, brother, sister's boyfriend, and the neighbor's dog all lost weight by eating more." - The usual battery of anecdotal evidence.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    That's really interesting. I had no idea there was even a test to measure the amount of calories one needs to consume to be healthy/alive.
    The test measures how much oxygen you take in (and perhaps how much CO2 you give out). As oxygen is the fuel for "burning" calories, the amount of oxygen absorbed (what went in minus what came out) gives you the calories used at (from memory) 5 kcals per litre of oxygen.
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
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    That's really interesting. I had no idea there was even a test to measure the amount of calories one needs to consume to be healthy/alive.

    Does it mean, then, that that's the amount of calories one can consume while living a somewhat active lifestyle? Like in order to burn fat you would need to go lower than 1032 calories? Or is the BMR the amount of calories one can consume to maintain weight while sedentary?

    Thats what your body needs to function. Like if you were to sit on the couch all day and do absolutley nothing.Your body needs calories to maintain the functioning of organs. Please don't think you should go lower than bmr estimates..... That would only be doing harm.
  • CATindeeHAT
    CATindeeHAT Posts: 332 Member
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    BMR is the amount of calories I would need to survive while in a coma.
    But the BMR that MFP uses is got some activity figured into it doesn't it? Even the sedentary setting isn't assuming coma is it?

    No, I believe it's BMR multiplied by 1.2 (for sedentary). Which to me makes it even more reasonable.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    wow...good thing you were able to get it tested
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
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    That's very interesting and thanks for sharing. I had mine done at a local hospital and it came out to 1700 (even the nurse was surprised). Just goes to show you that online calculators are truly just estimates
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Interesting. I can't say I'm completely shocked by it. I've used several online calculators for BMR and TDEE and found that they seemed to overestimate mine since I'd been maintaining for over a year with regular moderate to intense exercise on only slightly more than the number of calories the calculators said was my TDEE at sedentary.
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
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    Yeah, a trainer at my gym told me he sees a lot of women thinking their BMRs are around 1400 because they used an online calculator, but really they're between 1000 and 1200 and they end up overeating. He estimated mine to be 1100 based on my height and weight. I appreciate seeing some evidence suggesting this is true.
  • samblanken
    samblanken Posts: 369 Member
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    I find that any coal tar shampoo does a very good job of getting the glue out of your hair after a sleep study.

    THANK YOU! Where do I get it?

    Neutrogena T Gel or any generic equivalent. About $5 a bottle for the generic stuff, but I buy it all the time because it's a dandruff shampoo and I have dandruff. Walmrt CVS Walgreen grocery store - any place that has shampoo will have it.

    On a side note, I though narcopesly was something that once you have it, you've got it, it never goes away. So why does your insurance keep making you retest? I find that bizarre, and expensive. I have sleep apnea and those sleep studies are a couple thousand a night. I imainge a 24 hour sleep study has got to cost at least 3 grand.
  • gauchogirl
    gauchogirl Posts: 467 Member
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    Thanks for sharing! I don't think you should get any flamers, you are only sharing YOUR experience. You're not telling us all we're eating too much or fooling ourselves. Just sharing what you learned about your body. You get any haters, you tell 'em to bite you. Thanks again!
  • kajpen
    kajpen Posts: 120 Member
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    Very interesting post. The online calculators are estimates and it really does come down to a certain amount of trial and error to find your maintenance vs. weight loss vs. weight gain calories.
  • drakechic08
    drakechic08 Posts: 156 Member
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    Dont forget that BMR is: Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the minimum amount of energy required for the functioning of vital organs, such as the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, muscles and digestive organs.

    This is what they would give you if you were in a coma to survive. This does not account for even simply moving around while awake, or food digestion. That is why it is also important to know your TDEE.

    This site tells you more about the test.
    http://www.mun.ca/hkr/ahs/BMR.php

    Yes it is good to know what your BMR is, but you need to take in more than that in order for your body to function normally.
  • cathdrew2
    cathdrew2 Posts: 136 Member
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    Thanks for sharing!
  • mhaseno521
    mhaseno521 Posts: 1 Member
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    That is very interesting! I never would have guessed. Im assuming mine will be more, considering I weigh a considerable amount more than you, but honestly, probably not much more. Thanks for the info! :)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Hmm it actually makes perfect sense. of course your BMR is going to be 1032. BMR represents your body's energy consumption if you were just to lie down and do nothing (or in this case, the above BMR you got from the test represents what what you were doing during that test) basically the energy your body with its organs etc needs to live. TDEE is the energy your body needs when you do regular activities everyday (and that differs from person to person) . To lose weight, from my understanding is to cut the intake from your TDEE NOT your BMR. Say, if your TDEE is an average of 2100, then losing weight would mean about 1800 or so depending on how much you want to lose in a specified period. I hope this clears up the confusion.

    But why should we assume the online TDEE calculators are any more accurate than the online BMR calculators. Don't TDEE calculators use BMR as a starting point? If the starting point is incorrect, then it seems logical that the end point would also.
  • CATindeeHAT
    CATindeeHAT Posts: 332 Member
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    On a side note, I though narcopesly was something that once you have it, you've got it, it never goes away. So why does your insurance keep making you retest? I find that bizarre, and expensive. I have sleep apnea and those sleep studies are a couple thousand a night. I imainge a 24 hour sleep study has got to cost at least 3 grand.

    No, narcolepsy does not go away. In fact, it's degenerative.

    The studies are paid for COMPLETELY by the insurance company. They are a very 'hoity toity' company and I feel like they're just itching to find a loophole to get out paying for my meds.

    Hence that is why I call them 'trolls.' :):)
  • WEB3
    WEB3 Posts: 121 Member
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    That's interesting and explains why I seem to maintain at net 1500-1600 calories but loose steadily when I try to net 1200.
    Everyone says that is too low and to eat more, but I'm 5'2, 121lbs. When I excercise I try to burn 300 calories and only eat half of that back.
    BMR caluclators say I should be netting 1480...
    Thank you for posting. I will keep doing what is working for me- 1200 net!
  • ANeWcRe8N
    ANeWcRe8N Posts: 1,180 Member
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    wow interesting!! thanks for this post

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